{{short description|American jazz saxophonist (1930–2009)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Jack Nimitz | image = | birth_name = Jerome Nimitz | birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|1|11}} | birth_place = Washington, D.C. | death_date = {{death date and age|2009|6|10 |1930|1|11 |mf=yes}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician | instrument = Baritone saxophone | years_active = 1949–1990s }}
'''Jack Nimitz''' (January 11, 1930 – June 10, 2009) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, nicknamed "The Admiral"<ref name="New Grove"/> - a reference to Chester Nimitz.
==Career== A native of Washington, D.C., Nimitz started on clarinet in his early teens before playing alto saxophone.<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book |last1=Koch |first1=Lawrence |last2=Kernfeld |first2=Barry |editor1-last=Kernfeld |editor1-first=Barry |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz |date=2002 |publisher=Grove's Dictionaries |location=New York |isbn=1-56159-284-6 |page=156|volume=3 |edition=2 }}</ref><ref name="Yanow">{{cite web |last1=Yanow |first1=Scott |title=Jack Nimitz |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jack-nimitz-mn0000102624/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref> During the 1950s he played baritone saxophone with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Herbie Mann.<ref name="New Grove" /> 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.<ref name="New Grove" />
Nimitz was a founding member of Supersax in the early 1970s and remained with the band into the 1990s.<ref name="New Grove" /> During the 1980s and 1990s he was a member of big bands led by Oliver Nelson and Bill Berry.<ref name="New Grove" /> He performed in the sextet of Frank Strazzeri and the sextet of Bud Shank in the 1990s.<ref name="New Grove" /> In 1997 he worked with Buddy Childers at the PizzaExpress Jazz Club in London.<ref name="New Grove" />
A studio musician for much of his life, Nimitz recorded his first album as leader in the 1990s.<ref name="New Grove" /><ref name="Yanow" />
==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.<ref name="Ricci">{{cite web|last1=Ricci|first1=Michael|title=Jack Nimitz Baritone Sax Player Dies|url=https://news.allaboutjazz.com/jack-nimitz-baritone-sax-player-dies.php|website=All About Jazz|access-date=28 November 2017|date=16 June 2009}}</ref>
==Discography==
===As leader=== * ''Live at the Royal Palms Inn Volume 8'' with Buddy Childers (Woofy, 1994) * ''Confirmation'' (Fresh Sound, 1995) * ''Live at Capozzoli's'' (Woofy Productions, 1997)
==As sideman== '''With Terry Gibbs''' * ''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band'' (Verve, 1961) * ''Explosion!'' (Mercury, 1962) * ''Flying Home (Volume 3)'' (Contemporary, 1988) * ''The Big Cat (Volume 5)'' (Contemporary, 1991)
'''With Woody Herman''' * ''The Woody Herman Band! Part 1'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''The Woody Herman Band! Part 3'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''Road Band!'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''The Woody Herman Band!'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''Woody Herman'' (Metro, 1965)
'''With Stan Kenton''' * ''Kenton in Hi-Fi'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Songs for Hip Lovers'' (Verve, 1957) * ''Road Show'' with June Christy and The Four Freshmen (Capitol, 1959) * ''Standards in Silhouette'' (Verve, 1960) * ''Artistry in Bossa Nova'' (Capitol, 1963) * ''Kenton / Wagner'' (Capitol, 1964) * ''Hair'' (Capitol, 1969)
