1960

After three years as a perfoming ensemble, Ferguson and his band were reaching new heights as 1960 began. They were contracted to perform for twelve weeks of the year at Birdland and had a recording contract with Roulette Records. This gave the band a financial foundation that allowed it to be a successful working band. Adding to that financial foundation were frequent performances at nearby clubs such as the Red Hill Inn, Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pep’s, and the Ritz Ballroom. Summertime added regular appearances at festivals and amusement parks such as Hershey Park, Steel Pier, the Newport Jazz Festival, Lake Compounce, Brandywine Music Box, and Lambertville Music Circus. Finally, the schedule was filled in with performances at college homecoming dances, proms, and other one-off events. In 1961, Joyce Ackers wrote that the band was “chalking up at least one hundred college dates this year alone” and that they had become the “college dream band.” [1] Put all together, the 1960–61 era Ferguson Band was highly successful and very active (200+ known performance dates per year), while maintaining a stable home base in the New York City area.

Starting off the year with a two-week Birdland run, Ferguson also made himself available for some guest appearances and sideman work. In January, he played on Sascha Burland’s Swingin’ the Jingles session and appeared on the Jack Kane Hour television show in Canada. February included the third and fourth weeks of the year at Birdland.

Date	Event
1960-01-01	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ
1960-01-07 thru 20	Birdland, New York, NY
1960-01	Swingin’ the Jingles recording session
1960-01-18	Jack Kane Hour TV show
1960-01-23	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1960-01-24	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-01-29 thru 02-03	Pep’s, Philadelphia, PA
1960-02-05	Winter House Party — Sargent Gymnasium, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
1960-02-13	Ford’s Theater, Baltimore, MD
1960-02-14 2 pm	Field House, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
1960-02-18 thru 03-03	Birdland, New York, NY
1960-03-05 (3–5 pm)	Gammon Gymnasium, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA
1960-03-06	Tantilla Garden, Richmond, VA
1960-03-12	Roseland Ballroom, Holyoke, MA
1960-03-13	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT

The Ferguson Orchestra entered the studio in March to record what would be issued as the Newport Suite album as well as a 45-rpm single intended for the jukebox market. The personnel for the sessions was as follows:

Around this time, Down Beat reported that vocalist Anne Marie Moss was no longer with the group and was working as a single. The same report stated that Slide Hampton was again writing more arrangements for the band. [2]

April saw the group keeping close to their New York base. They played their fifth and sixth weeks of the year at Birdland, followed by a ten-day stint as part of the “Greatest Easter Show” at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater.

Date	Event
1960-03-15 and 16	Newport Suite recording sessions
1960-03-19	Inter-Fraternity Council Weekend — Grace Hall, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
1960-03-20	El Rancho, Woodlyn, PA
1960-03-22	Newport Suite recording session
1960-03-23	Centennial Gymnasium, Bloomsburg State College, Bloomsburg, PA
1960-03-26	Castle Farm, Cincinnati, OH
1960-03-30 thru 04-13	Birdland, New York, NY
1960-04-03	Auditorium, Morristown High School, Morristown, NJ
1960-04-15 thru 25	Greatest Easter Show — Paramount Theater, Brooklyn, NY
1960-04-27	Drake Relays Dance — Drake University, Des Moines, IA
1960-04-30	North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
1960-05-06	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Inter-Fraternity Council Ball — Hotel Statler Ballroom, Cambridge, MA
1960-05-07	Gymnasium, Harpur College, SUNY Endicott, NY
1960-05-14	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1960-05-15	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-05-18	Frolics Ballroom, Allentown, PA
1960-05-18	Memorial Gymnasium, Liberty High School, Bethlehem, PA

In May, the Ferguson band began their schedule of summer festivals and amusement park appearances by opening the season at the Hershey Park Starlight Ballroom. June included amusement parks Lake Compounce in Connecticut and Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio, in addition to the seventh and eighth weeks at Birdland for 1960. The July 21 issue of Down Beat also lists an undated performance at Hotel Bradford in Boston during this timeframe. [3] In an interview, Ferguson stated that he no longer has a regular vocalist and only hires them for occasions such as proms. [4]

