Lem Winchester was a great vibraphonist, but he lost his chance due to a tragic accident. Although influenced by Milt Jackson, Winchester developed his own sound and played the piano, tenor, baritone, or piano, before deciding to focus on vibes. He was a Wilmington police officer and soon began recording with major players like Tommy Flanagan, Benny Golson and Oliver Nelson. Winchester left the police force to become a full-time musician in 1960. However, on January 13, 1961, Winchester failed to demonstrate a trick using a revolver. Allmusic