'''With Steuart Liebig''' * ''No Train'' (Cadence, 1997) * ''Antipodes'' (Cadence, 2000)
'''With Shelly Manne''' * ''My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast'' (Capitol, 1964) * ''Manne–That's Gershwin!'' (Capitol, 1965)
'''With Mark Murphy'''
* ''Playing the Field'' (Capitol, 1960)
'''With Oliver Nelson''' * ''Sound Pieces'' (Impulse!, 1966) * ''Live from Los Angeles'' (Impulse!, 1967) * ''Stolen Moments'' (East Wind, 1975)
'''With Lalo Schifrin''' * ''Music from Mission: Impossible'' (Dot, 1967) * ''Mannix'' (Paramount, 1968) * ''Bullitt'' (Warner Bros., 1968)
'''With Diane Schuur''' * ''Timeless'' (GRP, 1986) * ''Pure Schuur'' (GRP, 1991) * ''In Tribute'' (GRP, 1992)
'''With Bud Shank''' * ''Bud Shank & the Sax Section'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * ''New Gold!'' (Candid, 1994) * ''Plays Harold Arlen'' (Jimco, 1995)
'''With Supersax''' * ''Supersax Plays Bird'' (Capitol, 1973) * ''Salt Peanuts Supersax Plays Bird, Volume 2'' (Capitol, 1974) * ''Supersax Plays Bird with Strings'' (Capitol, 1975) * ''Chasin' the Bird'' (MPS, 1977) * ''Dynamite !!'' (MPS, 1979) * ''Supersax & L.A. Voices Volume 2'' (CBS, 1984) * ''Stone Bird'' (Columbia, 1988)
'''With Gerald Wilson''' * ''You Better Believe It!'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) * ''Moment of Truth'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * ''Portraits'' (Pacific Jazz, 1964) * ''On Stage'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * ''Feelin' Kinda Blues'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * ''The Golden Sword'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * ''Lomelin'' (Discovery, 1981) * ''Jessica'' (Trend, 1983) * ''State Street Sweet'' (MAMA, 1995) * ''Theme for Monterey'' (MAMA, 1997)
'''With others''' * Gene Ammons, ''Free Again'' (Prestige, 1971) * Paul Anka, ''The Music Man'' (United Artists, 1977) * Gabe Baltazar, ''Stan Kenton Presents Gabe Baltazar'' (Creative World, 1979) * The Beach Boys, ''15 Big Ones'' (Reprise, 1976) * Max Bennett, ''Max Bennett Vol. II'' (Bethlehem, 1957) * Bill Berry, ''Hot & Happy'' (Beez Beez 1974) * Bill Berry, ''Hello Rev'' (Concord Jazz, 1976) * Ralph Burns, ''In the Mood'' (Atlantic, 1987) * Kenny Burrell, ''Both Feet on the Ground'' (Fantasy, 1973) * Frank Capp, ''In a Hefti Bag'' (Concord Jazz, 1995) * Captain & Tennille, ''Song of Joy'' (A&M, 1976) * June Christy, Bob Cooper, ''Do-Re-Mi'' (Capitol, 1961) * June Christy, ''Big Band Specials'' (Capitol, 1962) * Stanley Clarke, ''School Days'' (Nemperor, 1976) * Nat King Cole, ''L-O-V-E'' (Capitol, 1965) * Natalie Cole, ''Unforgettable with Love'' (Elektra, 1991) * Dick Collins, ''Horn of Plenty'' (RCA, 1955) * Dick Collins, ''King Richard the Swing Hearted'' (RCA Victor, 1955) * Judy Collins, ''Hard Times for Lovers'' (Elektra, 1979) * Willis Conover, ''House of Sounds'' (Brunswick, 1954) * Ron Davies, ''U. F. O.'' (A&M, 1973) * Neil Diamond, ''Beautiful Noise'' (Columbia, 1976) * João Donato, ''A Bad Donato'' (Blue Thumb, 1970) * Cass Elliot, ''Cass Elliot'' (RCA Victor, 1972) * Michael Feinstein, ''Isn't It Romantic'' (Elektra, 1988) * Michael Feinstein, ''Forever'' (Elektra, 1993) * Allyn Ferguson, ''Pictures at an Exhibition'' (Framed in Jazz Aeva 1963) * Clare Fischer, ''Extension'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963) * Clare Fischer, ''Whose