Ferguson went to the US in 1948 and worked in turn in the big bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey, and Charlie Barnet until 1950. It was during his term 1950-3 with Stan Kenton that he first received great public acclaim, winning the Down Beat readers' polls for trumpet in 1950-2. He made his first records under his own name in 1950, for Capitol, leading the Kenton band of the day.

After playing 1953-6 in Hollywood studio orchestras for 46 film soundtracks under contract to Paramount and recording with small groups (his own and others), he formed the Birdland Dreamland Band to perform at the New York jazz club Birdland. This was the first of several 'small' big bands (12 or 13 musicians) with which Ferguson toured until 1965, appearing at festivals and in clubs and concerts. He then turned briefly to a still smaller ensemble, although he performed and recorded at Expo 67 with a big band and a sextet, both comprising Montreal musicians. Well-known US instrumentalists who were at one time members of a Ferguson band include Chick Corea and Chuck Mangione.

Ferguson spent a year in India studying meditation and lecturing on music, then moved in 1968 to England. It was with a 17-piece English band, which combined the orchestral conventions of jazz and the rhythmic vigour of rock, that he regained and even surpassed his former popularity. The band toured Europe, and made its North American debut in 1971; its recording of MacArthur Park was popular early in the decade. With New York as his home base after 1973, Ferguson gradually replaced the English musicians with young US players, reducing the band again to 13. He also played solo trumpet in the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. His recording of Gonna Fly Now, the theme from the film Rocky, was a major hit single (by the standard for pop intrumentals) 1977-8 and earned one of his three Grammy nominations; it was followed by a second lesser hit in 1978, the theme from the movie Battlestar Galactica. His album Conquistador exceeded 500,000 in US sales.

1980s - 2000s
In the mid-1980s, by which time Ferguson had moved to Ojai, Cal, he reduced his band still further and in 1987 introduced High Voltage, a fusion septet. By 1990, however, he was leading a more traditionally-based nonet, the Big Bop Nouveau Band; he led this band through 2006. Ferguson's extensive touring itinerary, which found him on the road 8 months of every 12 through the 1990s and later, included performances as far afield as Japan and Australia.

Canadian Performances
Although based for several decades outside Canada, Ferguson made many Canadian appearances. He performed on such CBC TV shows as 'Parade' and 'In the Mood' and, with his band, played at the Stratford Festival (1958), in many concert halls (Massey Hall, Place des Arts, National Arts Centre, etc), at Canadian Stage Band Festival (MusicFest Canada), regularly during the early 1980s at Ontario Place, and in 1982 and 1990 at the Festival international de jazz de Montréal (FIJM). Several Canadians have been members of his bands - eg, the singer Anne Marie Moss, the tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, and the trombonists Rob McConnell and Phil Gray. Kenny Wheeler composed and arranged for Ferguson's English band.

Critical Reception
While Ferguson's dramatic virtuosity in the extreme upper registers of the trumpet (extending with ease to double high C) and the bravado and invariably au courant style of his band took his popularity beyond the jazz world, they also brought him a certain amount of critical disdain. The FIJM aside, the Ferguson band was rarely heard at the Canadian jazz festivals that flourished in the 1980s. However, he did appear at the 1999 Ottawa International Jazz Festival, as well as at Toronto Downtown Jazz in 2002. His tendency towards exhibitionism - his grandstanding high notes and his use for many years of an aria from I Pagliacci as an encore - led to his dismissal in some quarters as a mere showman; some reviewers remarked on a lack of shading or subtlety in his interpretations. However, much of his work in the small-group context revealed a mature improviser whose high-note facility became a well-integrated aspect of an expressive and lyrical style. A natural leader, Ferguson showed the ability to form and mould an ensemble of young musicians, and to infuse it with his own considerable energy and enthusiasm.

Ferguson was accorded many honours: induction into Down Beat's Hall of Fame (1992) and the Juno Hall of Fame (1997); the FIJM Prix Oscar-Peterson (1999), and appointment to the Order of Canada (2003). A biography, MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson's Life in Music, appeared in 1997. New Jersey's Rowan University Institute of Jazz Studies bears his name.

