Bud Brisbois

Bud Brisbois
Bud Brisbois
	Brisbois in the late 60's
Background information
Birth name	Austin Dean Brisbois
Born	April 11, 1937; Edina, Minnesota, United States
Died	June 1978 (aged 41); Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Genres	Jazz, pop, rock, country, Motown
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Trumpet
Labels	AnB Records, Award Records

Bud Brisbois
Born	Edina
Nationality	United States of America
Genres	jazz
Instruments	trumpet

Austin Dean "Bud" Brisbois (April 11, 1937 – June 1978) was a jazz and studio trumpeter. He played jazz, pop, rock, country, Motown, and classical music.

Career[edit | edit source]

Brisbois was born in Edina, Minnesota and began studying the trumpet at age 12. He was mainly self-taught, and reportedly had most of his range before leaving high school. He briefly attended University of Minnesota before moving to Los Angeles, where he would live most of his life, when not touring. In September 1958 he joined Stan Kenton's orchestra, where he took over the "scream" parts written for Maynard Ferguson, in addition to playing much of the lead trumpet. Brisbois toured with Kenton's band until the early 60's, recording over 30 albums. Around 1963 he left Kenton to work in the Los Angeles recording studios.

Brisbois worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles from around 1963 to 1975, recording over a hundred albums. He worked with Herb Alpert, Tony Bennett, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond, Duke Ellington, The 5th Dimension, The Four Freshmen, Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Harry James, Henry Mancini, Dean Martin, Onzy Matthews, Billy May, The Monkees, Bonnie Raitt, Lou Rawls, Lalo Schifrin, Bud Shank, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, and Nancy Wilson. He played lead trumpet on the theme songs to Hawaii Five-O and The Jetsons.

In early 1973 Brisbois formed the rock group Butane, featuring himself as singer and trumpeter. They recorded a demo and played regular gigs over the next two years, at one point performing on the hit television show The Midnight Special but never secured a record contract and eventually disbanded.

In 1975, after the breakup of his second marriage, Brisbois had problems with manic depression from which he had suffered all his life. He quit the music business and moved to Beverly Hills, where for a time he worked as a Porsche salesman. In 1976 or 1977, he moved to Scottsdale, Arizona to be near his sister. Eventually he began playing again. When asked what inspired him, he replied, "I was driving down a freeway in LA and heard Claus Ogerman's Gate of Dreams album." Brisbois began teaching privately and worked with Grant Wolf and the Mesa Community College Jazz Band. In addition, he taught the trumpeters of the Musicians Union sponsored Young Sounds band. He performed in bands in Phoenix. In late May or early June 1978, he appeared as a guest with the jazz-rock group "Matrix" and commented, "I played as well as I have ever played." Less than a week later he committed suicide.