Woods Are These?'' (Discovery, 1984) * Clare Fischer, ''Blues Trilogy'' (Discovery, 1987) * Gil Fuller, ''Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie'' (Pacific Jazz, 1965) * Urbie Green & Nat Pierce, ''Old Time Modern'' (Vanguard, 1973) * Johnny "Hammond" Smith, ''Forever Taurus'' (Milestone, 1976) * Herbie Hancock, ''Sunlight'' (Columbia, 1978) * Gene Harris, ''Tribute to Count Basie'' (Concord Jazz, 1988) * Johnny Hartman, ''Unforgettable'' (Impulse!, 1995) * Bill Holman, ''Bill Holman's Great Big Band'' (Capitol, 1960) * Richard Holmes, ''Six Million Dollar Man'', (RCA/Flying Dutchman, 1975) * Shirley Horn, ''Shirley Horn with Strings Here's to Life'' (Verve, 1992) * Milt Jackson, ''The Impulse Years'' (ABC/Impulse!, 1974) * Milt Jackson, ''Bags' Groove'' (Quintessence Jazz Series 1979) * Quincy Jones, ''This Is How I Feel About Jazz'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * Quincy Jones, ''The Color Purple'' (Qwest, 1986) * Quincy Jones, ''Q's Jook Joint'' (Qwest/Warner Bros., 1995) * Earl Klugh, ''Finger Paintings'' (Blue Note, 1977) * Peggy Lee, ''Mirrors'' (A&M, 1975) * Vic Lewis, ''Presents a Celebration of Contemporary West Coast Jazz'' (Candid, 1994) * Jon Lucien, ''Premonition'' (Columbia, 1976) * Harvey Mandel, ''Righteous'' (Philips, 1969) * Johnny Mandel, ''The Jazz Soul of Porgy and Bess'' (NEC Avenue 1990) * Herbie Mann, ''Sultry Serenade'' (Riverside, 1958) * Herbie Mann, ''Let Me Tell You'' (Milestone, 1973) * Teena Marie, ''Emerald City'' (Epic, 1986) * Letta Mbulu, ''There's Music in the Air'' (A&M, 1977) * Les McCann, ''Les McCann Sings'' (Pacific Jazz, 1961) * Les McCann, ''Oh Brother!'' (Fontana, 1964) * Jimmy McCracklin, ''The Stinger Man'' (Minit, 1969) * Carmen McRae, ''Can't Hide Love'' (Blue Note, 1976) * Don Menza, ''Burnin' '' (M&K Realtime, 1981) * Charles Mingus, ''Mingus at Monterey'' (Jazz Workshop, 1965) * Sammy Nestico, ''Dark Orchid'' (Dark Orchid, 1981) * Sammy Nestico, ''Night Flight'' (Sea Breeze, 1986) * Anita O'Day, ''Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May'' (Verve, 1991) * Charlie Parker, ''One Night in Washington'' (Elektra, Musician, 1982) * Bill Perkins, ''On Stage'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956) * Bill Perkins, ''Our Man Woody'' (Jazz Mark, 1991) * Nat Pierce, Dick Collins, Charlie Mariano, ''The Nat Pierce-Dick Collins Nonet/the Charlie Mariano Sextet'' (Fantasy, 1956) * Prince, ''Parade'' (Paisley Park, 1986) * Boots Randolph, ''Boots with Brass'' (Monument, 1970) * Helen Reddy, ''Music, Music'' (Capitol, 1976) * Rockie Robbins, ''You and Me'' (A&M, 1980) * Diana Ross, ''Lady Sings the Blues'' (Motown, 1972) * Horace Silver, ''Silver 'N Wood'' (Blue Note, 1976) * Frank Sinatra, ''Duets'' (Capitol, 1993) * The Singers Unlimited, ''Feeling Free'' (Pausa, 1980) * O.C. Smith, ''Together'' (Caribou, 1977) * Frank Strazzeri, ''Somebody Loves Me'' (Fresh Sound, 1994) * Toni Tennille, ''More Than You Know'' (Mirage, 1984) * Frankie Valli, ''Valli'' (Private Stock 1976) * Joe Williams, ''In Good Company'' (Verve, 1989)
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nimitz, Jack}} Category:1930 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American jazz baritone saxophonists Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C. Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Category:20th-century American saxophonists Category:The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut members