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James Last in 2006

James Last (also known as "Hansi") (born Hans Last, 17 April 1929, Bremen, Germany) is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark. According to the British Hit Singles & Albums book, he has reportedly sold in excess of seventy million albums worldwide.^[1]

Early life[link]

Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the piano from the age of 12, then switched to double bass as a teenager. His home city was heavily bombed in World War II and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the Bückeburg Military Music School of the German Wehrmacht.^[2]

After the fall of the Nazis, he joined Hans-Gunther Österreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the Last-Becker Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias, Freddy Quinn, Lolita, Alfred Hause and Caterina Valente.

Work[link]

Last first released albums in the U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Brothers around 1964. He also released a series of nine albums in a series called Classics Up To Date vols. 1–9 which served up arrangements of classical melodies with strings, rhythm and wordless chorus from the mid 1960s through the early 1970s. Last released an album, Non-Stop Dancing, in 1965, a recording of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto. He also had his own successful television series in the 1970s with guests ABBA and Lynsey de Paul.

Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful, especially in the UK, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967 and 1986, which made him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^{[citation needed]} he has had relatively few hit singles. In the UK, his only chart singles were "The Seduction", the theme from American Gigolo (1980) composed by Giorgio Moroder, and "Biscaya" from the album Biscaya. In the US, where "The Seduction" became a Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart in May 1980, Last was somewhat more successful on the singles charts. In 2003, his song "The Lonely Shepherd" which features the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the soundtrack of the Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1.^[3]

He has won numerous popular and professional awards, including Billboard magazine's Star of the Year trophy in 1976, and has been honoured for lifetime achievement with the German ECHO prize in 1994. His song "Music from Across the Way" (recorded by Andy Williams in 1972) is a melody with a classical feeling and was a worldwide hit; it is the only other Last single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S. Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His only other U.S. chart single was a double-sided entry featuring remakes of The Village Stompers' "Washington Square" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary", which reached No. 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1971.)

Last has a large fan base in Europe and elsewhere. His trademark is big band arrangements of pop music hits; his series of party albums is equally well known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.^[4] In the United States, Last's music was a staple of the mainly instrumental-based Beautiful Music radio format for years.

European concert dates for April 2011 have been advertised.^[5]

Personal life[link]

Last divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who help with his music.

Discography[link]

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See also[link]

• James Last Orchestra
• List of best-selling music artists

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Last

• Official website

Maynard Ferguson
Background information
Birth name	Walter Maynard Ferguson
Born	(1928-05-04)May 4, 1928
Origin	Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Died	August 23, 2006(2006-08-23) (aged 78)
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Bandleader, trumpeter
Instruments	Trumpet, flugelhorn, soprano saxophone, baritone horn
Years active	1939–2006
Associated acts	Big Bop Nouveau, Stan Kenton Orchestra
Website	maynardferguson.com
Notable instruments
Superbone, Firebird

Walter Maynard Ferguson (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He was noted for being able to play accurately in a remarkably high register, and for his bands, which served as stepping stones for up-and-coming talent.^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life and education[link]

Ferguson was born in Verdun, Quebec (now part of Montreal). Encouraged by his mother and father (both musicians), Maynard was playing piano and violin by the age of four. Newsreel footage exists of Ferguson as a child prodigy violinist. At nine years old, he heard a cornet for the first time in his local church and asked his parents to purchase one for him. At age thirteen, Ferguson first soloed as a child prodigy with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra and was heard frequently on the CBC, notably featured on a "Serenade for Trumpet in Jazz" written for him by Morris Davis. Ferguson won a scholarship to the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal where he studied from 1943 through 1948 with Bernard Baker.

Ferguson dropped out of Montreal High School at age 15 to more actively pursue a music career, performing in dance bands led by Stan Wood, Roland David, and Johnny Holmes. While trumpet was his primary instrument, Ferguson also performed on other brass and reed instruments. Ferguson later took over the dance band formed by his saxophonist brother Percy, playing dates in the Montreal area and serving as an opening act for touring bands from Canada and the USA. During this period, Ferguson came to the attention of numerous American band leaders and began receiving offers to come to the United States.

Ferguson finally moved to the United States in 1948^[1] intending to join Stan Kenton's organization. But Kenton had just disbanded his orchestra, so Ferguson initially played with the bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet. The Barnet band was notable for a trumpet section that also included Doc Severinsen, Ray Wetzel, Johnny Howell, and Rolf Ericson. Ferguson was featured on a notoriously flamboyant Barnet recording of Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are" that showcased Ferguson's upper register playing. The recording reportedly enraged Kern's widow and was subsequently withdrawn from sale. When Barnet temporarily retired in 1949 and disbanded his orchestra, Ferguson was free to accept an offer to join Stan Kenton's newly formed Innovations Orchestra.

Kenton and Hollywood[link]

Stan Kenton's bands were notable for their strong brass sections and Ferguson was a natural fit. In 1950, Kenton formed the Innovations Orchestra, a 40-piece jazz concert orchestra with strings, and with the folding of the Barnet band, Ferguson was available for the first rehearsal on January 1, 1950. While the Innovations Orchestra was not commercially successful, it made a number of remarkable recordings, including "Maynard Ferguson," one of a series of pieces named after featured soloists.

