Maynard Ferguson Big Band Live in Brussels

Often overlooked in the pantheon of great trumpeters, Maynard Ferguson was a complete master of the horn. This concert shows as much – at times his tone offers deep warmth, at others he spews hoarse and braying timbres and, occasionally, sounds just as squeaky as a balloon animal creator. It makes for an entertaining set and proves that Ferguson was a born leader. Though he earned his stripes as a sideman, it was at the helm that he excelled most and by the age of twenty eight he commanded a big band including Wayne Shorter, Jaki Byard, Frankie Dunlop, Joe Zawinul and many more.