Maynard Ferguson Ate My Homework
Jason Isbell, Bon Iver, John Mayer, and Maynard Ferguson
Please set in the trumpet
—Lou Bega, Mambo No. 5
What would you do to get the opportunity to see your favorite artist live? Keep reading for a great story in the Bonus Track about doing what it takes to catch some legendary live jazz. Enjoy some tracks from Ben, Jonathan, and Mat as well.
Ben’s Pick: Eileen by Jason Isbell
Eileen, you should've seen this coming sooner
Do I mean to be alone for all my days?
Eileen, you thought the truth was just a rumor
But that's your way
It’s not happy and fun, but the chorus feels a decade old. It takes me back to an older Isbell sound, and I like it. You might too.
Jonathan’s Pick: SPEYSIDE by Bon Iver
Bon Iver is set to release SABLE fABLE on April 11—his first album in six years. I'm really looking forward to hearing the full record. Last month, he released four songs from the album, and one of them is my pick for this week. If the early tracks are any indication, the album will be a laid-back and enjoyable listen.
Mat’s Pick: Cover of Free Fallin’ by John Mayer
Brad Cleveland (this week’s Bonus Track guest) and I were college roommates and he remains one of the most talented musicians I have ever known. At our alma mater, University of Mobile, every year there is a big event called “Covers” where students would sing cover songs. I am pretty sure Brad won every single time he entered. In honor of Brad’s Swap debut, here’s a great cover from an album I loved when I lived in Mobile. Enjoy!
Bonus Track: Maynard Ferguson by Brad Cleveland
Here’s a story about the first time I lied.
It’s 1992, and I’m six years old in Mobile, Alabama. My dad told me that if I finished my homework, he would take me to see my favorite musician live in concert that night. I was beyond elated. But between the dull, monochrome now and the vibrant, technicolor then stood a mountain of homework that I had no desire to tackle. So, instead of doing it, I just... lied. I told my dad it was done so I could go see my hero be a hero.
Who could this hero be? Bono? Jon Bon Jovi? Eddie Van Halen?
No. Maynard Ferguson.
Maynard Ferguson was a jazz trumpet player from Canada who rose to prominence prodigiously. He was essentially the LeBron James of trumpeters—except he didn’t even finish high school before joining well-established big bands. (You see the connection between jazz trumpet and homework rebellion?) Eventually, he made his way to Stan Kenton’s big band in 1948, then started his own, leading fiery infernos of jazz energy well into the ’90s and beyond. If you’ve ever seen Charlton Heston’s The Ten Commandments, you’ve heard Maynard—he was the principal trumpet for Paramount Pictures as well.
Now, ‘fiery inferno of jazz energy’ isn’t a terribly common descriptor, so let me explain. Maynard approached the trumpet like a bodybuilder approaches a barbell. Or like a boxer entering the ring. Or like Joey Chestnut chomping down on a glizzy. His playing was athletic in a way I had never heard before. His tone was so powerful that when he played, you just knew it was him. In the range where 99% of trumpeters sound thin, airy, and weak, Maynard was still punching your lights out. I looked at him the way my brother looked at Troy Aikman (iykyk).
Birdland is the quintessential Maynard Ferguson track, and I am prepared to defend that assertion with fisticuffs. This track is pure energy from start to finish. Right from the beginning, you hear the trumpet section blazing. Let me tell you—hearing a trumpet section like that live is a singular experience. The air pressure in the room changes. It’s akin to the power of a marching band, but in a small community theater, just ten feet away.
Notice how the energy transfers throughout the song. Each section has a different instrument or group driving the momentum. Pay attention at 2:08 to how precise every instrument has to be. Listen from 3:50 to 4:02—impossibly tight. And at the 5:00 mark, you’ll hear Maynard perform a trademark lick that I’m not even sure how to describe, much less reproduce. There’s so much to discover in this recording! I recommend listening multiple times, focusing on a different section each time. Keep in mind, this was recorded in one take—each musician is doing something remarkable in this performance. This track is lightning in a bottle. It was worth lying to my dad to see it live.
Most of Maynard’s albums in the ’70s and ’80s included covers of pop songs, big band standards, and pieces from the American songbook. He single-handedly bridged the gap between pop music and big band/jazz/brass for an entire generation. Check out this playlist, and you’ll find covers of Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Blood, Sweat & Tears, TV/film themes, and even operatic pieces—all reimagined in his signature style.
Maynard was known for his covers and his live performances. It was as if Mick Jagger had discovered the trumpet. His ability to blend a rock star persona with jazz made kids like me fall in love with a brass instrument. It wasn’t just obscure melodies with endless solos (though there was that, too—I distinctly remember asking my dad, “When is this song going to end?”).
When we saw Maynard that night, he closed the concert by sending his trumpet section into the aisles of the theater, playing the final chorus of Hey Jude right in our faces.
I may have lied that night, but I regret nothing.
Brad Cleveland lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is married to the state’s best mental health therapist. They have three kids and a 100-lb dog, Rapunzel. Brad thinks about music like he thinks about food. If it’s quality, he probably likes it. You can find him doing physical therapy because he waited too long to try to be sporty. He serves as the pastor of worship and communications at Bay Leaf Baptist Church.
Excellent Bonus Track, Brad! Thank you for writing. Happy music swappin’ friends!
-TheMusicSwap