Nick Travis

Nick Travis (b. Nov. 16, 1925, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - d. Oct. 7, 1964, New York City) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Travis started playing professionally at age 15, playing in the early 1940s with Johnny McGhee, Vido Musso (1942), Mitch Ayres, and Woody Herman (1942–44). In 1944 he joined the military; after his service he played with Ray McKinley (1946–50, intermittent), Benny Goodman (1948–49), Gene Krupa, Ina Ray Hutton, Tommy Dorsey, Tex Beneke, Herman once more (1950–51), Jerry Gray, Bob Chester, Elliot Lawrence, and Jimmy Dorsey (1952–53). From 1953-56 he was a soloist in the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. After this he became a session musician for NBC, but played with Gerry Mulligan (1960–62) and Thelonious Monk (1963, at Lincoln Center).

Most of Travis's work was in big bands, but he also played in small ensembles with Al Cohn (1953) and Zoot Sims (1956). He led one session for Victor Records in 1954.

In 1964, Travis died at age 38 as a result of complications from ulcers.

Discography

With Bob Brookmeyer

• Brookmeyer (Vik, 1956)
• Portrait of the Artist (Atlantic, 1960)
• Gloomy Sunday and Other Bright Moments (Verve, 1961)

With Al Cohn

• Al Cohn's Tones (Savoy, 1953 [1956])
• Four Brass One Tenor (RCA Victor, 1955)

With Art Farmer

• The Aztec Suite (United Artists, 1959)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Carnegie Hall Concert (Verve, 1961)
• Perceptions (Verve, 1961)

With Benny Golson

• Take a Number from 1 to 10 (Argo, 1961)

With Jimmy Giuffre

• The Music Man (Atlantic, 1958)

With Quincy Jones

• The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones (Mercury, 1959)

With John Lewis

• Essence (Atlantic, 1962)

With Mark Murphy

• That's How I Love the Blues! (Riverside, 1962)

With Joe Newman

• Salute to Satch (RCA Victor, 1956)

With Zoot Sims

• Zoot! (Riverside, 1956)

With Own Quintet

• The Panic Is On! (Hallmark, 1990)

References

• Scott Yanow, Nick Travis at Allmusic