Gary Langford, SoS, and the Heisman trophy

He did multi level versions of all of those arrangements from beginner to college level. That same idea was picked up by former Gator Bone - Chris Sharp

 

I wonder if he regrets that Dr. Beat video...lol

Wygator, when was that jazz festival in Casper?

 

Here you go buddy

 

Wow what a review of that piece Davis! Thanks! I got turned onto Mulgrew Miller probably 15 years ago listening to the jazz channel on satellite radio. Bought his Live at Yoshi’s CD and have loved his music from that point forward.

 

Casper College hosts an annual jazz festival and brings in an artist/clinician each year. Victor was here ten or more years ago.

 

I was a premed student working full time when I auditioned for Dr Langford each trimester. I had passed on an opportunity to attend Eastman School of Music , opting to attend UF.
I was told Gary came from North Texas State, rated at that time ( mid-70’s) the # 1 jazz program in the country. Unfortunately for me his primary instrument was trumpet , as was mine. After two notes he interrupted and said” didn’t practice much this summer”. I was privileged to be #1 trumpet in the second jazz band ( he had 5). The #1 band traveled to Europe and performed some of Gary’s arrangements; usually some Maynard Ferguson . His arrangement were brilliant and incredibly difficult . He had an ear like no one I have ever seen and was a perfectionist. He would stop a live session and pick out one note from one individual that was off. A savant of the jazz world , the best I have had the privilege of studying under.

 

I was a Gainesville native from birth till graduating from UF. One time between semesters I was sitting on the bricks at the music building with a couple of other guys that stuck around. I look up and here comes this skinny guy with shoulder length hair. He walks up and says "is Gary Langford around?" I told him that Gary had gone to lunch but would probably be back in about a half hour. He asked if the jazz band was rehearsing that day because he'd like to sit in. I told him they wouldn't be together again till the next semester started. He said "okay tell Gary I dropped by, my name is" before he could finish I said " yeah, you're Jaco Pastorius" (I was a bit of a Weather Report fan). He smiled shook my hand and wandered off

 

Ouch, that hurt...lol.

Sorry, but my story is true. The world is small, the music world is smaller, and the jazz world is smaller still.
Remember that this would have happened when Gary had established UF Jazz Band 1 as a substantial group and not long after Jaco and Pat Metheny were both teaching at Miami (the dean of their music department got on a great kick of hiring some instructors based on talent and accomplishments).

I was also marching the year we went to the Bluebonnet Bowl (same year as UGA's last championship, till last year ). On the way back we stopped at the Superdome and played the halftime show for a Saints - Rams game. Al Hirt (at the time he was a partial owner of the Saints) came up in the stands to talk to Gary. (I didn't get to talk to Al Hirt).

Guess what I'm saying is that if you are lucky enough to hang around Gary very much, you'll meet all kinds of interesting people.

 

My Aunt and Uncle (he just passed away) met at Eastman. If you were accepted there you had to have been very good.

When were you at UF?

Some friends talked me into jazz band, I think I was in JB 4, and that was only because they were running out of trombone players. We were awful!

 

Wow! I never expected to read about Gary Langford on this board, but I couldn't agree more with the OP. I was fortunate enough to be in Gary's Jazz Band 78 through 83 and in the marching band in 78 & 79. There is a lot I could say, but suffice to say that Gary is great and I owe him a lot. I also have to mention Frank Wickes who was my sax teacher my first two years before he went to LSU. I'm very grateful to them both.

 

So many C# stories I can't tell, but one of my favorites that shows how jazz focused he was.

I came walking out of the music library and Chris comes over and says "I just heard the craziest thing, James Taylor wrote words to that Maynard Ferguson chart Country Road". I actually had to explain the order of events to Chris...lol