When Kenton returned to a more practical 19-piece jazz band, Ferguson continued with him. Contrary to the natural assumption, Ferguson was not Kenton's lead trumpet player, but played the third chair with numerous solo features, as noted in the scores written for the Kenton band during this period. Notable recordings from this period that feature Ferguson include "Invention for Guitar and Trumpet", "What's New?" and "The Hot Canary".

So popular was Ferguson with Kenton that for three years running, 1950, 1951, and 1952, he won the Down Beat Readers' Poll as best trumpeter.^[2][3][4]

In 1953, Ferguson left Kenton to become a session player for Paramount Pictures, soon becoming the first-call player. Ferguson appeared on 46 soundtracks including The Ten Commandments. Ferguson still recorded jazz during this period, but his Paramount contract prevented him from playing jazz clubs. This was sometimes circumvented by appearing under aliases such as "Tiger Brown", "Foxy Corby", and others. While he enjoyed the regular Paramount paycheck, Ferguson was very unhappy with the lack of live performance opportunities and left Paramount in 1956. Ferguson can clearly be discerned on several soundtracks from the time, including the Martin and Lewis films "Living it Up" and "You're Never Too Young."

The Birdland Dream Band[link]

In 1956, Ferguson became the leader of the Birdland Dream Band, a 14-piece big band formed by Morris Levy as an "all-star" lineup to play at Levy's —Birdland jazz club in New York City. While the name "Birdland Dream Band" was short-lived and is represented by only two albums over the course of a year, this band became the core of Ferguson's performing band for the next nine years. The band included, at various times, such players as Slide Hampton, Don Ellis, Don Sebesky, Willie Maiden, John Bunch, Joe Zawinul, Joe Farrell, Jaki Byard, Lanny Morgan, Rufus Jones, Nino Tempo, Bill Berry, Bill Chase, and Don Menza. Arrangers included Slide Hampton, Jay Chattaway, Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Holman and Marty Paich.

In 1959 Ferguson guested with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein performing "The Titan Suite", a complicated modernist piece featuring the extreme high register of the trumpet. It is argued that at the time, perhaps no trumpeter but Ferguson could have played the piece at all. Since then, only a handful have attempted to perform the work.

As big bands declined in popularity and economic viability into the 1960s, Ferguson's band performed more infrequently. Ferguson began to feel musically stifled and sensed a resistance to change among his American jazz audiences. According to a Down Beat interview, he was quoted as saying that if the band did not play "Maria" or "Ole," the fans went home disappointed. Ferguson began performing with a sextet before finally officially disbanding his big band in 1966.

Millbrook, India and psychedelic spirituality[link]

After leaving his long-time recording contract and the end of his main club gig, Ferguson moved his family to the Hitchcock estate in Millbrook, New York in November 1963 to live with Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, and their community from Harvard University. He and his wife Flo used LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs for spiritual awakening. They lived at Millbrook for about three years, playing clubs and recording several albums.^[5][6][7] In 1967, as the Millbrook experiment was ending, Ferguson moved with his family to India, and taught at the Krishnamurti-based Rishi Valley School near Madras. He was associated with the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning's Boys Brass Band, which he founded and helped teach at for several years. While in India, Ferguson was influenced by Sathya Sai Baba, whom he considered as his spiritual guru.^[8]

England[link]

In 1969, Ferguson moved to just outside Windsor (about 20 miles from London) in a very small place called Oakley Green. He had two houses while he was in the UK, the final one being a 3 story house down by the River Thames.

That same year, Ferguson signed with CBS Records in England and formed a big band with British musicians that performed in the newly popular jazz/rock fusion style. The band's repertoire included original compositions as well as pop and rock songs rearranged into a big band format with electronic amplification. This British band's output is represented by the four "MF Horn" albums, which included arrangements of the pop songs "MacArthur Park" and "Hey Jude".

In 1970 he led his big band on UK television as part of BBC's Simon Dee Show (also known as Dee Time).^[9] Ferguson often quipped with Dee,^{[citation needed]} similar to his contemporary Doc Severinsen's rapport with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. By 1971, Ferguson was a household name in Britain.^{[citation needed]}

Return to the U.S.[link]

Ferguson's new band made its North American debut in 1971. With a revived career, Ferguson relocated to New York in 1973 and gradually replaced his sidemen with American performers while reducing the band size to twelve: four trumpets, two trombones, three saxophones and a three-piece rhythm section plus Maynard. The quintessential recording of this period is the album MF Horn 4 & 5: Live at Jimmy's, recorded in 1973 in New York. Ferguson latched on to the burgeoning jazz education movement by recruiting talented musicians from colleges with jazz programs (notably Berklee College of Music, North Texas State University and the University of Miami) and targeting young audiences with performances and master classes in high schools and colleges. This practical and strategic move helped him develop a strong following that would sustain him for the remainder of his career.

Maynard Ferguson, San Francisco 1978

In 1976, Ferguson performed a solo trumpet piece as part of the closing ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Montreal, symbolically "blowing out the flame".

