2006年VOA标准英语-Jazz Fans Mourn Famed Trumpeter, Bandleader May

By Doug Levine
Washington
06 September 2006

Famed jazz trumpeter and bandleader Maynard Ferguson died of kidney and liver failure at a hospital in Ventura, California on Wednesday August 23. He was 78 years old. Like the late Dizzy Gillespie, Ferguson was an ambassador of jazz. When he wasn't producing, composing or teaching music, Maynard Ferguson took his bands to countries all over the world. As VOA's Doug Levine reports, Maynard Ferguson was destined² for international stardom.

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One of Maynard Ferguson's greatest gifts was his unlimited³ repertoire⁴. He played swing, bebop, funk, rock and classical music. He recorded over 60 albums during a career that began in some of the world's most famous big bands. His ability to hit extremely high notes with such consistency⁵ and ease amazed both critics and audiences alike.

Maynard Ferguson was born on May 4, 1928, in Montreal, Canada. He began playing piano and violin at age four. At age nine, he discovered the trumpet¹. Four years later, he won a scholarship with the French Conservatory⁶ of Music, and was invited to perform with the Canadian Broadcasting Company Orchestra. As a student in Montreal, he was the leader of a warm-up band for some of the era's best-known orchestras, including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie. In a 1996 interview, Ferguson said Dizzy Gillespie was second only to Louis Armstrong as his favorite horn player.

"If any of us were to pick an early hero, let's call it, it would be Louis Armstrong, sure. I think I've heard Wynton Marsalis say that and I think I've heard a lot of the great players say that," he said. "And then of course you start spreading it out and I think we were all influenced by Dizzy Gillespie's playing and his creative harmonic sense."

Maynard Ferguson moved to the United States in 1949. While still in his teens, became a respected soloist⁷ in Stan Kenton's Innovations Orchestra. Ferguson made his mark as a bandleader after a successful engagement at a famous New York City nightclub.

"In the beginnings of my American band as a bandleader, I was the guy that was chosen to be the leader of the Birdland Dream Band, which was an all-star band that was put together for three weeks at Birdland for which we recorded two albums," he said. "This is many years ago. And from that, I formed a band and I had 14 weeks out of the year in two-week segments at Birdland, which in the early days was very helpful in holding a band together and getting it known."

For the next 20 years, Maynard Ferguson alternated between the pop and jazz world. In 1977, he landed on the charts with "Gonna Fly Now," the theme song from the hit film Rocky.

Fans young and old were drawn⁸ to Ferguson's trumpet virtuosity⁹. Critics said he played higher than any jazz trumpeter in history. Even into his sixties he was hitting notes that musicians half his age only dreamed they could play. Ferguson said he never regretted choosing the life of a jazz trumpeter.

"Even if I had become the world's greatest classical trumpet player, I think I still would never have become a serious musician. I mean it's a fun thing that we do," Ferguson said. " I think it's very fortunate that your favorite toy as a kid becomes what you do in life, you know."

Maynard Ferguson's many bands included such stellar jazz players as Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Bob James, Slide Hampton and Joe Zawinul.

Ferguson was touring the U.S. as recently as July with his Big Bop Nouveau Band. The band had just finished recording¹⁰ a new album. The Ferguson family is planning a memorial concert to take place in St. Louis, Missouri. Past and present band members are expected to attend.

1 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

2 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

3 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

4 repertoire   

n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表

参考例句：

• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。
• He has added considerably to his piano repertoire.他的钢琴演奏曲目大大增加了。

5 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

6 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

7 soloist   

n.独奏者，独唱者

参考例句：

• The soloist brought the house down with encore for his impressive voice.这位独唱家以他那感人的歌声博得全场喝彩。
• The soloist had never performed in London before.那位独唱者过去从未在伦敦演出过。

8 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

9 virtuosity   

n.精湛技巧

参考例句：

• At that time,his virtuosity on the trumpet had no parallel in jazz.那时，他高超的小号吹奏技巧在爵士乐界无人能比。
• As chemists began to pry out my secret they discovered my virtuosity.化学家开始探讨我的秘密，他们发现了我的精湛技巧。

10 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。