Don Fagerquist was a Worcester, Massachusetts native, born February 6, 1927. Fagerquist, an excellent West Coast studio player and big band player, was also a featured soloist in several other West Coast bands such as Mal Hallett (1943), Gene Krupa (1944-1950), Artie Shaw (1949-1950), Gramercy Five (1949-1950), Woody Herman (1951-1952), Les Brown (1953), and Dave Pell Octet (1953-1959). Despite being highly sought after as a lyrical leader, he only recorded two projects for Mode (Music to Fill a Void) in 1957 (Music to fill a Void). Fagerquist was hired as a Paramount Films staff musician in 1956. He also recorded with Shelly Manne and Mel Torme. Fagerquist’s solos were heard on recordings by Pete Rugolo and Frank Comstock, Nelson Riddle (Billy May), Paul Weston, Si Zentner and many other artists in the early-to mid-1960s. Don Fagerquist, who died in his California home on January 24, 1974. from www.shout.net/~jmh/fagerquist/