Recordings for a 1975 album were abandoned and the next year Ferguson began working with producer Bob James on a series of commercially successful albums. These were complex studio productions featuring large groups of session musicians, including strings, vocalists and star guest soloists. The first of these albums was Primal Scream, featuring Chick Corea, Mark Colby, Steve Gadd, and Bobby Militello. The second, Conquistador in 1977, resulted in a top-30 (#22) pop single, "Gonna Fly Now" (from the movie Rocky), a rare accomplishment for a jazz musician in the 1970s. Aside from an exciting Jay Chattaway arrangement and dense Bob James production, the single was also helped by the fact that it was released prior to the official soundtrack album of the hit movie. Ferguson maintained a hectic touring schedule during this period, with well-attended concerts that featured concert lighting and heavy amplification. The commercial success allowed him to add a guitarist and an additional percussionist to his band's line-up.

Ferguson continued with this musical model for the remainder of the 1970s, receiving considerable acclaim from audiences but an often tepid response from some jazz purists, who decried his commercialism and questioned his taste. Ferguson reportedly also began to experience great frustration with Columbia over being unable to use his working band on recording projects and having difficulty including even a single jazz number on some albums. Ferguson's contract with Columbia Records expired after the 1982 release of the Hollywood album, produced by jazz bassist Stanley Clarke.

Ferguson recorded three big band albums with smaller labels in the mid '80s before forming a more economical electronica-fusion septet, "High Voltage," in 1986. This ensemble, which featured multi-reed player Denis DiBlasio and trombonist Steve Wiest among an abridged horn section, recorded two albums and received mixed reviews. Though regarded favorably for this attempt to remain fresh and experimental, the format was ultimately unsatisfying to Ferguson, who had grown up in big bands and developed a performing style most appropriate to that structure.

Big Bop Nouveau[link]

To mark his 60th birthday In 1988, Ferguson returned to a large band format and to more mainstream jazz. That then led to the formation of Big Bop Nouveau, a nine-piece band featuring two trumpets, one trombone, three reeds and a three-piece rhythm section which became his standard touring group for the remainder of his career. Later, due to the increasing responsibilities being placed on the trumpet players, the baritone sax position was replaced by a third trumpet player. The band's repertoire included original jazz compositions and modern arrangements of jazz standards, with occasional pieces from his '70s book and even modified charts from the Birdland Dream Band era; this format proved to be successful with audiences and critics. The band recorded extensively, including albums backing vocalists Diane Schuur and Michael Feinstein. Although in later years Ferguson's playing occasionally lost some of the range and phenomenal accuracy of his youth, he always remained an exciting performer, touring an average of nine months a year with Big Bop Nouveau for the remainder of his life.

Personal life[link]

In the mid 1970s, Ferguson settled in Ojai, California, where he lived to the end of his life. Maynard's marriage to Flo Ferguson (in 1955) lasted until her death on February 27, 2005. Ferguson had three daughters: Corby, Lisa, and Wilder, and a step daughter, Kim, from Flo's first marriage. A son, Bentley, preceded his parents in death. Kim Ferguson is married to Maynard's former road manager, Jim Exon. Wilder Ferguson is married to jazz pianist (and former Big Bop Nouveau member) Christian Jacob. Lisa Ferguson is a writer and film maker living in Los Angeles. At the time of his death, Ferguson had two granddaughters, Erica and Sandra. Maynard Ferguson died Wednesday, August 23, 2006, at Community Memorial Hospital. His death was reported as being due to the result of kidney and liver failure brought on by an abdominal infection.

Honors[link]

In 1992, he was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

In Spring of 2000 Maynard Ferguson was also initiated as a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi at the Gamma Xi Chapter (University of Maryland at College Park).

A 4-day series of seminars and concerts honoring Ferguson and his career were held in Los Angeles with Ferguson in attendance in fall of 2004. Called "Stratospheric", band members past and present, friends, relatives, and fans attended the event.

In 2006, he was presented Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity's Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award at its national convention in Cleveland, Ohio. He had been initiated as an honorary member of the Fraternity's Xi Chi Chapter at Tennessee Tech University in 1976.

The Sherman Jazz Museum in Sherman, Texas opened in 2010 and houses the extensive memorabilia of Ferguson's estate.

Influence[link]

Maynard Ferguson was one of a handful of virtuoso musician/bandleaders to survive the end of the big band era and the rise of rock and roll. He demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt to the musical trends that evolved from the 1940s through the 2000s. Ferguson's albums show an evolution from big band swing, bebop, cool jazz, Latin, jazz / rock, fusion with classical and operatic influences. Through his devotion to music education in America, Ferguson was able to impart the spirit of his jazz playing and technique to scores of amateur and professional trumpeters during the many Master Classes held throughout his long career.

Ferguson was not the first trumpeter to play in the extreme upper register, but he had a unique ability to play high notes with full, rich tone, power, and musicality. While regarded by some as showboating, Ferguson's tone, phrasing and vibrato was instantly recognizable and has been influential on and imitated by generations of amateur and professional trumpet players. A direct connection to Ferguson's style of playing continues in the work of the trumpeters who played with him, notably Patrick Hession, Roger Ingram, Wayne Bergeron and Eric Myashiro. Although some had believed that Ferguson was endowed with exceptional facial musculature, he often shared in interviews that his command of the upper registers was based mostly on breath control,^[10] something he had discovered as a youngster in Montreal. Ferguson also attributed the longevity of his demanding bravura trumpet technique through his later years to the spiritual and yoga studies he pursued while in India.