Date	Event
1960-05-21	Starlight Ballroom, Hershey Park, Hershey, PA
1960-05-22	Linwood Ballroom, Edison, NJ
1960-05-28	Piedmont Jazz Festival — Oriental Shrine Club, Greensboro, NC
1960-06-03 thru 05	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ
1960-06-10	Yale University Commencement Formal — New Haven Lawn Club, New Haven, CT
1960-06-11	Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT
1960-06-15	Idora Park, Youngstown, OH
1960-06-19	Ocean Beach Park, New London, CT
1960-06-XX	Hotel Bradford, Boston, MA
1960-06-23 thru 07-06	Birdland, New York, NY
1960-06-25	in-store appearance at Abraham and Strauss, New York, NY

The group appeared at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival for the third year in a row. The personnel for this performance was:

A few weeks later in July, the group had a weeklong engagement at the Brandywine Music Box in Concordville, Pennsylvania. The billing was shared with vocalist Chris Connor. On opening night, Ferguson was driving from New York with his manager, Ira Mangel, and was pulled over by New Jersey police. According to newspaper articles, Ferguson’s black Jaguar matched the description of the car stolen by a man suspected of killing two policemen the previous day. Ferguson also fit the physical description of the killer. He was taken into the police station, where he and Mangel had to make several phone calls to verify their identities. Ferguson was eventually sent on his way with a speeding ticket for going 75 mph. They arrived at the Brandywine Music Box over an hour late, and Chris Connor had to fill in until his arrival. Newspapers reported that due to car trouble, Ferguson also arrived late the next three evenings. [5]

After the Music Box shows, the group played a weeklong run at the Marine Ballroom at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City and some one-night stops at Lake Compounce and the Music Barn in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Several significant medical situations occurred during the month of July. A Down Beat article titled “New Teeth for Mr. Chops” detailed a dental procedure Ferguson underwent to address a widening gap in his front teeth attributed to a drunk man smacking the bell of his trumpet six years previously. Ferguson reportedly required fourteen injections over seven hours to get his newly capped teeth. A few days later he was on the bandstand but was unable to play. By the third night, however, he was back to his normal technique. [6]

Tenor saxophonist Joe Farrell also had a medical emergency during this month. Local newspapers reported he had an attack of appendicitis on the way to the Music Barn. He was taken directly to hospital rather than the gig to have his appendix removed. The article notes Farrell would be in the hospital for a week. [7] In a review of an August performance at the Melody Top in Pine Brook, New Jersey, Ira Gitler mentioned both Ferguson’s dental work and Farrell’s appendectomy. He also noted that Farrell’s substitute (and eventual replacement), Don Menza, had also had a similar operation recently. [8]

In August, the group also played Hershey Park, was seen on the Ed Sullivan television show (possibly recorded five months earlier), and appeared at the Randall’s Island Jazz Festival.

Date	Event
1960-06-30	Newport Jazz Festival — Newport, RI
1960-07-09	Virginia Beach Jazz Festival — Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA
1960-07-10	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-07-11 thru 16	Brandywine Music Box, Concordville, PA [MF late to gig; pulled over for murder investigation]
1960-07-23 thru 29	Marine Ballroom, Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ
1960-07-30	Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT
1960-07-31	Music Barn, Lenox, MA
1960-08-04	Danceland, Pittsburgh, PA
1960-08-06	Starlight Ballroom, Hershey Park, Hershey, PA
1960-08-09 thru 14	Melody Top, Pine Brook, NJ
1960-08-14	Ed Sullivan television show broadcast, New York, NY
1960-08-19 thru 21	Sterling Forest Music Circus, Tuxedo, NY
1960-08-21	New York Jazz Festival — Randall’s Island Stadium, New York, NY

