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Med Flory
Med Flory
Med Flory
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Key Information

Meredith Irwin Flory, known professionally as Med Flory (August 27, 1926 – March 12, 2014),[1] was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and actor.

Early years

[edit]

Flory was born in Logansport, Indiana, United States.[2] His mother was an organist and encouraged him to learn clarinet as a child. During World War II, he was an Army Air Force pilot, and after the war he received his college degree in philosophy from Indiana University.[1]

Career

[edit]

Flory played in the bands of Claude Thornhill and Woody Herman in the early 1950s, before forming his own ensemble in New York City.[2] In 1955, he relocated to California and started a new group, which played at the 1958 Monterey Jazz Festival. In the late 1950s, he played with Terry Gibbs, Art Pepper, and Herman again, playing both tenor and baritone saxophone.[3] He was cast in twenty-nine episodes from 1956 to 1957 of the ABC variety show, The Ray Anthony Show.

In the 1960s, Flory was less active in music, working in television and film as an actor and screenwriter; his credits include Wagon Train; The Rifleman; Ripcord (twice); Rawhide (twice); Gunsmoke (twice); Perry Mason (twice - including 'The Case of Crying Comedian'); Maverick (twice); The Virginian (five episodes); Route 66 (twice); Bronco; Surfside 6; Mona McCluskey; Run, Buddy, Run; 77 Sunset Strip (three episodes); The Dakotas; Destry; Lawman (three episodes); Wendy and Me; It's a Man's World; The Monroes; Cimarron Strip; Daniel Boone (seven episodes); Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (twice); Bonanza (three episodes); Mannix; Lassie (ten episodes); How the West Was Won (three episodes); and High Mountain Rangers (four episodes as Sheriff Mike McBride). He appeared in the films The Gumball Rally, The Night of the Grizzly, and The Nutty Professor.

In the mid-1960s Flory worked with Art Pepper and Joe Maini on transcriptions and arrangements of Charlie Parker recordings.[citation needed] In 1972, he co-founded Supersax, an ensemble devoted to Parker's work.[2] Supersax's debut album, Supersax Plays Bird, won a Grammy Award.[citation needed]

Personal life

[edit]

Flory was married to Joan Barbara Fry until her death in 2000.[4]

Death

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Flory died of a heart ailment[4] on March 12, 2014, in Hollywood, California, at the age of 87.[1]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Med Flory

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Meredith Irwin "Med" Flory (August 27, 1926 – March 12, 2014) was an American saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and actor known for his influential work in and , as well as his extensive television and film appearances. Born in , to Florence and Wilmer Flory, he earned a B.A. in philosophy from and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during before pursuing music professionally. Flory's jazz career spanned over six decades, beginning with performances on and influenced by ; he played with prominent s including those led by in the 1950s and , where he also contributed on . In 1972, he co-founded the Grammy-winning ensemble Supersax with Buddy Clark, a five-saxophone group that reinterpreted Parker's compositions in a format; their debut , Supersax Plays Bird, earned the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Group and led to ten recordings over two decades. Active on the West Coast scene, Flory collaborated with musicians such as , Joe Maini, and , recording as a leader for labels like World Pacific and performing at events including the 1958 . In parallel, Flory built a successful acting career starting in the 1960s, amassing nearly 100 television credits on series such as Wagon Train and The Rifleman, alongside film roles in movies like The Nutty Professor (1963). Standing at six feet five inches, his imposing presence complemented his multifaceted talents, though he later reduced musical performances to focus on acting and screenwriting. Flory passed away at his North Hollywood home at age 87, survived by his son Rex, daughter Ava, two granddaughters, and remembered for bridging jazz innovation with Hollywood versatility.

Early life

Childhood and family

Meredith Irwin Flory was born on August 27, 1926, in , to Wilmer Bryan Flory and Florence Clary Flory. His father, Wilmer, worked as an English teacher at Logansport High School and was a passionate nature enthusiast, known for developing hybrid daylilies, serving as president of the national Hemerocallis Society, and contributing to local beautification efforts as a city councilman and Cass County Parks Board member. His mother, Florence, served as a church organist, choir director, and pianist who performed for silent films and sight-read complex organ pieces, fostering a musical atmosphere in the home. Flory had one sibling, an older sister named , who became an accomplished cellist, pianist, and vocalist, often performing alongside their mother in local settings. The Flory family was middle-class and lived on Meadlawn Street in Logansport, near Horney Creek and a branch line, providing a serene Midwestern environment for childhood. Initial family activities emphasized non-musical pursuits, such as nature hikes and with his father, who instilled an appreciation for the outdoors. However, Flory's mother's influence introduced early; at age nine, he began lessons under her encouragement and local band director Bill Marocco, later switching to in high school while also briefly studying in .

