Posted on November 16th, 2025
The great John Simpson has passed.
Perhaps the finest Baritone Bugle player of all time, John had performed with the Hutchinson Sky Ryders, The US Air Force D&B Corps and the NY Skyliners before establishing himself as a brilliant brass instructor for Hutch, the Bayonne Bridgemen, Star of Indiana and others.
His signature solo rendering of excerpts from Rhapsody in Blue stands as the high-water mark of what is possible to achieve on a G/D slip-slide single piston Baritone. More recently he recorded, on that very horn, a full album of classic melodies, dedicating it to his daughter, Erin, herself an accomplished symphonic French Hornist.
John Simpson’s mastery of his chosen instrument will likely never be equaled. He was the gold standard.
The torch of his teaching wisdom is henceforth passed to his colleagues and countless fortunate students, and that legacy will last a long, long time.
Comments are closed.