In the two months since the Newport performance, two new musicians had joined the group: trombonist Bob Burgess, a veteran of Ferguson’s 1957 band, and drummer Rufus ‘Speedy’ Jones, who had most recently been in Woody Herman’s band. The festival program for Randall’s Island listed the following personnel:

For the last week in August, the group was booked for a stay in Chicago. This included a weeklong engagement at the Sutherland Hotel (which had to expand its stage to accommodate the ensemble), as well as an appearance at the Chicago Urban League Benefit Jazz Festival at Comiskey Park. However, the Philadelphia Inquirer in July announced that the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra would be appearing at the Quaker City Jazz Festival at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia at the same time. [9] Ferguson’s manager Ira Mangel threatened to sue the promoter of the Quaker City Jazz Festival in a Philadelphia Daily News article on July 26. [10] In an article the next day, George Wein, one of the Quaker City festival promoters, stated that Ferguson had agreed to the Philadelphia festival when he was at the Newport Jazz Festival, also a Wein event. [11] In spite of the dispute, subsequent advertisements continued to list Ferguson on the Quaker City lineup. There is no evidence to suggest that he did not complete his scheduled Chicago run at the Sutherland Hotel, closing on August 28. [12]

In September, the group played their ninth and tenth week at Birdland. After this stint, the group had another performance scheduled in Philadelphia, sponsored by WHAT-FM. The Philadelphia News stated that this would be the first exposure for Ferguson’s new vocalist, Billy Fields. [13] But the show was cancelled just one day before it was to start. In a Philadelphia Daily News article, the event’s promoters blamed conflicting personalities as well as a lack of advance ticket sales. [14]

Billy Fields is reported to have been an assistant in promoter Sid Bernstein’s office. He attended a rehearsal for Ferguson’s group and “got up to the mike for laughs. The band flipped. He is the new vocalist with the Ferguson Orchestra at the Red Hill Inn.” [15]

Date	Event
1960-08-24 thru 28	Sutherland Hotel, Chicago, IL
1960-08-27	Urban League Jazz Festival — Comiskey Park, Chicago, IL
1960-08-28	Quaker City Jazz Festival — Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, PA [cancelled]
1960-08-29	Music Circus, Lambertville, NJ
1960-09-01 thru 14	Birdland, New York, NY
1960-09-07 thru 10	High Fidelity Music Show — Trade Show Building, New York, NY
1960-09-16	WHAT-FM Music Show — Town Hall, Philadelphia, PA [cancelled]

For the next part of the fall, the band hit several of their usual performing stops and a few college homecoming gigs. This included the Ritz Ballroom (twice), Pep’s, and the Red Hill Inn. In mid-October, the band entered the studio to record tracks that would become part of the Let’s Face the Music and Dance and Maynard ’61 albums. Only one position changed from the Randall’s Island personnel, with trombonist Slide Hampton returning for this session. The lineup listed for these sessions was as follows:

Date	Event
1960-09-17	Commodore Ballroom, Lowell, MA
1960-09-18	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-09-20 thru 25	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ
1960-09-30 and 10-01	Homecoming Dances — Big Gymnasium, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA
1960-10-03 thru 08	Pep’s, Philadelphia, PA
1960-10-11,12,14	Let’s Face The Music and Dance/Maynard ’61 recording sessions

The group then travelled to the Midwest for several homecoming dances in Illinois and Iowa before doing a week at Haig’s Lounge in Detroit. Ferguson’s son, Bentley, was born during this engagement, on November 3. Ferguson recalled an anecdote related to this event in his biography:

When my son was born I was on the road. Jaki Byard was on the band and we didn’t get paid. We played for a week at this place in Detroit and Jaki got so mad he said, “Geez, you stayed and you played the gig and your son was born, and this mother....” and he reached inside this guy’s grand piano and ripped all the strings out! [16]

Date	Event
1960-10-16	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-10-20	Let’s Face The Music and Dance/Maynard ’61 recording session
1960-10-22	Homecoming Ball — Lakeside Dining Hall, State University, Oswego, NY
1960-10-23	Recreation Hall, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
1960-10-28	Fall Jazz Festival — Huff Gymnasium, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
1960-10-29	Homecoming Dance — Drake University, Des Moines, IA
1960-10-31 thru 11-6	Haig’s, Detroit, MI

The remainder of November included another appearance at Sunnybrook as well as the eleventh and twelfth weeks of the year at Birdland.

