Remembering my father, Fred Mergy, the talented jazz musician, trombonist, composer, and conductor. Fred was born on 2/17/1937 and passed on 10/1/1983. Please send any pics you would like to share to me and add comments to the page if you knew and worked with our father.
Fred Mergy B/W 
Fred Mergy at the Piano 
Fred Mergy with Crocker 
Fred Mergy Trombone 
Fred Mergy White Jacket 
James Leary Big Band
Fred Mergy Links Of Note:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_jazz_trombonists is the list of known jazz trombonists. Fred is in there now.
- ‘Dad’s are the original hipsters’ at SFGate when I submitted a couple of pics to @peterhartlaub back in 2012 when they were doing a piece on this in coordination with a book on the topic.
Thanks for putting this together, Jon. Dad was special, no doubt.
I was a young guy financing my education and supplementing my income playing trombone in the Bay Area. Fred gave me gigs and a tour with Elvis. I loved playing next to him and he was awesome and the very best. And I have been forever grateful for the kindness he gave me when I was young.
Thank you very much for sharing that Geoff!
I remember Fred Mergy drove a Renault Dauphine in 1960 when he played with my parents combo. It may have been his 1st pro gig. He parked the Renault in our driveway and they all drove to Tahoe for gigs at Harrahs. When they came back I remember my stepdad telling me that every horn player in Tahoe made it a point to come by and hear “the new monster trombone player working with Johnnie Bozic.” I’d fondly read mentions of him in Herb Caen’s Chronicle column in the ’60s. A great musician and a hell of a nice guy.
Richard – thanks so much for that and taking the time to comment. Means a tremendous amount to have our father remembered! Best -Jonathan
Whoa! Bill Watrous put your horn away! Fabulous technique from Fred Mergy. So facile I can’t believe it’s a slide horn and not a valve model! Hat’s off from a former trombonist.
I’m writing to you because Fred did several arrangements for my wife back in the day, and I’m now digging deeper for the purpose of honoring her with a biography.
I’d like to get a timeline on when Fred wrote charts for her–Donna Theodore. She was a Bay Area product too and had an enviable national career for several decades.
Thanks Don. I’m following-up via email. Appreciate you finding my father’s page and posting here.