Designer of Instruments
In addition to trumpet and flugelhorn, Ferguson played valve trombone, bass trombone, baritone horn, french horn, and soprano saxophone with his band, as well as two hybrid brass instruments - the Firebird (a combination slide and valve trumpet) and the Superbone (a combination slide and valve trombone) - which he designed for the US company Holton-Leblanc.

Maynard Ferguson, 'My early days in music,' Coda, Jun 1959

"Wanna play high notes? How to keep from losing your footing," Down Beat, July 1993

Jam Session. 1954. EmArcy MG-36009/Trip TLP-5525

Hollywood Party. 1954. EmArcy MG-36046

Dimensions. 1954, 1955. EmArcy MG-36044/Trip TLP-5507

Octet. Includes Auld tenor saxophone. 1955. EmArcy MG-36021

Around the Horn. 1955, 1956. EmArcy MG-36076/Trip TLP-5558

Birdland Dreamband. 1956. Vik LX-1070

Birdland Dreamband, vol 2. 1956. Vik LX-1077 Reissued with Vik LX-1070 on CD in 1987 as Bluebird 6455-2-RB

Boy with Lots of Brass. 1957. EmArcy MG-36114

Message from Newport. 1958. Rou S-52012

Swingin' My Way through College. 1958. Rou S-2508

Message from Birdland. 1959. Rou S-52027

Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing. Includes Moss voice. 1959, 1960. Rou S-52038

Newport Suite. 1960. Rou S-52047. Reissued with Message from Newport on 2-Rou RE-116

Let's Face the Music and Dance. 1960. Rou S-52055

Maynard '61. 1960 or 1961. Rou S-52064

'Straightaway' Jazz Themes. 1961. Rou S-52076

Maynard '62. 1962. Rou S-52083

Si! Si! M.F. 1962. Rou S-52084. Reissued with Maynard '61 on 2-Rou RE-112

Maynard '63. 1963. Rou S-52090

Message from Maynard. 1963. Rou S-52101

Maynard '64. 1963. Rou S-52107

The New Sounds of Maynard Ferguson. 1963. Cameo S-1046

Come Blow Your Horn. 1963. Cameo S-1066

Colour Him Wild. Includes McConnell trombone. 1964. Mainstream M-56031. Reissued as Dues. Mainstream MRL-359

Blues Roar. 1965. Mainstream M-56045. Reissued as Screamin' Blues. Mainstream MRL-316

The Maynard Ferguson Sextet. 1965. Mainstream M-56060. Reissued as Six by Six. Mainstream MRL-372

Ridin' High. 1967. Enterprise S-13-101. Also released as Freaky. Atlantic 264-4008

Maynard Ferguson Sextet. With John Christie alto saxophone, Barley tenor saxophone, Maiste piano, Fasano double-bass, Page drums. 1967. RCI 264

Maynard Ferguson and His Orchestra. Includes Danovitch alto saxophone, Barley and Ayoub tenor saxophone, Landry vibraphone, Romandini guitar, Maiste piano. 1967. RCI 265

Maynard and Gustav (Brom). 1968. Supraphon 115 0716

Maynard '69. 1969. Prestige 7636. Also released as Trumpet Rhapsody. BASF MB-20662

