Melvin Lastie

Melvin Lastie was a New Orleans trumpeter, cornetist, and arranger who left a significant mark on R&B, soul, and jazz. [1] Emerging as a professional musician in his teens, his career evolved from early work with Fats Domino to becoming a crucial session musician and co-founder of the pioneering, artist-owned A.F.O. Records in 1961. [1, 2, 5] Lastie’s playing graced records by Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Lou Donaldson, while his work as an arranger and producer for artists like Willie Bobo further demonstrated his versatile talents. [1] His efforts with A.F.O. defined a key moment in artist advocacy and the New Orleans sound before his early death from cancer. [1, 6]