He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

He soon moved to Los Angeles to join the Lighthouse All-Stars with Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, and Bob Cooper, and was with them for four years.

He ventured to Kansas in 1986 as a WJF All-Star with Jerome Richardson, Barney Kessel and Monty Alexander at the 1986 Wichita Jazz Festival.

His playing brought him performing and recording opportunities with top names in show business, such as Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, Terry Gibbs, Teddy Edwards, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., and Sarah Vaughan.

He died of cancer at the age of 74, in Palm Desert, California,[3] With Manny Albam and Ernie Wilkins With Chet Baker With Louis Bellson With Elmer Bernstein With Buddy Bregman With Bob Cooper With Sonny Criss With Teddy Edwards with Victor Feldman With Maynard Ferguson With Clare Fischer With Gil Fuller With Stan Getz With Stan Levey With Dizzy Gillespie With Stan Kenton With Shelly Manne With Jack Montrose With Mark Murphy With Frank Morgan With Gerry Mulligan With Joe Newman With Jack Nitzsche With Art Pepper With Betty Roché With Shorty Rogers With Pete Rugolo With Bud Shank With Lalo Schifrin With Gerald Wilson With Pete Candoli