Don Goldie Jazz Trumpet

(February 5, 1930 – November 19, 1995)

Donald Elliott Goldfield was an American jazz trumpet player (February 5, 1930 – November 19, 1995).

In this retired trumpet players humble opinion, Don Goldie was the greatest trumpet player to never become famous. The greatest trumpet player to never become an acknowledged ‘STAR!!’.

Goldie was known professionally as ‘Don Goldie’ and occasionally also recorded and performed under the alias, ‘Billy Franklin’.

Don Goldie had a magnifcient full bodied, perfectly centered tone on trumpet. Goldie also had dazzling technical skills that were flawless. Plus, an endless supply of exceptionally beautiful lyrical musical ideas. Goldie’s understanding of all phases of musical theory were genius level. Every nuance of Don Goldie’s trumpet playing was effortless to the point of perfection.  Don Goldie’s trumpet playing is always elegant and is a consistent joy to listen to.  A short description of Don Goldie’s jazz improvisational skills on trumpet is ‘UPLIFTING!‘.

Goldie was born in Newark, New Jersey. His father was trumpeter Harry Goldfield, who played with Paul Whiteman in the 1920s and 1930s. His mother was Claire St. Claire, who was a concert pianist and a piano teacher for George Gershwin.

In early childhood, Goldie began learning piano, violin,  and then trumpet when he was ten years old. In 1948, at the age of 18, he began playing at the Riviera Club in Greenwich Village with a band led by Art Hodes and Willie “The Lion” Smith.

While still a young boy, Goldie had started learning the violin, the trumpet, and the piano, and he was good enough on the trumpet to earn a $1,000 scholarship to the New York Military Academy, and he later studied with New York Philharmonic member Nathan Prager. He was in the Army for three years, from 1951 through 1954, and rather than serving in combat was pressed into service on radio and television, helping to produce programs recruiting soldiers to serve in the Korean War. He relocated to Miami to join his mother after returning to civilian life, and appeared (and won an award) on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and with Dave Garraway.

Goldie performed on recordings as a featured trumpet soloists with major ‘big name’ jazz artists. These artists that Goldie recorded with include Ralph Burns, Neal Hefti, Gene Krupa, Earl Hines, and Buddy Rich. A series of four Jack Teagarden recordings on Roulette Records between 1959 and 1963 that featured Don Goldie received consistent critical acclaim.

Goldie also played for a short time in Louis Armstrong’s band in the middle of the 1950s.

Jazz Trombone star, Jack Teagarden was a huge fan of Don Goldie trumpet playing skills. Don Goldie was THE featured artist with Teagarden’s fine band for 4 1/2 years on frequent live performances between 1959 through 1963. Don Goldie also was featured on four critically acclaimed Jack Teagarden recordings as a sideman on the Roulette label.

As a leader, Don Goldie appeared on no less than 27 albums between 1960 and 1988. Goldie recorded at least 18 of these albums on his own label called ‘Jazz Forum’. The string of ‘Jazz Forum’ albums were ‘songbook’ recordings of a single, featured composer that was popular between 1925 and 1965.  The ‘Jazz Forum’ Don Goldie songbook albums are hard to find.  But, if you do, you will be rewarded with much listening pleasure.  Goldie’s performance of these famous compositions from the ‘Great American Songbook’ are sometimes quite creative in his intrepration. Goldie performs with a quartet on these fine recordings.  Don Goldie on trumpet and fluegelhorn.  The excellent rhythm section consisted of Jack Keller (piano), Mark Trail (bass), and Red Hawley (drums).    This rhythm section was the same Miami, Florida based grouping that consistently backed Goldie’s recordings as a leader in the 1970’s to the end of Goldie’s recording career in the 1980’s.

In 1959, “Downbeat Magazine’ awarded Don Goldie “Up and Coming Jazz Artist of the Year”…This article indicated: “As Downbeat Magazine so aptly put it, “Don Goldie is blessed with a big fat, beautiful tone, flawless technique, and an abundance of flowing musical ideas.” And, from the early to Mid-1960s, Playboy Magazine made regular flattering references to the musicianship of Don Goldie.  Between 1959 and 1965, Don Goldie established himself as a premier jazz trumpet player with a national reputation.