Date	Event
1960-11-11	Fordham Fall Weekend — Fordham University, NY
1960-11-12	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1960-11-13 3 pm	Mosque Theater, Newark, NJ
1960-11-13	Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
1960-11-17	Withrow Court, Miami University, Oxford, OH
1960-11-18	Fall Dance — Peirce Hall, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
1960-11-19	Junior Prom — Alumni Gymnasium, Clarkson College of Technology, Potsdam, NY
1960-11-23	El Rancho, Woodlyn, PA
1960-11-24 thru 12-07	Birdland, New York, NY

December included several sessions for two collaboration albums with singer Chris Connor. Under a special agreement between their respective record labels, one album (Two’s Company) would be released under Ferguson’s contracted Roulette label, and one (Double Exposure) would be released under Connor’s contracted label, Atlantic. The personnel lineups for the December 5 and 14 sessions were as follows:

On December 15 and 22 the personnel was:

The end of 1960 featured the band at many of their familiar stops. There were two performances at the Ritz Ballroom, another night at the Sunnybrook Ballroom, and two more weekends at the Red Hill Inn. There was also another recording session on December 21 that would be part of the Maynard ’61 album. The personnel for this date was:

Date	Event
1960-12-05	Chris Connor recording sessions
1960-12-09	University of Bridgeport Formal — Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-12-10	Junior Ring Dance — Pennsylvania Military College, Chester, PA
1960-12-11	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1960-12-14 and 15	Chris Connor recording sessions
1960-12-17	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1960-12-18	Fort Hill Restaurant, Scarsdale, NY
1960-12-21	Maynard ’61 recording session
1960-12-22	Chris Connor recording session
1960-12-24 thru 26	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ
1960-12-26	Commodore Ballroom, Lowell, MA
1960-12-28	Rutland Hospital Ball — Auditorium, Mt. St. Joseph Academy, Rutland VT
1960-12-30 thru 01-02	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ

1961

The January 1961 schedule featured two weeks at the Sutherland Hotel in Chicago and then two weeks back in New York at Birdland. During the Birdland engagement, the group had three recording sessions to complete the tracks needed for the Maynard ’61 album and the Chris Connor collaborations.

A Down Beat article portrayed a scene at the Sutherland Hotel in Chicago, where Ferguson and Willie Maiden worked with pianos and film projectors on the soundtrack for a new television series focused on racing cars. [17] This is the first published mention of the latest addition to the Ferguson portfolio: his work on an ABC television series, at first called The Racers, but which would eventually be titled Straightaway. Through the year Ferguson’s feelings concerning working in television and his participation in this project were published widely. [18]

On January 20, the band recorded four more tracks which would be released either on the Maynard ’61 LP, or years later on a CD with the same title. The personnel listed for this date was:

Three days later, on January 23, they recorded more tracks with Chris Connor using the same personnel. The final tracks were recorded on January 30, with John Neves listed as back on bass.

Date	Event
1961-01-04 thru 15	Sutherland Hotel, Chicago, IL
1961-01-19 thru 02-01	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-01-20	Maynard ’61 recording session
1961-01-23 and 30	Chris Connor recording sessions

February started out with a trip to the Midwest for performances at DePauw University in Indiana and at Keil Auditorium in Missouri. The rest of the month was filled with school dances and ballroom dance gigs. There is a mention in Down Beat of a fiftieth anniversary party for the McCann Erickson advertising agency during this period. [19] This performance has been confirmed as taking place on February 16, 1961 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York, and on this occasion the Ferguson band was augmented by two violins, a viola, and an electric bass. [20] The month of March began with a two-week stint at Birdland.

