Jack Nimitz


Jack Nimitz was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, nicknamed "The Admiral" - a reference to Chester Nimitz.

Career

A native of Washington, D.C., Nimitz started on clarinet in his early teens before playing alto saxophone. During the 1950s he played baritone saxophone with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Herbie Mann. He continued to play in big bands in the 1960s with Terry Gibbs and Gerald Wilson in addition to working in film and leading a quintet.
Nimitz was a founding member of Supersax in the early 1970s and remained with the band into the 1990s. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a member of big bands led by Oliver Nelson and Bill Berry. He performed in the sextet of Frank Strazzeri and the sextet of Bud Shank in the 1990s. In 1997 he worked with Buddy Childers at the PizzaExpress Jazz Club in London.
A studio musician for much of his life, Nimitz recorded his first album as leader in the 1990s.

Death

The Jack Nimitz Quintet played its final performance on May 10, 2009, in Northridge, California. Nimitz died in Los Angeles at the age of 79 from complications due to emphysema.

Discography

As leader

  • Live at the Royal Palms Inn Volume 8 with Buddy Childers
  • Confirmation
  • ''Live at Capozzoli's''

    As sideman

With Terry Gibbs
  • The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band
  • Explosion!
  • Flying Home
  • The Big Cat
With Woody Herman
  • The Woody Herman Band! Part 1
  • The Woody Herman Band! Part 3
  • Road Band!
  • The Woody Herman Band!
  • Woody Herman
With Stan Kenton
With Steuart Liebig
  • No Train
  • Antipodes
With Shelly Manne
  • My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast
  • Manne–That's Gershwin!
With Mark Murphy
  • Playing the Field
With Oliver Nelson
  • Sound Pieces
  • Live from Los Angeles
  • Stolen Moments
With Lalo Schifrin
  • Music from Mission: Impossible
  • Mannix
  • Bullitt
With Diane Schuur
  • Timeless
  • Pure Schuur
  • In Tribute
With Bud Shank
  • Bud Shank & the Sax Section
  • New Gold!
  • Plays Harold Arlen
With Supersax
  • Supersax Plays Bird
  • Salt Peanuts Supersax Plays Bird, Volume 2
  • Supersax Plays Bird with Strings
  • Chasin' the Bird
  • Dynamite !!
  • Supersax & L.A. Voices Volume 2
  • Stone Bird
With Gerald Wilson
  • You Better Believe It!
  • Moment of Truth
  • Portraits
  • On Stage
  • Feelin' Kinda Blues
  • The Golden Sword
  • Lomelin
  • Jessica
  • State Street Sweet
  • Theme for Monterey
With others