The Ballad Style of Maynard Ferguson. 1968. CBS 63514

M.F. Horn. 1970. Col SC-30466

Maynard Ferguson. 1971. Col SC-31117

M.F. Horn II. 1972. Col KC-31709. Reissued with M.F. Horn on 2-Col CG-33660

M.F. Horn III. 1973. Col KC-32403

M.F. Horn IV and V: Live at Jimmy's. 1973. 2-Col KG-32732

Chameleon. 1974. Col KC-33007

Primal Scream. 1975. Col PC-33953

Conquistador. 1976. Col PC-34457

New Vintage. 1977. Col JC-34971

Carnival. 1978. Col JC-35480

Hot. (1979). Col JC-36124

Best of Maynard Ferguson. (1980). Col JC-36361

It's My Time. (1980). Col JC-36766

Hollywood. (1982). Col FC-37713

Storm. 1892. Palo Alto PA-8052

Live from San Francisco. 1983. Palo Alto 8077

Body and Soul. 1986. Black-Hawk BKH-50101

High Voltage. 1987. Intima 73269

High Voltage 2. 1988. Intima 73360

Big Bop Nouveau. (1990). Intima 73390

These Cats Can Swing. 1995. Concord Jazz CCD-4669

One More Trip to Birdland. 1996. Concord Jazz CCD-4729

Maynard Ferguson Presents Christian Jacob, with John Patitucci and Peter Erskine. 1997. Concord Jazz CCD-4744-2

Brass Attitude. 1998. Concord Jazz CCD-4848-2

Maynard Ferguson Presents Time Lines: The Christian Jacob Trio. 1999. Concord Jazz CCD-4801-2

MF Horn VI Live at Ronnie's. 2006. Maynard Ferguson Music

In addition to giving specific details about LPs listed above (titles, personnel, exact date and place of recording, reissues, etc), Edwin Harkins' Maynard Ferguson: A Discography (self-published, San Diego 1976) lists Ferguson's recordings with Georgie Auld, Charlie Barnet (some 60 titles issued on 16 LPs), Louis Bellson, Milt Bernhart, Elmer Bernstein, Buddy Bregman, June Christy, Chris Conner, Jimmy Dorsey, Francis Faye, Russ Garcia, Stan Kenton (some 140 titles 1950-6, about 100 later issued on 18 LPs by the Creative World of Stan Stan Kenton), Sal Salvador, Bud Shank, Dinah Washington, Ben Webster, and others. Also listed are the titles of 46 Paramount film soundtracks on which Ferguson played 1953-6.

Feather, Leonard. 'Lots of brass,' Down Beat, vol 25, 6 Feb 1958

Hoefer, G., and Lees, Gene. 'The man who broke the band barrier,' Down Beat, vol 26, 1 Oct 1959

Gitler, Ira. 'Maynard Ferguson: a new appraisal,' Down Beat, vol 27, 29 Sep 1960

Wong, Herb. 'Maynard Ferguson: "out of the exosphere and back on the scene",' Down Beat, vol 40, 8 Nov 1973

Belcher, Roy, ed. "Maynard Ferguson: The Second Set," June 1976, np

Harkins, Edwin. Maynard Ferguson: A Discography (San Diego, 1976)

Melhuish, Martin. "Maynard Ferguson," AudioScene Canada, Feb 1977

Smith, Arnold Jay. 'Maynard Ferguson: conquistador of double high C,' Down Beat, vol 44, 6 Oct 1977

Yanow, Scott. 'Record Review Interview: Maynard Ferguson,' Record Review Magazine, Aug 1979

Farrell, David. "Maynard Ferguson," Canadian Musician, Dec 1979

Underwood, Lee. 'Maynard Ferguson: rocky road to fame and fortune,' Down Beat, vol 47, Jul 1980

Litchfield, Jack. Canadian Jazz Discography: 1916-1980 (Toronto 1982)

Stewart, Zan. 'Maynard's changes,' Down Beat, vol 52, Sep 1985

Gilmore, John. Who's Who of Jazz in Montreal: Ragtime to 1970 (Montreal 1989)

Yanow, Scott. 'Back to bop,' Down Beat, vol 57, Apr 1990

Towers, John. "Maynard Ferguson: John Towers reviews the career of the controversial bandleader and high-note specialist," Jazz Journal International, Aug 1995

Caudeiron, Daniel. "Maynard Ferguson," The Record, 10 Mar 1997

Lee, William F. MF Horn: Maynard Ferguson's Life in Music (Ojai, Cal, 1997)

Sutherland, Greg. "Into the stratosphere: A profile of Maynard Ferguson," Jazz Report, summer 1997

Miller, Mark. "Ferguson still flying now," Globe and Mail, 10 Jul 1999

- The Miller Companion to Jazz in Canada (Toronto 2001)