Date	Event
1961-02-01	Meharry Hall, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
1961-02-06	Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
1961-02-10	Richmond Professional Institute, Richmond, VA
1961-02-11	Woodberry Forest School, Woodberry Forest, VA
1961-02-12	El Rancho, Woodlyn, PA
1961-02-16	McCann Erickson 50th anniversary party — Waldorf Hotel, New York, NY
1961-02-17	Military Ball — Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
1961-02-18	University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
1961-02-25	Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
1961-02-26 2 pm	Rhode Island College, Providence, RI
1961-02-26	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1961-03-02 thru 15	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-03-13	Jazz Jubilee — Grand Ballroom, Presidential Arms Hotel, Washington, DC

The jazz musical Impluse! opened in Toronto on March 20, 1961. [21] This production included dancer Carmen de Lavallade, Nina Simone and her trio, the percussion ensemble of Babatunde Olatunji, and the full Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, with Ferguson appearing as “Big Music Man”. [22] When the show’s star host, Brendan Behan, failed to appear for a matinee performance, Ferguson read Behan’s lines to the sparse audience. [23] After a week’s try-out in Toronto, Impulse! was scheduled to move to New York’s Royale Theatre (with Gerry Mulligan assuming the role taken by Ferguson), but the production collapsed during the Canadian run. Down Beat later called this show “ill-fated”, adding that Ferguson “stayed on” in Canada to appear on a television show dedicated to the late Jack Kane. [24]

Kane was a band leader on Canadian television who often feature Ferguson on his show as a guest artist. He had died on March 27, 1961, and Ferguson hosted the memorial program that aired on Monday, April 3. According to the Calgary Herald article mourning Kane’s death, [25] shows were videotaped on Wednesday to be aired on the following Monday. Assuming that this show was taped on a similar schedule, it would have been recorded on Wednesday, March 29.

By April 1, Ferguson and his band were back in the United States, performing at the Sunnybrook Ballroom on Saturday, opening the Steel Pier season on Easter Sunday, and performing at Sunset in Carroltown, Pennsylvania on Easter Monday (the same date that the Jack Kane show aired).

Date	Event
1961-03-20 thru 25	Impulse! The New Wave Revue — O’Keefe Centre, Toronto, Ont.
1961-03-29	Jack Kane memorial tribute television program (likely recording date; aired 04-03)
1961-04-01	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1961-04-02	Marine Ballroom, Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ
1961-04-03	Sunset, Carrolltown, PA

The remainder of the spring consisted of a series of one-night events. These included school dances, amusement park appearances and ballroom dances.

Date	Event
1961-04-08	Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Philadelphia, PA
1961-04-09	Ritz Ballroom, Bridgeport, CT
1961-04-14	Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
1961-04-15	Prom — Ball State University, Muncie, IN
1961-04-18	Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
1961-04-23	Spring Weekend — Carpenter Field House, University of Delaware, Dover, DE
1961-04-28	Senior Ball — Trinity College, Hartford, CT
1961-04-29	Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton, VA
1961-04-30	Cavalcade of Jazz — Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
1961-05-05	Utica College Spring Weekend — Twin Ponds Country Club, Utica, NY
1961-05-06	Junior Prom — Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA
1961-05-08	Manos Theater, Indiana, PA
1961-05-09	Hagerstown Musical Society, Hagerstown, MD
1961-05-10	Duke University, Durham, NC
1961-05-13	Starlight Ballroom, Hershey Park, Hershey, PA
1961-05-20	Prom — Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN
1961-05-23	East Tennessee State College, Johnson City, TN
1961-05-27	Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT

Down Beat reported that as soon as Don Menza graduated from State University of New York, he would be replacing Joe Farrell in the tenor chair. [26] Menza himself recalled his first official night on the job, heading down to Birdland on a Friday night. [27] In Ralph Jungheim’s Maynard!, Menza recalled being approached by Ferguson about two weeks before finals. He took the job and stayed with the band for a year and a half. [28]. The group played at Sunnybrook on June 3, where the band was recorded by Wally Heider. Recordings of this evening reside in the Library of Congress, and Don Menza is named several times as a soloist throughout the night, along with vocalist Marge Blyden.

