Donald Alton Fagerquist (February 6, 1927 – January 23, 1974) was a small group, big band, and studio jazz trumpet player from the

West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast and the Western Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the Contiguous United States, contig ...

Career

Fagerquist was a featured soloist with several major bands, including

Mal Hallett Mal Hallett (born 1893, Roxbury, Massachusetts – died November 20, 1952, Boston) was an American jazz violinist and bandleader. Biography Hallett was a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music. He played in France during World War I as a m ...

(1943),

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...

(1944–50),

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

(1949–50), Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five (1949–50),

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

(1951–52), Les Brown (1953), and the

Dave Pell David Pell (February 26, 1925 – May 7, 2017) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and record producer. He was best known for leading a cool jazz octet in the 1950s. Biography Pell played in his teens with the big bands of Tony Pastor, ...

Octet (1953–59). He played on the ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book'' is a 1963 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. The album focuses on the songs of the composer Jerome Ke ...

'' album (1963) under the baton of

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

. Despite high demand for his services as a lyrical soloist, he recorded only twice as a leader: a half-date for Capitol in 1955 (reissued as part of the Dave Pell Octet CD ''I Had the Craziest Dream'') and a complete project for Mode in 1957 (''Music to Fill a Void''). In 1956, Fagerquist signed on as a staff musician for Paramount Films, while still periodically recording with artists such as

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, ...

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

, and

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American jazz musician, most known as an alto saxophonist. He occasionally performed and recorded on tenor saxophone, clarinet (his first instrument) and bass clarinet. Active ...

. Throughout the early- to mid-1960s, Fagerquist's solos could be heard on the recordings of

Pete Rugolo Pietro Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011), known professionally as Pete Rugolo, was an American jazz composer, arranger, and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the ...

Frank Comstock Frank G. Comstock (September 20, 1922 – May 21, 2013) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, and trombonist. For television, Comstock wrote and arranged music for major situation comedies and variety shows. His theme and incidental mu ...

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet (TV series), The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad (TV series), T ...

Paul Weston Paul Weston (né Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the Fathe ...

Si Zentner Simon Hugh Zentner (June 13, 1917 in New York City, United States – January 31, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American jazz trombonist and big-band leader. Zentner played in the bands of Les Brown, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey in the ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

and many others. By 1966, health issues forced Fagerquist to withdraw from studio recording altogether. He died from

kidney disease Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an Inflammation, inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Infla ...

at his home in

Canoga Park, California Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a Ranchos of California, rancho, and after the American victory it was converted ...

, at the age of 46.

Selected discography

With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

and

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

*''

Theme Music from "The James Dean Story" ''Theme Music from "The James Dean Story"'' is a 1956 soundtrack album to the James Dean biopic, ''The James Dean Story'' composed by Leith Stevens and featuring trumpeter Chet Baker and saxophonist Bud Shank.Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

*''

Louis Bellson Swings Jule Styne ''Louis Bellson Swings Jule Styne'' is an album by American jazz drummer Louis Bellson featuring performances of tunes written by Jule Styne recorded in 1960 for the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1960) With

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

*''

Hoagy Sings Carmichael ''Hoagy Sings Carmichael'' (subtitled ''With the Pacific Jazzmen arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel'') is an album by composer and vocalist Hoagy Carmichael recorded in 1956 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.Bob Cooper *''

Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper ''Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper'' is an album by saxophonist Bob Cooper recorded in 1957 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary, 1958) With Fred Katz *'' Folk Songs for Far Out Folk'' (Warner Bros., 1958) *'' Fred Katz and his Jammers'' (Decca, 1959) With

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

*'' The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton'' (Capitol, 1958) With

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

*'' Get Ready, Set, Jump!!!'' (Capitol, 1964) *'' Straight Ahead!'' (Capitol, 1964) With

* ''Dave Pell Octet Plays Irving Berlin'' (Kapp, 1954) *''Dave Pell Octet Plays Rodgers & Hart'' (Kapp, 1954) *'' Jazz & Romantic Places'' (Atlantic, 1955) * ''Jazz Goes Dancing'' (RCA, 1956) * ''I Had the Craziest Dream'' (Capitol Records, 1957) With

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arra ...

*'' Martians Come Back!'' (Atlantic, 1955

956 Year 956 ( CMLVI) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Summer – Emperor Constantine VII appoints Nikephoros Phokas to commander of the Byzantine field army (''Domestic o ...

*''

Way Up There ''Way Up There'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger Shorty Rogers, released on the Atlantic label in 1957.957 Year 957 ( CMLVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * September 6 – Liudolf, the eldest son of King Otto I, dies of a violent fever near Pombia (it is rumored from a laten ...

*'' Portrait of Shorty'' (RCA Victor, 1957) *'' Afro-Cuban Influence'' (RCA Victor, 1958) *''

Chances Are It Swings ''Chances Are It Swings'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing compositions by Robert Allen which was released on the RCA Victor label in 1959.The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs'' (RCA Victor, 1959) *'' Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan'' (MGM, 1960) With

*''

Music for Hi-Fi Bugs Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of musi ...

'' (EmArcy, 1956) *'' Out on a Limb'' (EmArcy, 1956) *'' An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi'' (Mercury 1956

958 Year 958 (Roman numerals, CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantine Empire, Byzantines under John I Tzimiskes, Jo ...

*''

Percussion at Work ''Percussion at Work'' is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo featuring performances recorded in 1957 and first released on the EmArcy label.

'' (EmArcy, 1957) *'' Rugolo Plays Kenton'' (EmArcy, 1958) *'' The Music from Richard Diamond'' (EmArcy, 1959) *'' The Original Music of Thriller'' (Time, 1961) *'' Ten Trumpets and 2 Guitars'' (Mercury, 1961) With

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

*'' Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *''Mel Torme with the Marty Paich dek-tette'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *''California Suite'' (Bethlehem, 1957) With the Benny Goodman Orchestra & Brussels World's Fair Orchestra *''Salute to Benny Goodman'' (Crown, 1958) With Skip Martin's Scheherajazz *''A Symphony in Jazz by the Video All-Stars'' (Stereo-Fidelity, 1959)

References

External links

* * *
Don Fagerquist recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fagerquist, Don 1927 births 1974 deaths Cool jazz trumpeters Musicians from Worcester, Massachusetts 20th-century American trumpeters