Bob Day

Bob Day (trumpeter, flugelhorn,  composer) was born in Toronto on 27 Aug 1946, and passed away in Calgary 9 Sep 2007. The son of flutist Gordon Day, Bob Day studied trumpet 1961-8 with Don Johnson, attended the Berklee School of Music in 1966, and studied arranging and composition 1967-73 with Gordon Delamont in Toronto. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra 1964-5. In New York, he studied trumpet 1968-72 with Carmine Caruso and in 1986 with Bob Brookmeyer. Bob also performed with Brookmeyer as a soloist at the 1984 Edmonton Jazz Festival.  Bob Day worked as a studio musician in Toronto 1969-76 and was a member of theO’Keefe Centre Orchestra 1963-75, backing up singers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett,  as well as playing in the Paul Anka Orchestra on tour in 1968.

Moving to Western Canada, he performed with various bands in Vancouver 1976-82 such as Bobby Hales Big Band, Pacific Salt, Paul Horn and his own trio with Oliver Gannon and Torben Oxbol, and was artist-in-residence at Medicine Hat College 1982. He then established himself in Calgary playing with the Bob Erlendson Quintet, the Eric Friedenberg, as well as his own quintet, which has been an outlet for his own compositions. He was a member of the Boss Brass 1968-75, and of big bands and jazz groups led by Bob Erlendson, Bobby Hales and Phil Nimmons. Bob Day composed extensively for his own jazz groups – eg, the Nonet Brass on Fire in Calgary – and had his Desert Walk performed by the Canadian Brass. He appeared often at the Calgary Jazz Festival.

Bob Day taught at Mount Royal College Conservatory in Calgary from 1986 until his death.