Don Lusher OBE (6 November 1923[1] – 5 July 2006) was an English jazz and big band trombonist best known for his association with the Ted Heath Big Band. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he played trombone with a number of jazz orchestras and bands and was twice President of the British Trombone Society.
Lusher was born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England,[1] and started playing the trombone aged six years old in his local Salvation Army band, the third generation of his family to do so. During World War II, he served as a gunner signaller in the Royal Artillery.[2]
After the war, he became a professional musician, playing with the bands of Joe Daniels (his first professional job on £12-a-week), Lou Preager, Maurice Winnick, the Squadronaires, Jack Parnell and, lastly, the Ted Heath Big Band.[1][3]
Lusher spent nine years as lead trombone with Ted Heath's Orchestra and toured the United States with him on five occasions.[1] Ted Heath died in 1969. After several attempts to revive the band, Don took over the leadership in 1976 at the request of Ted Heath's widow, Moira. He led the 'Ted Heath Tribute Orchestra' throughout the 1980s and 1990s until its sold-out final concert at the Royal Festival Hall in December 2000. He also led the trombone section during many of Frank Sinatra's European tours.[1] In 1975 he gave the first performance of Gordon Langford's Rhapsody for Trombone at London's Royal Albert Hall, and went on to perform it around the world. He also premiered works by Gareth Woods (Dance Sequence) and Gordon Carr's Concerto for Trombone.[4]
Lusher formó su propio conjunto, la Don Lusher Big Band. También actuó con la Manhattan Sound Big Band, con Alexis Korner y varios músicos de sesión en el grupo big band-rock fusión CCS , y fue miembro fundador del grupo Best of British Jazz desde la década de 1970 en adelante. [5] [4]
Pasó algunos años como profesor del Royal College of Music antes de convertirse en profesor de trombón en la Royal Marines School of Music de Portsmouth en 1997, cargo del que se jubiló en 2004 .
En 2001, grabó un álbum con el sello Decca con Kenny Ball , Acker Bilk , John Chilton and the Feetwarmers, John Dankworth , Humphrey Lyttelton y George Melly . Se tituló British Jazz Legends Together . [5]
En 1993 se le concedió el estatus de Freeman de la City de Londres y en 2002 Lusher recibió un OBE por sus servicios a la industria musical. La Don Lusher Big Band realizó su último concierto en 2007. [7]
Don Lusher se casó por primera vez con Eileen Orchard, una cantante de la banda de baile de Lou Preager . Se volvió a casar con su segunda esposa, Diana, tras la muerte de Eileen. Lusher murió en Cheam en 2006 a la edad de 82 años. Le sobreviven sus dos hijos de su primer matrimonio y un hijastro del segundo. [8]