Dick Nash

Dick Nash
Birth nameRichard Taylor Nash
Born (1928-01-26) January 26, 1928 (age 96)
Boston, Massachusetts
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentTrombone

Richard Taylor Nash (born January 26, 1928) is an American jazz trombonist most associated with the swing and big band genres.

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and began playing brass instruments at ten. He became more interested in this after his parents died, and he was sent to Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Vermont. At Kurn Hattin Homes, the first instruments he studied were the trumpet and bugle.[1] His first professional work came in 1947 with bands like that of Tex Beneke. He served in the California National Guard from 1950 to 1952 and played for a band.[2]

After his discharge from the military, he went back to Boston, where he attended Berklee College of Music.[3] He then joined Billy May's band. Later he became a first-call studio musician in Los Angeles, California.[4] He was composer, conductor Henry Mancini's favorite trombonist, and was featured soloist on several Mancini soundtracks, beginning with Mr. Lucky and Peter Gunn. Nash's trombone is featured on the Theme From Hatari! from the soundtrack for the John Wayne film (1962), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and Days of Wine and Roses. In 1959 he played bass trombone on Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics.

His brother was the saxophonist Ted Nash and he has three children, Ted, also a saxophonist, Nikki, and Bill.[5]

  1. ^ "Trombones Online". Trombonesonline.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Interview with Dick Nash", Hip-BoneMusic.com, page 4.
  3. ^ Davis, Michael (2012-08-01). "Dick Nash". Hip-Bone Music. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  4. ^ "Richard Taylor "Dick" Nash - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Interview with Dick Nash", Hip-BoneMusic.com, pages 4, 11, 12.