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Denis DiBlasio: Someone wrote a tune and they wrote in the chords G locrian.  Maynard came around and said, "Uh, what is this locrian thing?"  I told him G locrian is an A flat major scale, start it on G and he said, "Aw, I don't know, education is ruining jazz, what's this all about?" So the kid who wrote it said, "Look Maynard, there's a G locrian over B phyrgian over compressed aeolian" and all this kind of crap and Maynard is just looking at him.  So the guy played the chord on guitar and Maynard played a beautiful lick over this locrian thing and the guitar player said, "Oh, what did you use Maynard, did you use a locrian mode?"  Maynard is like "Uh, whatever, let's eat."  Maynard then said to me, "That locrian, it sounds like some kind of cheese," and I thought that was great because when I talk about clinics and how important it is to listen I bring that story up because here's a guy who solos great, probably couldn't tell you anything about all that theory, but could play like Bunny Berigan, can imitate Louie, Wynton, Clifford.  It's that old school of learning and playing and listening and playing and listening and playing as opposed to another approach where it's so theory-oriented and you really don't say anything.  It was interesting.   He wasn't against it, he just didn't let it get in the way. From MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson's Life in Music. By Dr. Bill Lee

"Maynard, some day you'll be king." Stan Kenton "I couldn't believe I was writing notes that high for Maynard." Shorty Rogers "He is one of the heroes of all trumpet players.  A lot of people try to imitate him but nobody can." Arturo Sandoval

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