DON FAGERQUIST

Don Fagerquist was born February 6, 1927, in Worcester, Massachusetts. An excellent West Coast big band and studio player, Fagerquist was a featured soloist with several name bands, including Mal Hallett (1943) Gene Krupa (1944-1950) Artie Shaw (1949-1950) Gramercy Five (1949-1950) Woody Herman (1951-1952) Les Brown (1953) Dave Pell Octet (1953-1959) Despite high demand for his services as a lyrical soloist, he only recorded 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, Mel Torme, and Art Pepper. Throughout the early- to mid-1960s, Fagerquist's solos could be heard on the recordings of Pete Rugolo, Frank Comstock, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Paul Weston, Si Zentner, and many others. Don Fagerquist died January read more...