ted nash

Ted Nash (b.1922) played tenor sax with the Les Brown Orchestra 1941-46, and with Billy May in the first half of the 50's. Then he switched mainly to alto sax and flutes in the LA studios.

He was a part of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra (Feb - March 1967) when Frank Zappa recorded the orchestral parts for "Lumpy Gravy".

random notes

2007 12
from: Lars Arnwald

Among all the LA session musicians FZ used on "Lumpy Gravy" there are a couple of real first call players. FZ's persuasive talents vs. Verve must have been at its best here, since this could not have been a low budget undertaking. Too bad he gets so little out of it. Of all that mumbled nonsense that's so predominant on some of his early records, "Lumpy Gravy" really is the WORST. Among these first call musicians I would like to mention one, Ted Nash. If one goes into detailed study of his name, he must have been at the very top shelf, if not the very top one.

There are (at least two) musicians called "Ted Nash".

The first one, Ted Nash (born in 1959) is the son of Dick Nash (b.1924), one of the greatest trombonists in LA ever. He's also the nephew of multi-reed man Ted Nash (b.1922). This is the one with "Lumpy Gravy". He played tenor sax with the Les Brown Orchestra 1941-46, and with Billy May in the first half of the 50's. Then he switched mainly to alto sax and flutes in the LA studios. Of the sessions the brothers Nash participated in, one can note that they're practically in ALL recordings, albums and movies, that Henry Mancini did in LA. Listen to Ted's screaming alto solo in "Peter Gunn Theme". Dick Nash is still active while the elder Ted retired in 1984 and now lives in Carmel, CA.

-- info: Charles Ulich & Lars Arnwald