Don Fagerquist

Donald Alton Fagerquist was a small group, big band, and studio jazz trumpet player from the West Coast of the United States.

Career

Fagerquist was a featured soloist with several major bands, including Mal Hallett, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, Woody Herman, Les Brown, and the Dave Pell Octet. He played on the Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook album under the baton of Nelson Riddle.
Despite high demand for his services as a lyrical soloist, he recorded only twice as a leader: a half-date for Capitol in 1955 and a complete project for Mode in 1957.
In 1956, Fagerquist signed on as a staff musician for Paramount Films, while still periodically recording with artists such as Shelly Manne, Mel Tormé, 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, Dean Martin and many others.
By 1966, health issues forced Fagerquist to withdraw from studio recording altogether. He died from kidney disease at his home in Canoga Park, California, at the age of 46.

Selected discography

With Chet Baker and Bud Shank

Theme Music from "The James Dean Story"

With Louis Bellson

Louis Bellson Swings Jule Styne

With Hoagy Carmichael

Hoagy Sings Carmichael

With Bob Cooper

Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper

With Fred Katz

With Stan Kenton

The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton

With Junior Mance

With Dave PellDave Pell Octet Plays Irving Berlin

Dave Pell Octet Plays Rodgers & Hart
Jazz & Romantic Places Jazz Goes Dancing I Had the Craziest Dream

With Shorty Rogers

With Pete Rugolo

With Mel Torme

Mel Torme Sings Fred Astaire
Mel Torme with the Marty Paich dek-tette
California Suite

With the Benny Goodman Orchestra & Brussels World's Fair Orchestra

Salute to Benny Goodman

With Skip Martin's Scheherajazz

''A Symphony in Jazz by the Video All-Stars''