On June 20 and 21, the band recorded tracks for the Straightaway television show. Slightly earlier master numbers show that they recorded four additional tracks earlier in the month. The personnel for these sessions was:

Date	Event
1961-06-03	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1961-06-07	West View Park, Pittsburgh, PA
1961-06-08 thru 14	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-06-09	Daily News Jazz Festival — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
1961-06-16	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ
1961-06-20 and 21	Straightaway recording session
1961-06	Roulette 45-rpm (unissued) recording session
1961-06-23	Freedomland Amusement Park, Bronx, NY
1961-06-24	Starlight Ballroom, Hershey Park, Hershey, PA
1961-06-26	Music Circus, Lambertville, NJ
1961-06-28	Idora Park, Youngstown, OH
1961-06-30	Music At Newport — Newport, RI
1961-07-02	Music At Newport — Newport, RI

The remainder of the summer included steady work at familiar performance venues. Three weeks at Birdland (one week in July and two weeks in August), plus a week each at Atlantic City’s Steel Pier, Club 46 on Cape Cod, and the Minor Key in Detroit. Additional one-night stays include parks such as Lake Compounce and Hershey Park Starlight Ballroom, and a few jazz festival performances at Randall’s Island and the Buffalo Jazz Festival.

Date	Event
1961-07-13 thru 19	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-07-21	Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton, VA
1961-07-22 day?	Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT
1961-07-22 night?	Music Under The Stars — Downing Memorial Stadium, Randall’s Island, NY
1961-07-29	Buffalo Jazz Festival — War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, NY
1961-08-03 thru 16	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-08-18 thru 24	Marine Ballroom, Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ
1961-08-26	Starlight Ballroom, Hershey Park, Hershey, PA
1961-08-27	Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ
1961-08-28 thru 09-04	Club 46, Falmouth Heights, MA
1961-09-05 thru 10	Minor Key, Detroit, MI

After finishing up at the Minor Key in Detroit, the group travelled across the border for a ten-day run at the Edgewater Hotel near Montreal. On the last day of the run, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided the band’s hotel rooms, and arrested seven band members for possession of marijuana. Newspaper reports listed Chet Ferretti, Linc Milliman, Don Rader, Kenny Rupp, Don Menza, Bill Berry, and Harold Keller as being held without bail until a preliminary inquiry to be held on the following Thursday (six days after the arrest). Berry was also charged with trafficking. Chet Ferretti’s charges were dismissed at the preliminary hearing, with the prosecution failing to link him to possession. Milliman, Rader, Rupp, Menza and Keller were released on $500 bail on September 28. Berry’s bail was set at $1200. On November 7, a trial was held for Milliman, Rader, Rupp, Menza, and Keller, who were sentenced to seven days in jail and fined $100 each. [29] In March 1962, Berry was fined $300 and sentenced to fifteen days in jail. [30]

The band performed again on September 30 and continued to perform one-nighters until returning to Birdland in November.

Date	Event
1961-09-15 thru 24	Edgewater Hotel, Pointe-Claire, Que.
1961-09-24	Band drug bust
1961-09-30	Ritter-Clark Gymnasium, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
1961-10-01	Cavalcade of Jazz — Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
1961-10-07	Homecoming — Wright Auditorium, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
1961-10-08	El Rancho, Woodlyn, PA
1961-10-14	Fireman’s Ball — Philadelphia, PA
1961-10-22	Elms Ballroom, Youngstown, OH
1961-10-27 or 28	Harlem Jazz Festival — 369th Regiment Armory, New York, NY
1961-10-28 2:30 pm	Brown Homecoming Dance — Men’s Gymnasium, Western Michigan College, Kalamazoo, MI
1961-11-03	Dell-Ru Ballroom, Revere, MA
1961-11-07	Start of 7-day jail sentences from September arrests
1961-11-10	Apollo Theater, New York, NY
1961-11-16	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1961-11-17	‘Prince’–Tiger Dance — Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
1961-11-19	Linwood Ballroom, Edison, NJ

