Farewell.
Hitting the high notes. That's how Maynard Ferguson will be remembered. The trumpeter died Wednesday. He was 78. In the right context, Ferguson's showmanship was riveting. He's one of three trumpeters on Perez Prado's Havana, 3 a.m. from 1956, but I'm willing to wager that it's his flashy work that's the focus of "Granada." Hearing Prado's grunted exhortations is always a blast. Here, they're the stuff of life itself. Get the essential Bear Family reissue here.
2 comments:
I love Perez Prado. That "huh!" is so crucial. He sort of turned the exclamation into a song element. I have a weird old record that often makes me think of Sun Ra or early Mahalia Jackson - lots of sizzling organ and hand percussion.
Indeed, Poncho. His stuff works both as lounge music and as experimental music. And it seems very odd to me that Maynard Ferguson, of all people, was in his employ. Huh!
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