An excellent trumpeter of the bop and cool eras who largely faded out in the 1960s, Don Fagerquist only had two sessions as a leader, a half-date for Capitol in 1955, and an excellent outing for Mode (reissued on V.S.O.P.) in 1957. Fagerquist was a key soloist with Gene Krupa (off and on during 1944-1950), Artie Shaw's Orchestra, Gramercy Five (1949-1950), and Woody Herman's Third Herd (1951-1952). He was with Les Brown in 1953 and a major soloist with Dave Pell's Octet (1953-1959). From 1956 on, Fagerquist worked as a staff musician for Paramount films although he still recorded jazz now and then with Pete Rugolo, Mel Tormé, and Art Pepper, among others. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi