Danny Alguire

Danny Alguire (30 August 1912 — 08 July 1992) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. He is best recognized as a member of the 1950s highly popular Dixieland jazz band Firehouse Five Plus Two.

His favorite trumpeters included Benny Strickler, Louis Armstrong, Red Nichols, Bix Beiderbecke, Don Finch, Harry James, and Manny Klein. 

Danny Alguire was born as Reuben Dan Alguire on August 30, 1912, in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He learned how to read music from his father, who was a professional drummer. 

He attended the University of Oklahoma in the years 1930-33. 

Alguire debuted on mellophone in 1921, aged nine, with the Fort Worth Rotary Club Boys Band. In 1923, he moved to Kansas City and joined the city's Rotary Band. In 1928—30, he took up the trumpet and played with a dance band in his hometown of Chickasha, Oklahoma.

After finishing his education at University of Oklahoma, he decided to become a professional trumpeter in 1933 "when I realized that it was the only thing I could do to stay alive in the Depression. The joints paid $2 a night plus tips."

In 1934-35, Alguire worked with Jimmie Thornhill's band in West Texas, freelanced in Los Angeles, switched permanently to cornet in 1937, and spent two years (1938—40) in Bakersfield performing with a four-piece group led by pianist Bill Norris.

In November 1941, (through a recommendation of Benny Strickler) Alguire joined the 16-piece big band led by Western swing pioneer Bob Wills, recording 18 sides for the Okeh label during his year with the Texas Playboys and taking the vocal on "Home in San Antone." In 1946-48, he performed with T. Texas Tyler's Western swing band, resulting in a dozen titles for the 4-Star label. Around that time, he also performed with Merle Travis.

In 1949, Alguire joined Dixieland jazz band Firehouse Five Plus Two, led by Ward Kimball with Frank Thomas on piano, Harper Goff on banjo, Clarke Mallery on clarinet, Monte Mountjoy on drums, and Erdman (Ed) Penner on saxophone—all members of the Disney animation department. 

As the Firehouse's cornetist from 1949 to 1974, Alguire contributed a solid lead and crisp melodic solos, leading a frontline that also featured trombonist Ward Kimball and clarinetist Clarke Mallery (who was succeeded by George Probert on soprano and clarinet in 1954).

Like other members of the band, Alguire also eventually worked for Disney as an assistant director in their animation department during 1955—75.

Alguire wrote his autobiography Dust Bowl to Disney, which unfortunately was never published. 

Alguire died on July 08, 1992, in Beaverton, Oregon, at the age of 79.