Musician Al Kooper has written and stated that Maynard Ferguson's orchestra inspired Kooper's formation of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Trumpeter and bandleader Bill Chase and scores of other trumpeters (to say nothing of others) were clearly influenced by Ferguson's playing and performing style.

While Ferguson's range was his most obvious attribute, perhaps equally significant was the personal charisma Ferguson brought to a musical genre that is often seen as veering towards the cold and cerebral. As Ferguson's obituary in the Washington Post declared:

"Ferguson lit up thousands of young horn players, most of them boys, with pride and excitement. In a (high school) world often divided between jocks and band nerds, Ferguson crossed over, because he approached his music almost as an athletic event. On stage, he strained, sweated, heaved and roared. He nailed the upper registers like Shaq nailing a dunk or Lawrence Taylor nailing a running back – and the audience reaction was exactly the same: the guttural shout, the leap to their feet, the fists in the air. We cheered Maynard as a gladiator, a combat soldier, a prize fighter, a circus strongman – choose your masculine archetype."^[11]

Ferguson designed and popularized two unique instruments called the 'Firebird' and the 'Superbone'. The Firebird was similar to a trumpet, but had the valves played with the left hand (instead of the right) and a trombone-style slide played with the right hand. Indian-American trumpeter Rajesh Mehta bought this trumpet while living in Amsterdam and played the Firebird in his own innovative music contexts from 1998 until 2011 when he had American trumpet maker George Schlub create the Orka-M Naga Phoenix trumpet for him. The Superbone was another hybrid instrument, which was fundamentally a trombone with additional valves played with the left hand. Ferguson regularly incorporated Indian instruments and influences in albums and concerts.

Shortly before his death, he received the Man of Music Award by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, of which he was a member. The Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz Studies at Rowan University was created in 2000, the same year Rowan bestowed Ferguson with his only Honorary Doctorate degree. The Institute, currently under direction of Ferguson's longtime friend and fellow musician Denis Diblasio, supports the Rowan Jazz Program in training young jazz musicians.^[12]

Maynard Ferguson band alumni regrouped for a highly emotional memorial concert soon after his death, fronted by high range trumpeters Wayne Bergeron, Patrick Hession, Walter White, and Eric Miyashiro.^[13] A DVD of the concert was released, also featuring footage of Ferguson in performance, and spoken tributes from colleagues. A similar ensemble united for a tribute concert on what would have been Ferguson's 80th birthday. Other occasional groupings and concerts, often with Ferguson band alumni, have occurred. In addition, several tribute albums by a variety of noted trumpeters have been released, helping to keep Ferguson's music alive, and serve as a legacy for future generations. Of course, Ferguson's own rich recorded legacy remains to thrill, awe, entertain, and inspire.

Discography[link]

• 1953 - Jam Session Featuring Maynard Ferguson
• 1954 - Dimensions
• 1954 - Dinah Jams
• 1954 - Maynard Ferguson's Hollywood Party
• 1954 - Brown-Terry-Ferguson Jam Session Companion album to "Dinah Jams"
• 1955 - Maynard Ferguson Octet
• 1955 - Around the Horn
• 1956 - The Birdland Dream Band, Vol. 1
• 1957 - The Birdland Dream Band, Vol. 2
• 1957 - Boy with Lots of Brass
• 1958 - Swingin' My Way Through College
• 1958 - A Message from Newport
• 1959 - A Message from Birdland
• 1959 - Jazz for Dancing
• 1960 - Newport Suite
• 1960 - Maynard '61
• 1960 - Double Exposure (with Chris Connor)
• 1961 - Let's Face the Music and Dance
• 1961 - "Straightaway" Jazz Themes
• 1961 - Two's Company (with Chris Connor)
• 1962 - Maynard '62
• 1962 - Si! Si! M.F.
• 1962 - Message from Maynard
• 1963 - Maynard '63
• 1963 - Maynard '64
• 1964 - The New Sound of Maynard Ferguson
• 1964 - Come Blow Your Horn
• 1964 - Color Him Wild (Reissued as "Dues")
• 1964 - Blues Roar (Reissued as "Screamin' Blues")
• 1965 - Maynard Ferguson Sextet (Reissued as "Six By Six", also see entry for "Magnitude")
• 1966 - Ridin' High
• 1968 - Trumpet Rhapsody
• 1969 - Ballad Style of Maynard Ferguson
• 1970 - M.F. Horn
• 1971 - Maynard Ferguson (also released as Alive and Well in London)
• 1972 - M.F. Horn Two
• 1973 - M.F. Horn 3
• 1974 - M.F. Horn 4 & 5: Live at Jimmy's
• 1974 - Chameleon
• 1976 - Primal Scream
• 1977 - Montreux Summit Vol 1
• 1977 - Montreux Summit Vol 2
• 1977 - Conquistador
• 1977 - New Vintage
• 1978 - Carnival
• 1979 - Uncle Joe Shannon
• 1979 - Hot
• 1980 - It's My Time
• 1982 - Hollywood
• 1983 - Storm
• 1984 - Live from San Francisco
• 1986 - Body and Soul
• 1987 - High Voltage, Vol. 1
• 1988 - High Voltage, Vol. 2
• 1990 - Big Bop Nouveau
• 1991 - Magnitude (Reissue of "Maynard Ferguson Sextet" with previously unreleased material)
• 1992 - Footpath Cafe
• 1993 - Live from London
• 1994 - These Cats Can Swing
• 1994 - Complete Roulette Recordings (Contains previously unreleased material)
• 1996 - One More Trip to Birdland
• 1998 - Brass Attitude
• 1999 - Big City Rhythms (with Michael Feinstein)
• 2001 - Swingin' for Schuur (with Diane Schuur)
• 2004 - All Stars Jam Session (Complete Dinah Washington Jam Session with previously unreleased material)
• 2006 - M.F. Horn VI: Live at Ronnie's
• 2007 - Sextet 1967 (Previously released live in studio recordings for the CBC)
• 2007 - Orchestra 1967 (Previously released live in studio recordings for the CBC)
• 2007 - The One and Only
• 2012 - Complete Cameo Recordings (Contains previously unreleased material)

