Don Menza | |
|---|---|
 Menza at a concert in Germany, 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | April 22, 1936 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, big band, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Labels | Sackville, Palo Alto |
| Website | donmenza |
Don Menza (born April 22, 1936) [1] is an American jazz saxophonist.
Menza was born in Buffalo, where he attended Grover Cleveland High School. [1] After serving in the U.S. Army, he was part of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra from 1960 to 1962 and then briefly worked for Stan Kenton. [2] From 1964 to 1968 he lived in Germany. [2] Back in the U.S., he became a member of the Buddy Rich band in 1968 and recorded a well-known solo with that band on "Channel One Suite". [2] In the 1970s he was a member of The Tonight Show Band. [3] He later lived in California and played with Elvin Jones and Louie Bellson. [2]
In 2005, Menza was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. [4]
Menza wrote two of the charts played by the Buddy Rich Band: "Time Check" and "Groovin' Hard".
His son Nick Menza (1964–2016) was the drummer for the heavy metal band Megadeth. [5]
With Louie Bellson
With Les DeMerle
With Neil Diamond
With Maynard Ferguson
With others
Frank Rosolino was an American jazz trombonist.
Louie Bellson, often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator, and is credited with pioneering the use of two bass drums.
William H. Payne is an American pianist who, with Lowell George, co-founded the American rock band Little Feat. He is considered by many other rock pianists, including Elton John, to be one of the finest American piano rock and blues musicians. In addition to his trademark barrelhouse blues piano, he is noted for his work on the Hammond B3 organ. Payne is an accomplished songwriter whose credits include "Oh, Atlanta". Following the death of Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward on August 12, 2010, Payne is the only member of the group from the original four-piece line-up currently playing in the band.
Larry Eugene Carlton is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorded on hundreds of albums in many genres, including more than 100 gold records, as well as for television and movies. He has been a member of the jazz fusion group the Crusaders and the smooth jazz band Fourplay, and has maintained a long solo career.
Victor Stanley Feldman was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as an adult. Feldman emigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s, where he continued working in jazz and also as a session musician with a variety of pop and rock performers.
Fredrick O. Tackett is an American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known as a member of the band Little Feat.
Emil Richards was an American vibraphonist and percussionist.
Edward Joseph Bertolatus, also known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist.
John Payne Guerin was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style.
Jay Migliori was an American saxophonist, best known as a founding member of Supersax, a tribute band to Charlie Parker.
Milton Holland was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percussion styles in jazz, pop and film music, traveling extensively in those regions to collect instruments and learn styles of playing them.
Charles Louis Domanico was an American jazz bassist who played double bass and bass guitar on the West Coast jazz scene.
Marvin Louis Stamm is an American jazz trumpeter.
Wayne Andre was an American jazz trombonist, best known for his work as a session musician.
Jack Nimitz was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, nicknamed "The Admiral".
Richard Thomas Marotta is an American drummer and percussionist. He has appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Jackson Browne, Al Kooper, Waylon Jennings, Randy Newman, Kenny G, The Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Boz Scaggs, Warren Zevon, and Linda Ronstadt. He is also a composer who created music for the popular television shows Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear.
Jake Hanna was an American jazz drummer.
James David Hughart is a jazz and pop bass player.
Burton L. Collins was an American jazz trumpeter.
Dennis Matthew Budimir was an American jazz and rock guitarist. He was considered to be a member of The Wrecking Crew.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