Around 1965, Don Goldie moved to Miami. Goldie became a regular member of the Jackie Gleason Orchestra on the popular variety TV show, the “Jackie Gleason Show’ which aired weekly broadcasts’ from the fall of 1966 through 1970 on CBS.

The Jackie Gleason Orchestra released a series of albums in the late 1960’s on Capital that were popular referred to as the ‘For Lovers Only’ series of recordings. Bobby Hacket was originally supposed to perform the featured solo jazz parts on cornet. However, when Hacket became gravely ill, Don Goldie stepped in and did a marvelous job covering the featured solo’s on trumpet.

In the late 1980s, diabetes began to take a serious toll on the health of Don Goldie. By the early 1990’s, the grave health implications of the disease caused Goldie to stop playing trumpet completely. Tragically Don Goldie committed suicide in 1995. Goldie’s remarkable talent as a top drawer jazz trumpet player had already faded into obscurity at the time of Goldie’s passing.

Don Goldie was one of the most talented (if not THE most talented) and notable jazz trumpet soloists during his entire professional career. However, Goldie never achieved the recognition he deserved despite some very visible ‘high profile’ gigs with major ‘super star’ jazz artists and a number of critically acclaimed recordings..

How could someone with such profound talent as Don Goldie not have become a household name in the world of jazz? Why did Don Goldie evolve into such an unheralded and underrated jazz trumpet player? This author can only speculate the reasons why.
1. Don Goldie was a master interpreter of classic, jazz standards. And, his style of play heavily gravitated towards Dixieland. By the mid to late 1960’s, Dixieland jazz as well as popular music composed prior to 1960 began to fall out of favor.
2. Don Goldie was not a composer of note. Goldie recorded few ….perhaps only one of his own compositions and Goldie’s musical style did not evolve into performing jazz musical styles with an ‘electro-centric’ or ‘free form theme that began to popularly evolve in the mid-1960’s.
3. By the mid-1960’s, perhaps the jazz listening public as well as jazz critics considered Don Goldie’s style of trumpet playing was ‘less than creative’ and possibly boring to listen to.
4. Rather than moving to the major ‘jazz markets’ of New York and Las Angeles, Don Goldie settled into the then, ‘small music market’ community of Miami, Florida in the early 1960’s.
5. Don Goldie did not enjoy major record label sponsorship for his over 25 fine recordings as a leader.
6. Did Goldie have personal demons and/or personality issues that caused Goldie to be not as popularly marketable as he might have been? Goldie took his own life in 1995 in Miami.
Don Goldie Television Interview in his adopted Miami, Florida Hometown dated December 3rd, 1977>

Don Goldie Discography:

AS LEADER:

• Brilliant!: the Trumpet of Don Goldie (1960, Argo 4010)
• Trumpet Caliente (Argo, 1963)
• Trumpet Exodus (Verve, 1962)
• Mixed Bag (Jazz Forum, 1975)
• The Best of Lerner & Loewe (Jazz Forum, 1977-1982)
• The Best of Richard Rodgers and Isham Jones (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• The Immortal Cole Porter (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• The Best of George & Ira Gershwin (Jazz Forum, 197-19828)
• Don Goldie’s Dangerous Jazz Band (Jazzology, 1988) – Same recordings as Jazz Express – Don Goldie (Jazzology J-135 1980)
• All That Jazz – Don Goldie – Lords of Dixieland
• Don Goldie – “Reflections” complete 1978 album
• Best of Bacharach – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• Best of Irving Berlin – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• Best of Jimmy McHugh – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982 CM 1085)
• Don Goldie With The Sir Douglas Quintet (Crazy Cajun 1978)
• Jazz Express – Don Goldie (Jazzology J-135 1980)
• Best of Jimmy Van Huesen – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• Best of Rogers & Hammerstein – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• Duke Ellington’s Best – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• 24 Karat Gold – The Trumpet of Don Goldie (Hurrah Records)
• Ellington Revisited – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982)
• Blowin’ Sunshine – The Don Goldie Band
• Sound Off – Jazz Tone Band led by Don Goldie (Jazz Forum-1982 CM 1089)
• Reflections – Don Goldie – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982 CM 2025)
• Best of Jimmy McHugh – Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982 CM 1085)
• Best of Jerome Kern- Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982 CM 1077)
• Best Of Hoagy Carmichael- Don Goldie (Jazz Forum, 1978-1982 CM 1078)
• The Golden Horn Of Billy Franklin – (Don Goldie) (International Award Series, 1962 – AK-192)

