Maynard Ferguson — Complete Discography

Studio and live albums released as bandleader, in chronological order. Compilations, singles, film soundtrack contributions, and sideman appearances on other artists’ albums are excluded from this list — let me know if you’d like those added separately. Dates and label details are cross-checked against Wikipedia’s discography page and Discogs/AllMusic; a small number of mid-1960s Roulette/Cameo releases have conflicting release dates across sources, and are flagged below.

Early Combo & Studio Years (1954–1957)

1954 — Maynard Ferguson’s Hollywood Party (EmArcy, 10” LP) His first release as a leader, cut for EmArcy shortly after leaving Stan Kenton’s orchestra — a small-group Hollywood session showcasing him as a soloist rather than a bandleader.

1955 — Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson (EmArcy) An all-star blowing session in the EmArcy jam-session series, pairing Ferguson with a rotating cast of West Coast players in loose, extended improvisations.

1955 — Maynard Ferguson Octet (EmArcy) A tighter small-group date for EmArcy, letting Ferguson’s range and tone stand out against a compact horn section rather than a full big band.

1955 — Dimensions (EmArcy) A studio big-band session recorded in New York, marking Ferguson’s move toward the large-ensemble sound that would define his career.

1955 — Birdland Dream Band (Vik) An all-star big band assembled for a legendary run at Birdland, featuring top New York session players; widely regarded as the launching point for the “Dream Band” concept Ferguson would carry into his own orchestras.

1955 — Birdland Dream Band, Volume 2 (Vik) A second volume drawn from the same Birdland engagement and personnel, continuing the big-band charts introduced on the first record.

1956 — Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson (EmArcy) A big-band studio album continuing his EmArcy run, built around driving section work and Ferguson’s featured solos.

1957 — Boy with Lots of Brass (EmArcy) A big-band date featuring vocalist Irene Kral, praised for arrangements that balanced the orchestra with Ferguson’s own playing; frequently cited as one of the strongest records of his pre-Roulette period.

The Roulette Big Band Era (1958–1964)

Widely considered by fans and critics the golden era of Ferguson’s big band, this run assembled top young arrangers and sidemen (including Slide Hampton, Don Sebesky, and Willie Maiden) into one of the hardest-swinging orchestras of the period.

1958 — A Message from Newport (Roulette) — Live Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, this live set introduced the touring big band that would carry Ferguson through the early 1960s.

1959 — A Message from Birdland (Roulette) — Live Recorded live at Birdland in June 1959, this is frequently singled out as the high point of Ferguson’s “small” big-band period, with standout charts from Hampton, Sebesky, and Maiden.

1959 — Swingin’ My Way Through College (Roulette) A studio set of college-fight-song and campus-themed arrangements reworked as big-band swing vehicles.

1959 — Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing (Roulette) A studio album of standards arranged for dancing, part of Roulette’s broader “jazz for dancing” series aimed at a mainstream audience.

1960 — Newport Suite (Roulette) A studio recording built around an extended multi-part composition inspired by the Newport festival experience.

1960 — Let’s Face the Music and Dance (Roulette) Another entry in the dance-oriented studio series, pairing pop standards with big-band charts.

1961 — Maynard ’61 (Roulette) The first of an annually titled series of studio albums, showcasing the working touring band’s evolving book of charts.

1961 — “Straightaway” Jazz Themes (Roulette) A concept record built around driving, up-tempo “straightaway” charts designed to highlight the band’s power and precision.

1962 — Maynard ’62 (Roulette) The second “year” album, continuing the series with new charts for the touring orchestra, including an early recording of “Maria.”

1962 — Si! Si! M.F. (Roulette) A Latin-jazz-flavored studio set, applying the band’s big-band muscle to Latin rhythms and repertoire.

1963 — Maynard ’63 (Roulette) The third “year” album in the series, capturing the band near the end of its Roulette contract.

1963 — Message from Maynard (Roulette) A studio release rounding out the Roulette catalog with newer material for the working band.

1963/64 — Maynard ’64 (Roulette) The final “year” album for Roulette; sources differ on whether it was released in late 1963 or early 1964.

1963/64 — The New Sounds of Maynard Ferguson (Cameo) Recorded after Ferguson’s move to the Cameo label as the Roulette contract wound down; exact release date is inconsistently reported across sources.

1963/64 — Come Blow Your Horn (Cameo) A second Cameo-era studio release, including the single “Blues for a Four String Guitar.”

Mainstream and Transition Years (1964–1969)

1964 — Color Him Wild (Mainstream) His first album for Mainstream Records, moving away from the Roulette dance-band format toward a harder, more contemporary big-band sound.

1964 — The Blues Roar (Mainstream) A blues-and-soul-inflected big band session, reflecting the era’s crossover between jazz and R&B.

1965 — The Maynard Ferguson Sextet (Mainstream) A rare small-group outing for Ferguson, stripping the arrangements down to sextet size after years of big-band writing.

1968 — Ridin’ High (Enterprise) Recorded after a period of reduced big-band activity, this album found Ferguson working with a smaller, funkier outfit for the Stax-affiliated Enterprise label.

1968/69 — Trumpet Rhapsody (MPS, Germany; reissued as Maynard Ferguson 1969) A European studio session for the German MPS label, recorded during a period when Ferguson was based partly overseas; later reissued under a different title.

1969 — The Ballad Style of Maynard Ferguson (CBS UK, with the Keith Mansfield Orchestra) A UK-only orchestral session pairing Ferguson’s horn with lush string and studio-orchestra arrangements of ballads, recorded during his years living in Britain.

