Don Rader (musician)

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Don Rader was an American jazz trumpet player known for his work with big bands, his own groups, and his teaching. He was born on October 21, 1935, in Rochester, Pennsylvania, and started playing trumpet at age five, taught by his father. He studied at Sam Houston State Teachers College and served in the Navy in the 1950s, playing in the band.

Rader went on to play and arrange for major bandleaders, including Woody Herman (1959–1961), Maynard Ferguson (1961–1963), and Count Basie (1963–1964). He also performed with Louie Bellson, Harry James, Terry Gibbs, Frank Foster, Henry Mancini, Les Brown (1967–1972), and Stan Kenton.

He toured with famous singers and acts such as Della Reese, Sarah Vaughan, Andy Williams, Percy Faith, Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lewis (he worked with Jerry Lewis intermittently for about 28 years), and Bob Hope (also intermittently for 28 years, including five wartime Vietnam tours).

In 1972, Rader formed a quintet in Los Angeles and continued to perform with West Coast jazz musicians like Lanny Morgan, Lew Tabackin, and Toshiko Akiyoshi. He recorded as a leader and spent many years in music education, including work in Australia in the 1980s.

Don Rader died on April 18, 2023, at the age of 87.