AS SIDEMAN (Short, Incomplete List):

• • Jackie Gleason, Romeo and Juliet (Capitol, 1969)
  • Jackie Gleason, Come Saturday Morning (Capitol, 1970)
  • Buddy Rich, Playtime (Argo, 1961)
  • Buddy Rich, Burnin’ Beat (Verve, 1962)
  • Sylvia Syms, Torch Song (Columbia, 1960)
  • Jack Teagarden, Mis’ry and the Blues (Verve, 1961)
  • Jack Teagarden, Think Well of Me (Verve, 1962)
  • Jack Teagarden, Live in Chicago 1960 & 1961 (Jazz Band, 1993)
  • Jack Teagarden Portrait of Mr T  (Roulette, 1962

????YouTube Recordings????

“High Society” from The World of Jack Teagarden 1960 – Don Goldie Trumpet
Recorded – January 2 and 25, 1960 (Roulette R-25119 (US)
This is arguably the most spectacular jazz trumpet performance that Don Goldie ever recorded.
Goldie’s virtuosity on this track is beyond compare.

Jack Teagarden – Trombone
Don Goldie – Trumpet
Henry Cuesta – Clarinet
Don Ewell – Piano
Stan Puls – Bass
Ronnie Greb – Drums

“Indiana”  – Don Goldie (Performing under the alias, “Billy Franklin”)
From the 1964 recording entitled ‘The Golden Horn Of Billy Franklin’
Another virtuoso, but highly musical performance by Don Goldie

Personnel:
Billy Franklin – Trumpet and Leader (Don Goldie performing under the alias, Billy Franklin)
Clarinet – Hank D’Amico
Trombone – Harry Divito
Piano – Johnny Varro
Bass – Whitey Mitchell
Drums – Mousey Alexander

“I Can’t Get Started” – Don Goldie
Goldie provides an exceptional performance on Jack Teagarden’s Album:
A PORTRAIT OF MR. T. (Roulette 1961)

“Marbles” – From Buddy Rich & His Buddies – ‘Playtime’
1961 UMG Recordings, Inc and Argo
Goldie plays a great hard bop solo at the 00:33 mark with harmon mute early on.
Sam Most on flute and Mike Mainiere on Vibes are marvelous as well.
This is a Sam Most composition.  Changes remind me of Sweet Georgia Brown

Personnel:
Buddy Rich – Leader and Drums
Don Goldie – Trumpet
Sam Most – Flute
Mike Mainiere – Vibraphone
Johnny Morris – Piano
Wilbur Wynne – Guitar
Richard Evans – Bass

Jack Teagarden – Jazz Maverick ( Full Album ) – Don Goldie Trumpet
Recorded – January 2 and 25, 1960 (Roulette R-25119 (US)

Jack Teagarden – Trombone
Don Goldie – Trumpet
Henry Cuesta – Clarinet
Don Ewell – Piano
Stan Puls – Bass
Ronnie Greb – Drums
…………………………………………………………..
0:00 Ever Lovin’ Baby
2:29 Aunt Hagar’s Country Home
6:39 High Society
11:02 Blue Dawn
14:31 Riverboat Shuffle
20:45 Roundtable Romp
23:25 Ain’t ‘Cha Glad
27:54 A Hundred Years From Today
33:15 Tin Roof Blues

The following tracks are particularly noteworthy:
6:39 High Society – Although this entire recording is wonderful, Goldie’s performance on “High Society” is JAW-DROPPING!
33:15 Tin Roof Blues

Brilliant! (Full Album)- Don Goldie on Trumpet
This is Goldie’s first album as a leader under his real name.
This is an Argo Album that was released in 1960.