Compositions[link]

Maynard Ferguson's compositions included "Give It One", "Ganesha", "Fireshaker", "At the Sound of the Trumpet", "Air Conditioned", "M.F. Carnival", "How Ya Doin' Baby?", "It's the Gospel Truth", "He Can't Swing", "Sweet Baba Suite (Bai Rav)", "Dance to Your Heart", "I Don't Want to Be a Hoochi Coochie Man No Mo'", "Poison Ya' Blues", "Footpath Cafe", and "Everybody Loves the Blues".

See also[link]

• Music of Canada
• Canadian Music Hall of Fame

References[link]

External links[link]

• Biography in the Canadian Encyclopedia
• Maynard Ferguson at Allmusic
• Legendary Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson Dies at 78
• International Trumpet Guild MF tribute pages
• Review of MF Horn 4 & 5 Live At Jimmy's
• One of the last Maynard Ferguson concert reviews at JazzChicago.net
• Review of Maynard Ferguson's Last CD, The One and Only Maynard Ferguson
• Maynard! - interviews with 30 musicians and others from Maynard Ferguson's earliest U.S. gigs in the late 1940s to the peak of his career on Columbia Records in the 1970s

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since June 2011. It describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style that may require cleanup. Tagged since October 2010. Its lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. Tagged since September 2010.

Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Sr. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Rocky series from 1976 to 2006. During the series, he wins the Heavyweight Championship of the World twice. He was portrayed by Sylvester Stallone.

Biography[link]

Robert Balboa was born on April 6, 1946. He was the only child to a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. It was revealed in Rocky II that Rocky's black trunks with gold trim were the colors of his high school that he never graduated from. During the scene in which Rocky takes Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino skating on Thanksgiving, he tells her "Yeah -- My ol' man who was never the sharpest told me -- I weren't born with much brain so I better use my body." This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. Unable to live on the small pay of club fights, and being unable to find work anywhere else, Rocky got a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo, the local loan shark, just to make ends meet. By late 1975, Rocky had fought in 64 fights, winning 44 (38 KO'S) and losing 20. Rocky was proud that he never had his nose broken in a professional fight. His nickname is "The Italian Stallion," spawning from his Italian-American heritage.

[edit] Rocky (Setting 1975-1976)

The film begins in 1975, in the slums of the Kensington section of Philadelphia on the night before Thanksgiving. Rocky Balboa is fighting Spider Rico in a local boxing ring called the Cambria Fight Club (nicknamed "The Bucket of Blood") inside a chapel. In the second round, Rico hits Balboa with a headbutt, leaving a gash on his forehead. Enraged, Rocky delivers a vicious barrage of punches, knocking Rico out. The next day, Rocky stops by the local pet store and trys to talk to the shy pet-shop worker Adrian Pennino, younger sister of his friend Paulie. Adrian was very shy though and was scared of Rocky's tough appearance. Afterwards, Rocky goes to collect a loan for his boss Tony Gazzo. Even though the client didn't have all the money, Rocky didn't break his thumb, even though Gazzo ordered him to do so. Later, Rocky stops by the local boxing gym and finds that he lost his locker to a contender. Unknown to him, the gym's owner and grizzled former boxer, Mickey Goldmill, doesn't hate him, but instead always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort. When Rocky leaves for home that night, he sees a young girl named Marie, hanging around a bad crowd and walks her home. On the way, Rocky lectures her about staying away from the wrong people. However, once they get to her house she tells Rocky "Screw you, creep'o." Rocky walks home, frustrated how nothing is going right in his life.

