Sammy Nestico: Leaving the Shores of Security

Sammy Nestico (photo: Pam Homan)

“The very first jazz chart I ever played was a Sammy Nestico chart,” says trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, among the most acclaimed, in-demand jazz musicians in Los Angeles. “It was called ‘The Queen Bee,’ and I was 12 years old. That was my introduction to big-band jazz.”

Trombonist Andy Martin, too, grew up playing Nestico’s big-band arrangements. “I was playing his stuff when I was in high school,” he says. “I knew Sammy’s name from very early on. He’s such an icon.”