Clark Terry

Known for delivering jazz's most joyful tone, flügelhornist Clark Terry consistently created music marked by high spirits, rhythmic drive, and lighthearted appeal. As a strikingly original and technically masterful improviser, he earned widespread recognition for his "Mumbles" vocal style, originally conceived as a humorous take on the slurred phrasing of early blues performers, while also devoting himself to teaching younger musicians. His initial professional work on trumpet took place amid the thriving St. Louis jazz community of the early 1940s, where he directly influenced Miles Davis, and after wartime service in a Navy band he built a solid reputation through stints with Charlie Barnet's orchestra from 1947 to 1948, Count Basie's ensemble and combos from 1948 to 1951, and especially Duke Ellington's organization from 1951 to 1959. A flexible soloist rooted in swing and bop, Terry began concentrating on flügelhorn by the mid-1950s, received numerous spotlight features with Ellington such as "Perdido," and launched his own recording sessions during those years. He traveled to Europe in 1959-1960 with Quincy Jones' Orchestra for Harold Arlen's short-lived Free & Easy production, after which he joined NBC's roster and became a steady presence in the Tonight Show Orchestra. Regular sessions throughout the 1960s included a celebrated collaboration with the Oscar Peterson Trio and several albums by the co-led quintet he formed with valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. Across the following three decades Terry sustained a prominent career through diverse projects, among them leading his own brief big band in the mid-1970s, appearing with all-star Pablo ensembles, and serving as an uplifting guest soloist whose every phrase radiated delight. He passed away on February 21, 2015, at age 94 following a prolonged struggle with diabetes.