The holiday season had the band performing for two weeks at Birdland, at dances at Sunnybrook, and then returning to the Red Hill Inn for the New Year’s weekend again. This marked the fifth straight New Year’s for Ferguson at the Red Hill Inn. [31] They also entered the studio to record the tracks for the Maynard ’62 album. The listed personnel for these tracks was:

Date	Event
1961-11-23 thru 12-06	Birdland, New York, NY
1961-12-01	McMillin Theater, Columbia University, New York, NY
1961-12	Maynard ’62 recording session
1961-12-23	Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, PA
1961-12-28	Greek Christmas Dance — Latin Casino, Cherry Hill, NJ
1961-12-29 thru 1962-01-01	Red Hill Inn, Pennsauken, NJ

By the end of 1961, change was in the air for the Ferguson organization. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that Ferguson had split with manager Ira Mangel. [32] After their January 1962 Birdland date, the band would not appear at the club again for twenty months. The recording contract with Roulette Records was in dispute and would end up in court. The television series Straightaway was not using the band tracks in the way that Ferguson had anticipated, and the show would end up being cancelled within months due to low ratings. All these events contributed to destabilizing the group. The next installment will cover these waning years of Maynard Ferguson’s Birdland-based band.

Full 1960–1961 Chronology with References

Bibliography

The chronology references were collected from several online databases, including RIPM Jazz Periodicals, NewspaperArchive, Newspapers.com, and ProQuest Historical Black Newspapers.

• Ira Gitler. “Maynard Ferguson: A New Appraisal.” Down Beat 27, no. 20 (September 29, 1960): 28–29.
• Harkins, Edwin. Maynard Ferguson: A Discography. [s.l.]: Edwin Harkins, 1976.
• Jungheim, Ralph. Maynard! Marina del Rey, CA: Buster Ann Music, 2009.
• Lee, William F. MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson’s Life in Music. Ojai, CA: M.F. Music U.S.A., 1997.
• Lord, Tom. The Jazz Discography Online. Chilliwack, BC: Lord Music Reference, Inc., 2020.
• Primack, Bret. notes to The Complete Roulette Recordings of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra. Mosaic Records, 1993.

References

[1] Ackers, Joyce. “All That’s Jazz.” Music At Newport 1961, (festival program), 1961.

[2] “Strictly Ad Lib: New York.” Down Beat 27, no. 5 (March 3, 1960): 49.

[3] “Strictly Ad Lib: Boston.” Down Beat 27, no. 15 (July 21, 1960): 70.

[4] Kleiner, Dick. “Sounds of Jazz Undergo Change.” The Plain Speaker, May 4, 1960.

[5] “Trail Wrong Man.” Tyrone Daily Herald, July 12, 1960. Moran, Jim. “Up Top for Today.” Delaware County Times, July 22, 1960.

[6] “New Teeth for Mr. Chops.” Down Beat 27, no. 17 (August 18, 1960): 14.

[7] Bass, Milton R. “Music Review: Maynard Ferguson Band.” Berkshire Eagle, August 1, 1960.

[8] Gitler, Ira. “Maynard Ferguson: A New Appraisal.” Down Beat 27, no. 20 (September 29, 1960): 29.

[9] “Ellington to Head Jazz Festival Set at Mack Stadium.” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 17, 1960.

[10] Gaghan, Jerry. “Show Rule Takes Stock.” Philadelphia Daily News, July 26, 1960

[11] Gaghan, Jerry. “Theater Guild in High Gear.” Philadelphia Daily News, July 27, 1960.

[12] Philadelphia Daily News, August 12, 1960.

[13] Philadelphia Daily News, August 31, 1960.

[14] Philadelphia Daily News, September 16, 1960.

