Clark Terry said, "imitation is assimilation" and he lived that idea all the way through a remarkable life in jazz. Raised in St. Louis, he came up through big bands before becoming a key voice with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, where his bright trumpet sound and sly wit stood out immediately. He was one of the first major trumpeters to double seriously on flugelhorn, helping bring the instrument into the modern jazz vocabulary. His playing blended swing, blues, bebop, and humor — all delivere