Education and early music influences

Med Flory received his early formal education at Logansport High School in , graduating in 1944. He began his musical training by studying in the fifth grade, influenced by his mother, Florence Flory, a church organist, voice teacher, and former accompanist who demonstrated improvisational skills without formal notation. At age nine, Flory started lessons and, by age twelve in , joined the high school under director Bill Marocco, where he held the first chair for five years. During his ninth-grade year at Logansport High School, Flory transitioned from to , honing his skills through band instruction that emphasized classical and ensemble techniques. Marocco's guidance was instrumental in building Flory's foundational proficiency on woodwinds, blending structured lessons with opportunities for performance within the school's program. This period marked the shift from his mother's informal improvisational example to more disciplined training, though Flory credited her ear for music as a core influence on his phrasing and adaptability. Prior to his military enlistment in , Flory engaged in local performances around Logansport, often with school-affiliated ensembles, while developing an interest in through self-directed listening and transcription rather than formal . These early experiences, including writing simple arrangements for peer groups, laid the groundwork for his intuitive grasp of , distinct from the concert band's emphasis on precision. His pre-military musical development thus combined familial inspiration, high school instruction, and autonomous exploration of idioms.

Military service

World War II enlistment

Med Flory enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in late 1944, shortly after completing his first semester studying music at . Born in 1926, Flory was 18 years old at the time and joined the military during the final stages of , as the Allied forces advanced toward victory in and the Pacific. His decision to enlist came amid the ongoing global conflict, reflecting the widespread mobilization of young Americans into the armed services. Flory served as a pilot in the Army Air Forces, contributing to the through duties during the conflict's closing months. Although specific missions or postings are not extensively documented in available records, his role aligned with the Air Forces' critical operations in supporting ground troops and campaigns. His time in uniform exposed him to the rigors of life, including training and deployment amid the war's intensity. Flory's enlistment interrupted his early musical development, as the demands of pilot training and duties left little room for instrumental practice. Flory served through the war years and was honorably discharged around 1946, allowing him to resume civilian life and return to on the .

Post-war transition

Following his discharge from the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1946, where he had served as a pilot during , Med Flory returned to in Bloomington to complete his education. He enrolled in the fall of 1946 and graduated in May 1950 with a degree in , having minored in and French while deliberately avoiding the music school. Amid his academic pursuits, Flory reconnected with his musical roots by taking up the once more and engaging in explorations on campus. He formed and led a be-bop band during his time at the university, performing works by artists like and gaining popularity among students as a "real hip band." Flory also wrote arrangements for the group, honing his skills as a saxophonist and arranger while immersing himself in the emerging scene of the late 1940s. Flory faced the challenge of balancing his philosophy coursework with his growing passion for jazz, managing both commitments over the subsequent years at . This period marked a pivotal transition, as his academic completion in 1950 directly bridged to his entry into professional music circles.

Music career

Early professional engagements

After his discharge from and upon completing in 1950, Med Flory launched his professional music career in by joining Claude Thornhill's orchestra, where he performed primarily on and during extensive national tours in the early 1950s. He soon transitioned to Woody Herman's band, contributing on and occasionally , which exposed him to prominent figures and solidified his bebop-influenced style amid the evolving scene. In 1954, Flory formed his own ensemble in New York, recording initial sessions that showcased swinging arrangements by himself and collaborators like , featuring sidemen such as Hal McKusick on and . By 1956, Flory had relocated to the West Coast, immersing himself in the burgeoning movement centered in and Hollywood, where he led several s emphasizing relaxed yet rhythmic ensembles typical of the style. His groups, often featuring West Coast stalwarts like Bill Holman on , Russ Freeman on piano, and on drums, produced key recordings such as the 1957 album Jazz Wave on Jubilee Records, which highlighted Flory's leads and arrangements by Holman and Lennie Niehaus. A milestone came in 1958 when Flory's debuted at the inaugural , performing alongside acts like and in a program that underscored the festival's commitment to innovative . Throughout the late 1950s, Flory deepened his West Coast ties through engagements with ' nonet and orchestra, where he played and on recordings that captured the vibrant, high-energy interplay of the era's ensembles. He also collaborated on sessions with , contributing to albums that exemplified the lyrical, improvisational essence of , including saxophone-focused tracks arranged by Flory himself. These early professional forays, marked by Flory's versatile command of alongside and baritone, laid the groundwork for his reputation as a multifaceted arranger and performer in the post-bebop landscape.