Balboa gets his big break when the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed decides that he wants to give an unknown fighter a chance to fight for the title after his intended challenger Mac Lee Green broke his hand while training. After getting picked by Apollo, Balboa reunites with his estranged trainer, Mickey Goldmill, who convinces Balboa that he can help get him prepared for this fight. Mickey reveals that his career never got anywhere either because he didn't have a manager and he didn't want the same thing to happen to Rocky. At the same time, Balboa begins dating Adrian. Rocky helped Adrian to become more self-confident and stand up for herself. Rocky confides in Adrian before the fight that though he figured he wouldn't win, he wanted to at least "go the distance."

On January 1, 1976 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, Balboa fights Creed, who didn't take the fight seriously during training. In the first round, Rocky knocks Creed down, the first time he had ever been knocked down in his career and Creed breaks Rocky's nose, also for the first time in his career. Creed soon realizes that while Balboa doesn't have his skill, he has a punch like a concrete block and was determined not to quit even when Mickey tells him to. The fight becomes a long and hard battle for both men. Rocky was almost knocked out in the 14th round, but managed to get up. The 15th round finally began. Rocky managed to pummel Creed until the bell rang. Although Creed wins the fight by a split decision, it is the first time an opponent has lasted the full 15 rounds against him. Both men, battered beyond belief, agree that there would be no rematch. Rocky was fine with this as he only wanted to go the distance with Creed. After the match, Adrian confessed to Rocky that she loved him.

[edit] Rocky II (Setting 1976)

After the match, Creed changed his mind and wanted a re-match under the stress of being humiliated by the press for failing to beat Balboa convincingly, as well as his own knowledge that he didn't give his best in the fight. Creed demanded a rematch with Balboa, stating that he would fight him 'anywhere, any place, anytime' to prove to the world that Balboa's feat was purely a fluke. At first, Rocky refused. He and Adrian got married, and at his wife's urging, Rocky tried living outside boxing. However, Rocky, a grade-school drop-out, soon realized he had no skills beyond fighting, and in fact could barely read. The money he made in the first fight was soon frittered away, and despite Adrian's objections, when Apollo called him out on national television, Rocky agreed to the rematch. Without Adrian's support, however, Rocky's heart wasn't in the training and he was close to quitting until the pregnant Adrian went into premature labor and slipped into a coma after giving birth to Robert. When Adrian came out of the coma, she gave her full support to Rocky. Together, Mickey and Rocky trained hard, focusing on Rocky's speed and improving his right-handed punching (Rocky being a southpaw). At the same time, the angry Apollo also focused fully on his training, taking this match seriously. The re-match was set for Thanksgiving '76. The grueling battle was another 15-round war with both Balboa and Creed falling to the canvas after Balboa landed a succession of left hands. Referee Lou Fillipo exercised his 10-count and as both Creed and Balboa struggled to make it to their feet, Creed crumbled back down in exhaustion. Only Rocky was able to get up, getting the better of Creed this time and beating the 10-count, winning the rematch by knockout, thus becoming heavyweight champion of the world.

[edit] Rocky III (Setting 1976-1982)

Over the next few years, Rocky successfully defended his title in 10 consecutive defenses against various contenders, amassing fortune and worldwide fame in the process. In addition, Rocky also fought an exhibition bout against the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan) to a draw. However, in 1981, Rocky was challenged by intense and hungry newcomer James "Clubber" Lang. Rocky had some issues with his trainer Mickey Goldmill due to his revelation of having faced "hand-picked" challengers that were "good fighters, but not 'killers'" which Lang was; Mickey insisted that he would quit as Balboa's manager if he chose to fight Lang, but Rocky convinced him to train him for one last match. However, like Apollo in the first movie, Rocky didn't put his heart into the training, reinforcing Mickey's belief that Rocky had become too comfortable (or "civilized") as champion. Lang shoved Mickey out of the way before the match, sending the elderly trainer into cardiac arrest, which threw Balboa, already undertrained, completely off his game. As a result Rocky is brutalized by Lang and knocked out in the second round, losing his title; adding to his defeat, Goldmill died of a heart attack after the match, devastating Rocky. Despairing, Rocky was met by Apollo Creed, who told Balboa that when they fought, he won because he was hungry. He had the 'fire' Apollo no longer had, and the former champion convinced Rocky that he needed to get his fire ("the eye of the tiger") back. Along with his old trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, Apollo offered to train Rocky for a rematch against Lang, taking Balboa home to his old gym where he first trained to get Rocky "back to basics." After a while Rocky managed to purge his doubts and get his fire back. Fighting a style very reminiscent of Creed's own boxing technique mixed with his own style, Rocky won the second match with Lang by KO, dodging Lang's best blows and still standing, regaining his world heavyweight title. After the fight, Rocky and Apollo were last seen alone in Mickey's Gym, Creed taking his "payment" for his training services: one last rematch, just the two of them, no spectators. But this fight was only a sparring session between two new friends.

[edit] Rocky IV (Setting 1985)

In 1985, Apollo Creed came out of retirement and agreed to fight a Soviet World Amateur Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist-turned-professional fighter Ivan Drago in Las Vegas with Rocky Balboa and Tony "Duke" Evers in his corner. Creed, past his prime and again not taking his opponent seriously, was brutally beaten by massive Drago in the first round but begged Rocky not to stop the fight. In the second round, Creed continued to be beaten by Drago, falling limp in the ring and dying from the injuries. Feeling responsible for not stopping the fight, Balboa set up a match with Drago, which was held on Christmas Day in Moscow. Rocky had to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship crown to accept the bout. With Evers assuming the role as his new trainer, Balboa trained hard using all-natural methods within the mountainous terrain of Krasnoyarsk Siberia, while Drago was shown being trained with state-of-the-art equipment and steroid enhancement.