In June 1960, Goldie recorded Brilliant! The Trumpet of Don Goldie for Chicago’s Argo label and was recorded in Chicago at Tari-Mar Studio’s.
The entire rhythm section was outstanding on this recording. Eddie Higgins was a brilliant pianist who at the time led a trio at Chicago’s London House. Fred Rundquist was a member of the Art Van Damme Quintet. Richard Evans was a top bass player in Chicago who morphed into the Producer/Arranger for Cadet Records. 70’s and 80’s Evans continued to record as a bassist, as well as producing and arranging hits for among artists that included Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson and Ahmad Jamal. Evans also went on to become a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.And, to cap things off rhythmically, Jimmy Cobb was Miles Davis’s drummer.
The tracks are:
A1 Soon 3:02
A2 I’ll Be Around 2:58
A3 Hand Me Down My Walkin’ Blues 2:22
A4 Someday You’ll Be Sorry 3:29
A5 Look For The Silver Lining 2:54
B1 Struttin’ With Some Barbecue 3:35
B2 Tis Autumn 4:00
B3 Toy Trumpet 3:17
B4 Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans 2:40
B5 They Didn’t Believe Me 3:49

The following tracks are particularly noteworthy:
A1 Soon 3:02
A3 Hand Me Down My Walkin’ Blues 2:22 (Great Harmon Mute Trumpet Sound)
A4 Someday You’ll Be Sorry 3:29
A5 Look For The Silver Lining 2:54 (Great Harmon Mute Trumpet Sound)
B1 Struttin’ With Some Barbecue 3:35 (Great Cup Mute Trumpet Sound)
B3 Toy Trumpet 3:17
B5 They Didn’t Believe Me 3:49

Personnel:
Don Goldie – Leader – Trumpet
Eddie Higgins – Piano
Richard Evans – Bass
Fred Rundquist – Guitar
Jimmy Cobb – Drums

Jack Teagarden – At The Roundtable ( Full Album ) – Don Goldie Trumpet
1959 – Roulette – RL 25091

A1 South Rampart Street Parade 0:00
A2 St. James Infirmary 5:54
A3 Big Noise From Winetka 12:19
A4 When 16:01
B1 St. Louis Blues 19:29
B2 Honeysuckle Rose 25:21
B3 Stardust 29:44
B4 When The Saints Go Marching In 33:05
…………………………………………………………..
Personnel:
Jack Teagarden – Trombone and Leader
Don Goldie – Trumpet
Henry Cuesta – Clarinet
Don Ewell – Piano
Stan Puls – Acoustic Bass
Ronnie Greb – Drums
Vocals – Don Goldie, Jack Teagarden

Trumpet Caliente – Don Goldie (Complete Album Playlist)
Argo Jazz – LP 708 – 1963

Direct YouTube Playlist URL:
Trumpet Caliente
Tracklist:
A1 Nightingale
A2 Fast Thought
A3 I Hear A Rhapsody
B1 Shiny Stockings
B2 Goldie’s Thing
B3 There Will Never Be Another You
………………………………………………………………..
The following tracks are particularly noteworthy:
A1 Nightingale
B3 There Will Never Be Another You
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Trumpet and Leader
Alto Sax and Flute – Leo Wright
Barry Galbraith – Guitar
Patti Bown – Piano
Ben Tucker – Bass
Eddie Shaughnessy – Drums
Willie Rodriguez – Percussion
Ray Barretto – Congas
Arrangements – Manny Album

Don Goldie – “Reflections” complete rare 1978 album

Tracklist:
1. When Sunny Gets Blue
2. Dream a Little Dream of Me
3. The Good Life
4. Blue Velvet
5. Try to Remember
6. If I Had You
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Trumpet and Leader
Dick Shepp – Guitar

All That Jazz – Lords of Dixieland – Don Goldie (Complete Album Playlist on YouTube)