Formation of Supersax and major achievements

In 1972, Med Flory co-founded the jazz ensemble Supersax with bassist Buddy Clark as a tribute to alto saxophonist , creating a nine-piece reed-heavy group that reinterpreted Parker's bebop solos in harmonized arrangements. Flory served as the lead alto saxophonist, primary arranger, and transcriber, meticulously adapting Parker's improvised lines from recordings into five-part saxophone harmonies backed by and occasional trumpet. The group's debut album, Supersax Plays Bird, released in 1973 on , featured these transcribed arrangements and earned a Grammy Award in 1974 for Best Jazz Performance by a Group at the . This recognition highlighted the innovative fusion of Parker's soloistic intensity with textures, marking a commercial and artistic breakthrough for the ensemble. Supersax evolved through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, recording multiple albums for labels including Capitol and Columbia, such as Supersax Plays Bird with Strings (1975) and Chasin' the Bird (1977), while undertaking international tours that showcased their precise, high-energy performances. The group's emphasis on reed instrumentation influenced subsequent ensembles by popularizing harmonized transcriptions of lines, bridging small-group improvisation with orchestral scale. Into the 2000s, Flory continued leading Supersax in performances and recordings, including arrangements for other groups, solidifying his reputation as a pioneering dedicated to preserving and expanding Parker's legacy through live engagements and educational outreach.

Acting career

Television roles

Flory began his television career with a prominent musical role on the ABC variety series The Ray Anthony Show, where he performed as a saxophonist in the band for 29 episodes across the 1956-1957 season. This early exposure marked his transition from music into on-screen work, blending his background with variety programming. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Flory made numerous guest appearances in popular Westerns and dramas, including and , often leveraging his 6'5" stature to portray rugged, authoritative figures such as lawmen or outlaws. He appeared in multiple episodes of , including roles as Corporal Steckey and Sheriff Van Werkle, and in , where he played characters like Clint Rush, Otis Klink, and Monk Hartley across three episodes. Flory also featured in 10 episodes of between 1964 and 1971, taking on varied parts including Father Matthew and a gate guard, which highlighted his versatility in family-oriented dramas. In his later years, Flory continued with episodic television, including a recurring role as Sheriff Mike McBride on High Mountain Rangers for four episodes in 1987-1988. Over his career, Flory amassed nearly 100 television appearances, frequently typecast in tough, imposing roles within or frontier settings while occasionally incorporating musical cameos that nodded to his primary profession.

Film appearances

Flory transitioned to feature films in the early following his initial success in television Westerns. His screen debut came in the low-budget Western Gun Street (1961), where he portrayed the supporting character Willie Driscoll, a role that showcased his rugged physical presence at 6 feet 5 inches tall. A breakthrough supporting part arrived in Jerry Lewis's comedy The Nutty Professor (1963), in which Flory played Warzewski, a brutish who intimidates the shy protagonist. This appearance marked one of his earliest credited roles in a major studio production and highlighted his ability to embody authoritative, no-nonsense figures. Throughout the and into the , Flory built a steady string of film credits, often typecast as burly sidekicks or lawmen in Westerns and comedies. In the family-oriented Western (1966), he appeared as Duke Squires, a tough hand, contributing to the film's adventure tone. He continued in this vein with roles like Sheriff Nolan in the holiday thriller Home for the Holidays (1972) and Joe Roberts in the exploitation drama The Teacher (1974), where his imposing stature added menace to secondary antagonists. Flory's comedic timing shone in ensemble films such as The Trouble with Girls (1969), playing a in the Elvis Presley vehicle, and reached a cult favorite status with his portrayal of the hapless Officer Williams—a bumbling cop—in the road-rally satire (1976). Later credits included an albino-beating cop in the Hustle (1975) alongside and the authoritative Sheriff Denton in the (1980), demonstrating his versatility across genres. Over two decades, Flory amassed around 20 film appearances, predominantly in supporting capacities that leveraged his physicality for memorable, if brief, on-screen impact, with his work tapering off by the mid-1980s.

