Maynard Ferguson: Influential

Woodrow Wilkins

since 2004

Woody started in jazz with the diverse sounds of Maynard Ferguson's bands of the 1970s.

Recent articles (361 total)

Published: September 10, 2006

Purists knocked Maynard for covering a lot of rock and pop tunes, but it was those covers that helped him reach the common man. As artists like Herbie Hancock and Josef Zawinul made their marks, presenting jazz as something other than an exclusive club for the elite, Maynard crossed a lot of bridges, infusing pop, blues, rock, classical and even disco into his soundscape. By doing this, he created music that stands the test of time. So even though Walter Maynard Ferguson has left this existence, he lives on in his music.

And that is the essence of Maynard Ferguson.

Selected discography

Maynard Ferguson, Live from San Francisco (Avenue, 1983)
Maynard Ferguson, Storm (Avenue, 1982)
Maynard Ferguson, Hollywood (Columbia, 1976)
Maynard Ferguson, Primal Scream (Columbia, 1976)
Maynard Ferguson, Chameleon (Columbia, 1974)
Maynard Ferguson, MF Horn 2 (Columbia, 1972)
Maynard Ferguson, Maynard Ferguson (Columbia, 1970)

Photo Credit: Hans Kumpf

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