Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson (born May 4, 1928 in Montreal, Canada) is a jazz trumpet player and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He is no

Maynard Ferguson (born May 4, 1928 in Montreal, Canada) is a jazz trumpet player and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He is noted for being able to play accurately in a remarkably high range.

He was born in Verdun, Quebec (now part of Montreal). Encouraged by his mother and father, Maynard was playing piano and violin by the age of four. At nine years old, Maynard heard a trumpet for the first time in his local church and asked his parents to purchase him one. He won a scholarship to the French Conservatory of Music where he received formal training and in 1941, at age thirteen, Maynard soloed as a child prodigy with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra. During his teen years, he led a band in Montreal. In 1949, he moved to the United States in hopes of joining Stan Kenton's big band in New York City.