Personal life and legacy

Marriage and family

Med Flory married Joan Barbara Fry, a big band singer professionally known as Joan Durell, on October 26, 1952; their partnership lasted nearly 48 years until her death from Parkinson’s disease on December 29, 2000. The couple shared a supportive relationship amid their dual careers in entertainment, with Fry retiring from performing in 1960 to focus on family while Flory pursued music and acting. They had two children: a son, Rex Flory, and a daughter, Ava Flory Conner, and were grandparents to two granddaughters through Ava. The family made their long-time home in a North Hollywood bungalow in , a location that aligned with their deep ties to the entertainment industry. Flory's personal interests were shaped by his academic background, including a degree from , which informed his reflective approach to life beyond his professional pursuits. His father's profession as a horticulturist in , instilled an enduring appreciation for nature that influenced family outings and hobbies. Flory maintained strong family connections to his Indiana roots through occasional returns to Logansport, including for the 2008 induction into the Logansport High School Hall of Distinction, where he was honored alongside family and community members.

Death and tributes

Med Flory died on March 12, 2014, at his home in North Hollywood, , at the age of 87, following several years of heart maladies. Private services were held for Flory, with obituaries such as that in the emphasizing his distinguished dual careers as a saxophonist and prolific television . His son, Rex Flory, who had cared for him during his illness, described him as "as great an saxophonist as my dad was, he was an even greater father and husband." Tributes from the jazz community highlighted Flory's pivotal role in co-founding Supersax in 1972, a nine-piece ensemble dedicated to harmonized transcriptions of Charlie Parker's solos, which earned a Grammy Award in 1974 for the album Supersax Plays Bird. Peers in the acting world noted his versatility, recalling his nearly 100 guest appearances on series like Wagon Train and The Andy Griffith Show, often portraying rugged characters that complemented his 6-foot-5 stature. Flory's legacy endures through his influence on saxophone section arrangements and tributes to bebop pioneer , with Supersax's innovative harmonizations inspiring subsequent ensembles and educators. His meticulously crafted charts for five remain staples in repertoire, continuing to be performed and taught in professional and educational settings into the .

References

  1. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-med-flory-20140316-story.html
  2. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/med-flory/
  3. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/med_flory
  4. https://www.kroegerfuneralhome.com/obituary/Eleanor-Rohweder
  5. https://davekitchell.wordpress.com/meds-biography/
  6. https://www.cityoflogansport.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Parks-and-Recreation-Master-Plan-2018-2022.pdf
  7. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/med-flory-dies-at-87/
  8. https://www.pharostribune.com/news/local_news/article_f8730e5d-cc22-5620-9d88-7b8ce552b26e.html
  9. https://sites.google.com/nhj.k12.in.us/indianamusicmakers/jazz/med-flory
  10. https://findingaids.loc.gov/exist_collections/ead3pdf/music/2021/mu021035.pdf
  11. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/interview-med-flory-part-1/
  12. https://www.nndb.com/people/534/000351478/
  13. https://alchetron.com/Med-Flory
  14. https://www.jazzwax.com/p/interview-med-flory-part-1html
  15. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-17-ca-775-story.html
  16. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/med-flory
  17. https://jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/med-flory-alto-saxophonist-dies-at-87/
  18. https://www.ejazzlines.com/big-band-arrangements/by-arranger/med-flory-supersax-combo-charts/
  19. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/med-flory-albums/6540-go-west-young-med-med-flory-and-his-orchestras-1954-1959.html
  20. https://montereyjazz.org/news/timeless-since-1958/1958-mjf1-birth-of-the-monterey-jazz-festival/
  21. https://www.grammy.com/artists/supersax/8397
  22. https://www.grammy.com/awards/16th-annual-grammy-awards
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048896/
  24. https://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2014/03/med-flory-1926-2014.html
  25. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0283095/
  26. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/med-flory/credits/3030682723/
  27. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gun-street
  28. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_nutty_professor
  29. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_of_the_grizzly
  30. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/home_for_the_holidays_1972
  31. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/teacher
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074597/characters/nm0283095
  33. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010249-hustle
  34. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hearse
  35. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-05-me-8655-story.html
  36. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159976790/joan_barbara-durell
  37. https://www.facebook.com/groups/indianacemeteries1/posts/5417722724973672/
  38. https://lhs.lcsc.k12.in.us/o/logansport-high-school/page/inductees
  39. https://www.ejazzlines.com/small-group-combo-charts/supersax/
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