During the fight, Drago dominated the early moments of the match, but in the second round, Balboa caught Drago with a haymaker to the eye and cut him. The fight continued in a bloody back-and-forth battle, with the Soviet crowd who had originally rooted for Drago began cheering for Balboa while Drago's handler became increasingly upset over his inability to finish the American. In the end, Rocky's superior stamina and will to win persevered and he defeated the Russian in the fifteenth round. After the fight, Rocky gave an impassioned thank you speech to the crowd which received a standing ovation both from the crowd and the politicians in attendance, effectively ending the Cold War by catalyzing the thaw in relations that would occur between the United States and USSR. Rocky then retired because of injuries to his head.

[edit] Rocky V (Setting 1985-1990)

After the fight with Drago, Balboa realizes he has sustained some type of injury while showering. His hands tremble relentlessly and he tells Adrian he is tired and just wants to go home. Upon return to the United States (in a Soviet airplane), his press conference is interrupted by promoter George Washington Duke and Union Cane. They challenged him to a title fight called "Lettin' it Go in Tokyo." Balboa hints at retirement and leaves without accepting the challenge. Balboa’s doctor, Presley Jensen, discovered that he had apparently suffered brain damage, caused by repeated blows to the head, and so he decides to retire. He then lost his fortune after his brother-in-law Paulie mistakenly granted power of attorney to their accountant, who subsequently embezzled Rocky's money in a housing deal gone bad.

His only remaining asset was the now closed Mickey's Gym, which had been willed by Mickey to Robert, Rocky's son. Rocky was forced to return to the Philadelphia slums in which he had been raised. He reopens Mickey's Gym as a means of income while Adrian returns to work at the pet store where she was employed when she first met Rocky. Rocky asks Adrian "Did we ever leave this place?"

Though retired from boxing himself, Balboa starts training an up-and-coming fighter, Tommy Gunn. Gunn slowly becomes an excellent fighter, but suffers some from being constantly put in Rocky's shadow; he is nicknamed "Rocky's Robot" by the media. Gunn is wooed by seedy promoter George Washington Duke and leaves Rocky after an argument about whether Balboa is holding him back. At the same time, Robert also has problems adjusting to the new, less-than-lavish lifestyle his family was now leading, and by his father's distance. After a while, Rocky realizes the damage he is doing to his relationship with his son and makes amends.

Gunn wins the World Heavyweight title from Union Cane in 1990. However, he is ridiculed in the press—since he had never fought a "real contender", he is not regarded as a real champion or heir to the belt. This motivates Gunn, with prodding from Duke, to publicly challenge Rocky to a fight. Balboa initially declines, but when the hot-tempered Gunn punches Paulie, Rocky accepts, telling Gunn his ring is in the alley right outside. The two engage in a street brawl which quickly gets the attention of the locals, the police (who allow the fight to continue) and the media. In the end, Rocky defeats his protege, then punches Duke (who had obnoxiously threatened to sue if Rocky touches him), telling him "Sue me for what?"

[edit] Rocky Balboa (Setting 2006)

Rocky Balboa statue

After the events of Rocky V, Rocky eventually opened up a restaurant called 'Adrian's' in 1995, named after his wife. In 2002, Adrian dies of ovarian cancer.

Robert Balboa, Jr.(now 30 years old), who unlike his father goes by Robert, with whom Rocky has an eroding relationship, has since moved out to become a struggling corporate employee. Robert later makes an effort to discourage Rocky from fighting, blaming his own personal failings on his father's celebrity shadow, but Rocky rebukes him with some profound advice; that to succeed in life, "it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward," and that blaming others won't help him. The next day, father and son meet over Adrian's grave and reconcile, which is when Robert announces he has quit his job to be at Rocky's side.

In 2006, ESPN’s program Then And Now featured a computer animation about a simulated fight between Rocky (in his prime), and the current champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. The fight simulated Rocky winning by knockout in the 13th round, which stirred up a great deal of discussion about the result if such a fight ever occurred.

Inspired by the simulation and feeling he still has some issues to deal with ("stuff in the basement"), Rocky (who is now 59 years old) decides to return to the ring. Rocky applies for a boxing license and though passing the physical with flying colors the Licensing Committee denies his license, however they change their minds and give him his license after Rocky makes an impassioned speech to them. The brain damage suffered in Rocky V is not addressed; Stallone has said that the storyline explanation would've been that Rocky's brain damage was within the normal range for boxers, and that he was suffering the effects of a severe concussion as a result of the Drago fight but he never sought a second opinion because he intended to retire anyway. He had said (via the TV commentators that no matter what it would be his last fight)^[1] Rocky's intentions were originally just to compete in small, local fights for fun and charity. However with the publicity of Rocky's return Mason Dixon's promoters convince Rocky to face The Champ in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas. Despite being champion, Dixon is haunted by criticism, claiming that he has never had a truly great opponent or memorable match. Originally against fighting an aged Balboa, Dixon recognized the opportunity to fight a legend and hoping to end all prognosticating about who would win and agreed to the fight.

