Vibrant Jazz Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson

Mr. Ferguson was born May 4, 1928, in the Montreal suburb of Verdun. His mother was a professional violinist and teacher who helped introduce music to the Montreal schools. His father was a high school principal who stored musical instruments in the basement.

"I used to go down there with my brother, and they became our favorite toys," Mr. Ferguson said in 1997. "We used to play oboe and clarinet duets together."

He played the piano and violin by age 4. He was 9 when he became entranced by the trumpet and entered the French Conservatory of Music in Montreal. By 13, he had made his debut as a soloist with the Canadian Broadcasting Co. orchestra. He later dropped out of school to pursue jazz, first playing in a group led by his brother that featured another Montreal native on piano, Oscar Peterson.

After leading groups in Montreal and Toronto and opening for visiting American jazz stars such as Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie, Mr. Ferguson moved to the United States in 1948 and worked in bands led by Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey and Charlie Barnet. He made the first of more than 60 albums as a leader in 1950, when he was with Kenton.

Mr. Ferguson's all-out style -- something between high art and a high-wire act -- amazed listeners at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 and led to a series of well-received recordings. But as rock-and-roll gained a foothold in the 1960s, he retreated to Upstate New York and became interested in the consciousness-raising experiments of his neighbor, Timothy Leary.

Mr. Ferguson moved to England in 1967, then spent a year in India, teaching music and exploring various spiritual ideas. During his later years, he spent six weeks a year in India and sometimes credited yoga with giving him the energy to hit high notes on his trumpet.

He returned to the United States in 1973 and eventually settled in Ojai, Calif., where he lived for more than 25 years. In 1976, he performed at the closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Besides the trumpet, Mr. Ferguson played the trombone, piano, euphonium, clarinet and saxophone. He also found time to compose music and design musical instruments and mouthpieces. He invented two hybrid instruments called the firebird (a combination of valve and slide trumpet) and the superbone (a combination of valve and slide trombone).

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Florence Ferguson; and five children.

Asked how he developed his amazing high-note technique, Mr. Ferguson attributed it to "innocence, instinct and a touch of ignorance."