Maynard Ferguson and Herb.

[Sleepy Night Records]

Both totally different styles, I interviewed Maynard back in 2004 about many things, one was other trumpet players, he said he met Herb at the A&M lot when he was there recording in 1979, Maynard asked Sylvester Stallone to come to the studios with his punch bag so they could record him working out, the sound effects went onto the track MF was recording "Rocky 2". Herb was told of this unusual recording session and came in to see what was going on and both men met up...they spoke about all the jazz greats!
Maynard also told me that when Herb was on the same bill as Buddy Rich at the Royal Variety Show in London in 1969...Herb got all the attention, and top billing..... Buddy was furious!
Any Maynard fans out there...we have just released a new CD, the final Lost Tapes Vol 3.
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[Captain Bacardi]

Buddy would get pissed if the sun rose. He was not a fun guy to work with. My trombone teacher at Berklee was Rick Stepton, who was Buddy's lead bone player in the mid-70's, and he told me all kinds of horror stories about being in Buddy's band. I met others who also played in Buddy's bands and they said the same thing. Buddy would raid schools like Berklee and North Texas State and grab up the top players in these schools, and naturally these kids thought they were hot stuff until Buddy would berate them. Since most of them were still kids they were scared out of their shorts. Buddy would fire somebody just for arguing with him or playing a wrong note in a gig. You definitely needed great chops and thick skin to be in his band.

 

[abstract_fan]

Hi Sleepy Night Records. Your picture looks like a "Solid Brass" album photo outtake.

 

[Nathan Strum]

I picked up Lost Tapes Vol. 3 (I'm over on the MF Forums as well). Some pretty cool, rare stuff on there. Maynard and Herb, as different as they are, are my two favorite trumpet players. I'd wondered if they'd ever met - so it's great to hear that story.

It's fascinating to listen to some of the same tracks they each recorded, and the totally different results they ended up with. Probably none more different than both of their takes on "All The Things You Are".

That said, here are some other songs they both recorded:
Bésame Mucho
Danny Boy
Fire and Rain
The Girl From Ipanema
Girl Talk
I Only Have Eyes for You (MF w/Chris Conner)
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
It's Only A Paper Moon
Let's Face The Music And Dance
(La Virgin De La) Macarena
Midnight Sun (MF w/Diane Schuur)
My Funny Valentine
Old Man River
On The Sunny Side of the Street
Summertime
Sunny
Take the "A" Train
What'll I Do?

 

[Rudy]

Buddy would fire somebody just for arguing with him or playing a wrong note in a gig.

"...effin' CLAMS..."

 

[RichardWarner]

I was visiting the A&M studios that day — Chicago was recording "Street Player" and Maynard dropped by and played.

 

[Sleepy Night Records]

Hi Sleepy Night Records. Your picture looks like a "Solid Brass" album photo outtake.

Well spotted, Jim McCrary took the photo, he gave me many other photos of Herb, a lot never seen before as we were about to work on a coffee style book of photos of Herb Alpert from the 1960s to now, Jim passed away a few years ago and we never did the book, perhaps one day if we can get a book publisher interested?

 

[rbisherw]

Love both Maynard and Herb. True musical Giants!

I have copies of some of the "Buddy Dearest" tapes. Not for the faint of heart, but funny as hell.