Tracklist:
A1 Dinah 6:01
A2 Goody Goody 4:10
A3 Sister Kate 5:45
B1 Chinatown 4:34
B2 Confessin’ That I Love You 6:25
B3 Baby Won’t You Please Come Home 5:25
………………………………………………………………..
The following track is particularly noteworthy:
B1 Chinatown 4:34
………………………………………………………………
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Leader – Trumpet and Vocal
Sonny Dunham-Trombone
Ernie Goodson-Clarinet
Jack Keller-Piano
Mark Trail-Bass
Red Hawley-Drums

“You’re out Walking the Streets Tonight”
Don Goldie and the Sir Douglas Quintet
Goldie plays Rock and Roll in a ‘GROOVY’ manner with a plunger mute

“Bullfighter” (LaVirgen De La Macarena) 1978
Don Goldie and the Sir Douglas Quintet
Goldie goes Latin in a very groovy Arturo Sandoval manner

“The Tracker” 1978
Don Goldie and the Sir Douglas Quintet
Goldie goes Rock and Roll again in a very groovy manner with plunger mute

Best of Irving Berlin – Don Goldie – Complete Album Playlist On YouTube
Jazz Forum – 1978
Don Goldie plays both trumpet and fluegelhorn  on this recording.
This is a wonderful recording through and through with a solid modern jazz feel.

Direct YouTube Playlist URL:
Tracklist:
A1 Blue Skies 3:16
A2 Alexander’s Ragtime Band 6:37
A3 Easter Parade 5:27 (Goldie on Fluegelhorn)
B1 Cheek To Cheek 4:42
B2 How Deep Is The Ocean 6:26
B3 A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody 3:41
……………………………………………………………………….
Note Worthy Track:
A2 Alexander’s Ragtime Band 6:37 (A marvelous, and unusual blues/bebop style interpretation of this old Dixieland Standard.)
……………………………………………………………….
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Trumpet | Fluegelhorn and Leader
Piano – Jack Keller
Bass – Mark Trail
Drums – Red Hawley

Best of Bacharach – Don Goldie – Complete Album Playlist
Jazz Forum – 1978
Don Goldie plays both trumpet and fluegelhorn on this recording

Direct YouTube Playlist URL:
Tracklist:
A1 Close To You 3:00
A2 This Guys In Love With You 3:47
A3 I’ll Never Fall In Love Again 3:21
A4 Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head 2:50
B1 Do You Know The Way Top San Jose 1:32
B2 The Look Of Love 6:01 (Fluegelhorn)
B3 Alfie 3:41
B4 Wives and Lovers 02:29
B5 What The World Needs Now 2:56
……………………………………………………………………….
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Trumpet | Fluegelhorn and Leader
Piano – Jack Keller
Bass – Mark Trail
Drums – Red Hawley

Don Goldie’s Dangerous Jazz Band (Complete Album Playlist On YouTube)
THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING RECORDING

This is 14 track album is the last recording that Don Goldie released on the Jazzology label in 1988 as a CD. It is a repackaged version of the original packaged in vinyl as “Jazz Express” – Don Goldie (Jazzology J-135 1980)
The tracks are:
Hindustan, Creole Love Song, Riverboat Shuffle, Emmaline, Swing That Music, Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet, St. James Infirmary, Wolverine Blues, I’m Coming, Virginia, Limehouse Blues, When A Woman Loves A Man, Jeepers Creepers, I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody), and Floatin’ Down to Cotton Town.
The following tracks are particularly impressive:
01 – Hindustan
03 – Riverboat Shuffle
05 – Swing That Music
06 – Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet
10 – Limehouse Blues (OUTSTANDING)
14 – Floatin’ Down To Cotton Town

The direct YouTube link to view this entire Playlist is:
Don Goldie’s Dangerous Jazz Band
Personnel:
Don Goldie – Leader – Trumpet and Vocal
Hank Bredenberg-Trombone
Ernie Goodson-Clarinet
Jack Keller-Piano
Mark Trail-Bass
Red Hawley-Drums