In the press, commentators dismiss Rocky's chances, assuming that the fight will be one-sided due to his age. Robert is also against the fight, believing himself held down due to his father's shadow, though after a confrontation with Rocky he realizes that the only one holding him back is himself. Reunited with his old trainer Duke, Rocky and Duke quickly realize that age and arthritis have sapped Rocky of any speed he once possessed, so they decide to focus on his one major remaining weapon: power. The fight initially seems lop-sided with Dixon's speed allowing him to punish Rocky at will. However, the champion soon realizes Rocky will not go down and that the old man "has bricks in his gloves." The tide turns when Dixon injures his hand while punching Rocky. This evens the playing field and allows Rocky to mount an offense. In the end, the two fighters go the distance with Dixon winning by split decision. Dixon is finally recognized as being a warrior for fighting through and Rocky proves to the world that he is no joke, mirroring the ending of the first Rocky.

Personal life[link]

Balboa married Adriana "Adrian" Pennino in 1976 during Rocky II. Adrianna suffered from cancer. They were married for 26 years. The two have a son, Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert. He was born in 1976. As evidenced by conversations with his priest, Father Carmine, Rocky understands Italian very well; however, it is unknown whether or not he speaks the language because his responses are in English. Balboa was a humble man with great heart of forgiving others on their mistakes.

Boxing record[link]

• Before fighting Apollo Creed: 64 Fights, 44 Wins (38 KO), 20 Losses and 0 draws.

• In the film Rocky Balboa, Rocky's record was shown to be 57-23-1 (54 K.O.) before his fight with Dixon. This has become a point of great debate amongst the fans because it has 3 extra K.O.'s and an extra loss. Stallone admitted himself he made this mistake; he stated that he was never good with calculations.

Character origin[link]

The name, iconography, and fighting style of Rocky Balboa were inspired by the legendary heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. Balboa was also inspired by other fighting legends: Joe Frazier, for his Philadelphia origin and victory against Muhammad Ali (The inspiration of Apollo Creed), and Jake LaMotta, for his Italian-inner city roots, ability to absorb many blows and his rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson, which heavily resembled Rocky and Apollo's. However, it was the not-so-legendary Chuck Wepner who inspired the movie and Balboa's underdog personality.

Boxing style[link]

Rocky Balboa fights as a southpaw (left-handed). He is a hybrid fighter, possessing the qualities of an inside fighter, brawler, and swarmer. With the exception of his rematch against Clubber Lang (where he fights as an outside fighter), he often advances quickly upon his opponents, driving them into the ropes in order to attack the body. Balboa's best attribute is without question his near-superhuman ability to absorb a multitude of the hardest hits without falling — an attribute he often employs on purpose to wear down his opponents, sacrificing defensive strategy to land his own punches. Because of this rare talent, Balboa can afford to keep his hands in position to strike rather than up high to block. Because he takes more punches than he throws, it is easy to overlook his incredible punching power. Rocky also has an uncanny ability to sense weakness in his opponents, often capitalizing on every shift in momentum possible. He is acknowledged as having the most devastating body attack in the sport, with his body blows causing internal bleeding in Creed and breaking Drago's ribs. After going fourteen rounds with Balboa, Ivan Drago told his trainer (in Russian), "He's not human, he's like a piece of iron." Mason Dixon once remarked about Balboa, "...that guy's got bricks in his gloves." These qualities, in concert, helped land him a high percentage of KO victories over the course of his career.

Height 5'11

Reach 74 inches

191 pounds for first Apollo Creed fight

202 pounds for Apollo Creed rematch

201 pounds for Clubber Lang fight

191 pounds for Clubber Lang rematch

204 pounds for Ivan Drago fight

217 pounds for Mason Dixon fight

Honors[link]

Rocky Statue, situated just northeast of the Rocky Steps.

Rocky Balboa was named the 7th greatest movie hero by the American Film Institute on their 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list.^[3] Additionally, he was ranked #34 on Empire Magazine's compilation of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters.^[4] Premiere magazine ranked Rocky Balboa #64 on their list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.^[5]

The Rocky character is immortalised by a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia recalling the famous scene from the original Rocky movie.

In December 2010 it was announced that the Rocky Balboa character was going to be inducted into the boxing hall of fame.

Merchandising[link]

Hasbro intended to license Rocky and make him a member of the G.I. Joe toyline, as they had with wrestler Sgt. Slaughter. A toy prototype was produced.^[6] Marvel Comics' G.I. Joe: Order of Battle profile book came out during the negotiations and included Rocky as a current Joe member, specializing in hand-to-hand combat training and an example of what it means to persevere under seemingly impossible odds. As the negotiations then collapsed, due to Stallone licensing Rambo to another company, Marvel had to run a retraction in the third issue of the limited-run series indicating that the character was never a part of G.I. Joe.^[7]

References[link]