I had featured him along with Stan Kenton's band in the CLLN Music Club...He has just passed away

Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, known for his soaring high notes and for his recording of "Gonna Fly Now," a hit version of the theme from the "Rocky" movies, has died. He was 78....read on

I saw a twin bill of Maynard Ferguson and Buddy Rich's big bands in Madison Square Garden back in the late '70's. That was a great experience for a young sax player trying to learn as much as he could about jazz. John Seery writes a nice piece about Maynard being a wonderful educator:

Hitting that beat perfectly, Schankman explained: "He will be remembered for his soaring high notes, he'll be remembered as Stan Kenton's lead trumpet player and he'll be remembered for movie soundtracks like 'The Ten Commandments.' But what they should remember him for is his work as an educator. He played for students, visiting high schools, to raise money for instruments and music programs. And he left them with an inspiring remark."...read on