[15] Philadelphia Daily News, September 21, 1960.

[16] Lee, William F. MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson’s Life in Music, Ojai, CA: M.F. Music U.S.A., 1997: 95.

[17] “Strictly Ad Lib: Chicago.” Down Beat 28, no. 4 (February 16, 1961): 56.

[18] Stern, Harold. “Jazz Gets Chance on TV; Background for ‘Racers’.” Syracuse Post-Standard, March 30, 1961 seems to have been the first instance. This syndicated article was published in numerous newspapers under different headlines.

[19] “Strictly Ad Lib: New York.” Down Beat 28, no. 7 (March 30, 1961): 12.

[20] Cash Box, February 25, 1961: 24.

[21] Jazz Notes 6, no. 2–3: 32.

[22] “Strictly Ad Lib: New York.” Down Beat 28, no. 8 (April 13 1961): 45.

[23] “No Longer in Impulse! Behan Battled, Bailed Out, and Bounced.” Globe and Mail, March 23, 1961.

[24] “Strictly Ad Lib: Toronto.” Down Beat 28, no. 11 (May 25, 1961): 49.

[25] Calgary Herald, March 29 1961.

[26] “Strictly Ad Lib: Chicago.” Down Beat 28, no. 12 (June 8, 1961): 48.

[27] Lee, William F. MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson’s Life in Music, Ojai, CA: M.F. Music U.S.A., 1997: 88.

[28] Jungheim, Ralph. Maynard!, Marina del Rey, CA: Buster Ann Music, 2009: 120.

[29] Gilliece, Russell. “Musicians Jailed on Drug Charges.” The Gazette, November 8, 1961

[30] “Gets 15 Days.” Ottawa Journal, March 21, 1962.

[31] Gaghan, Jerry. “Humor Fit For a King.” Philadelphia Daily News, December 18, 1961.

[32] Gaghan, Jerry. “Main Liners’ Jazz Bashed.” Philadelphia Daily News, December 27, 1961.

Author Information: 
Thomas Herb currently serves as Professor of Music Education and as the Director of the Graduate Music Education program at Southern Utah University. He has published articles in several music education books, including the Teaching Music through Performance in Band series (GIA Publications), and his own book Teaching Improvisation...in Concert Band?!? (MVP Publishing). An avid jazz devotee, he performs over fifty times a year with local jazz combos and is the Founder/Director of The Jazz Alliance of Cedar City which brings jazz performances to Cedar City. He also considers himself an enthusiastic amateur in regards to jazz research, with bandleader Maynard Ferguson as his specialty. He lives in Cedar City, Utah with his wife and four young children.

Abstract: 
The article presents the day-to-day activities of Canadian trumpeter and bandleader Maynard Ferguson during the years 1960 to 1961, considered the peak era of this jazz orchestra. Based on listings, advertisements, and reviews published in contemporary newspapers and periodicals, Ferguson’s concert, dance, and nightclub appearances are included. The performance chronology also includes recording sessions and identifies orchestra personnel when known.

Keywords:
Maynard Ferguson, Birdland Dream Band, jazz, chronology

How to cite this article:

• Chicago 17th ed.: Herb, Thomas. “Maynard Ferguson’s Birdland Dream Band: A Performance Chronology of the Years 1960–1961.” Current Research in Jazz 13 (2021). Accessed [date of access]. http://www.crj-online.org/v13/CRJ-FergusonChronology2.php.
• MLA 8th ed.: Herb, Thomas. “Maynard Ferguson’s Birdland Dream Band: A Performance Chronology of the Years 1960–1961.” Current Research in Jazz vol. 13, 2021, www.crj-online.org/v13/CRJ-FergusonChronology2.php. Accessed [date of access].
• APA 7th ed.: Herb, T. (2021). Maynard Ferguson’s Birdland Dream Band: A Performance Chronology of the Years 1960–1961. Current Research in Jazz, 13. http://www.crj-online.org/v13/CRJ-FergusonChronology2.php

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