[Trombone-l] Don Lusher

[Adrian Drover]

> From: Derrick Parker
> 
> Sadly Don Lusher passed away today. Don was one of Britain's finest
> ambassadors for the trombone as well as being a great lead trombone player
> both with the Ted Heath Orchestra and his own Don Lusher Orchestra.


Time is moving far too quickly.  All my heroes are leaving one by one to
join that big band in the sky.  I first met Don I think in the late '50s at
an RAF club in Torquay, England.  I was working with Bertram Mills Circus as
a young sax player, he was leading the trombone section in the Ted Heath
Band.  This was the first time I'd ever heard a live big band and I was
overawed by the sound and the arrangements.  Don was one of the nicest guys
I've ever met and even took the time to chat with us unknowns after his gig.
I thought how wonderful it must be to work with such a talented bunch of
guys.  It was this encounter that led me to devote my life to arranging and
especially big band arranging.  My wish came true many years later when Don
phoned me out of the blue asking me to write some charts for his own big
band, and later he accepted an engagement with my own orchestra as guest
soloist on a BBC recording session.  I'll miss this guy's talent,
friendliness and generosity very much.       
 
A.