Columbia: The M.F. Horn & Fusion Years (1970–1982)

Ferguson’s British sojourn and exposure to brass-rock acts like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago reshaped his sound; this Columbia run made him a genuine pop-chart presence.

1970 — M.F. Horn (Columbia; also released as The World of Maynard Ferguson) The album that launched his Columbia comeback, blending big-band jazz with rock-era repertoire and marking the start of the “M.F. Horn” brand.

1971 — Maynard Ferguson (Columbia; also released as Alive and Well in London) — Live A live document of the London-based band that established his new, rock-influenced direction.

1972 — M.F. Horn Two (Columbia) A studio follow-up continuing the fusion of big-band jazz with contemporary pop and rock covers.

1973 — M.F. Horn 3 (Columbia) The third studio installment in the series, further developing the band’s electric, horn-driven sound.

1973 — M.F. Horn 4&5: Live at Jimmy’s (Columbia) — Live A double live album recorded at the New York club Jimmy’s, capturing the working band at full strength.

1974 — Chameleon (Columbia) Named for its title-track cover of the Herbie Hancock tune, this album leaned further into funk and jazz-fusion territory.

1976 — Primal Scream (Columbia) A stylistic pivot toward lavish studio production and disco-inflected arrangements, with tracks like the title cut and “Invitation” aimed squarely at the dance floor.

1977 — Conquistador (Columbia) Ferguson’s commercial peak: the album that produced his hit cover of “Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky),” earning his only gold record and a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

1977 — New Vintage (Columbia) Released the same year as Conquistador, this record revisited older material — including new versions of “Maria” and “Airegin” — alongside a cover of the Star Wars theme.

1978 — Carnival (Columbia) Following the Conquistador formula, the album paired another film/TV theme (“Battlestar Galactica”) with a well-received cover of “Birdland” and standards including “Stella by Starlight.”

1979 — Hot (Columbia) A continuation of Ferguson’s late-’70s pop-jazz-fusion sound, including a disco-styled take on music from Rocky II and a cover of the Star Trek theme.

1980 — It’s My Time (Columbia) A studio album closing out the peak commercial run of his Columbia years, continuing the blend of originals and contemporary covers.

1982 — Hollywood (Columbia) His final studio album for Columbia, built around film- and entertainment-themed material as the label relationship wound down.

Independent Years (1983–1985)

1983 — Storm (Nautilus) Recorded for the audiophile label Nautilus after leaving Columbia, marking a return to a more straight-ahead, jazz-focused studio approach.

1985 — Live from San Francisco (Palo Alto) — Live A live recording documenting Ferguson’s touring band during the mid-1980s, released on the independent Palo Alto label.

Body & Soul, High Voltage, and Big Bop Nouveau (1986–1998)

1986 — Body & Soul (Blackhawk) A studio comeback for the Blackhawk label, opening with Denis DiBlasio’s “Espresso” and featuring a leaner, more modern small-big-band sound.

1987 — High Voltage (Intima) Ferguson pared his group down further for a funk- and R&B-influenced small-band sound under the “High Voltage” banner.

1989 — High Voltage 2 (Intima) A follow-up continuing the funk-jazz direction of the first High Voltage record.

1990 — Big Bop Nouveau (Intima) Introduced the Big Bop Nouveau Band, a return to a jazz-first small-big-band format that would remain his primary vehicle for the rest of his career; opens with “Blue Birdland” and a version of “Cherokee.”

1992 — Footpath Café (Avion, with Big Bop Nouveau) — Live A live album documenting the Big Bop Nouveau Band on tour in the early 1990s.

1994 — Live from London (Avenue Jazz/Rhino) — Live A live set capturing the band during a London engagement, released on Rhino’s jazz imprint.

1995 — These Cats Can Swing! (Concord, with Big Bop Nouveau) His debut for Concord Jazz, a straight-ahead studio session emphasizing the band’s swing-oriented, small-group interplay.

1996 — One More Trip to Birdland (Concord, with Big Bop Nouveau) A studio album whose title nods back to his 1950s Birdland engagements, revisiting big-band-in-miniature territory for Concord.

1998 — Brass Attitude (Concord, with Big Bop Nouveau) His final studio album released during his lifetime, continuing the Big Bop Nouveau Band’s contemporary hard-swinging sound.

Posthumous Releases

2006 — M.F. Horn VI: Live at Ronnie’s (Maynard Ferguson Music) — Live Recorded at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London and released the year of his death, reviving the “M.F. Horn” title for a live document of his final touring band.

2007 — The One and Only Maynard Ferguson (with Big Bop Nouveau) A posthumous release compiling additional recordings by the Big Bop Nouveau Band, issued the year after his passing.

Sourcing and review notes

This list was compiled from Wikipedia’s Maynard Ferguson discography page (titles, years, labels, catalog numbers), cross-checked against AllMusic and Discogs entries for individual albums, and reviewed a second time for chronological consistency before finalizing. Three areas carry minor date uncertainty across sources and are flagged inline above: Maynard ’64 and the two Cameo albums (The New Sounds of Maynard Ferguson, Come Blow Your Horn), where release dates of late 1963 vs. 1964 conflict between sources, and Trumpet Rhapsody, whose German MPS release year is inconsistently listed as 1968 or 1969.

This list covers albums released under Ferguson’s own name/leadership. Not included: compilation/reissue packages (e.g., The Best of Maynard Ferguson, Stratospheric), singles, film-soundtrack contributions, and his many sideman appearances (notably with Stan Kenton in the early 1950s). Happy to add any of those categories if useful.