Jack Nimitz (January 11, 1930 – June 10, 2009) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, nicknamed "The Admiral".^[1]

A native of Washington, D.C., Nimitz started on clarinet in his early teens before playing alto saxophone.^[1][2] During the 1950s he played baritone saxophone with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Herbie Mann.^[1] He continued to play in big bands in the 1960s with Terry Gibbs and Gerald Wilson in addition to working in film and leading a quintet.^[1]

Nimitz was a founding member of Supersax in the early 1970s and remained with the band into the 1990s.^[1] During the 1980s and 1990s he was a member of big bands led by Oliver Nelson and Bill Berry.^[1] He performed in the sextet of Frank Strazzeri and the sextet of Bud Shank in the 1990s.^[1] In 1997 he worked with Buddy Childers at the PizzaExpress Jazz Club in London.^[1]

A studio musician for much of his life, Nimitz recorded his first album as leader in the 1990s.^[1][2]

The Jack Nimitz Quintet played its final performance on May 10, 2009, in Northridge, California. Nimitz died in Los Angeles at the age of 79 from complications due to emphysema.^[3]

• Live at the Royal Palms Inn Volume 8 with Buddy Childers (Woofy, 1994)
• Confirmation (Fresh Sound, 1995)
• Live at Capozzoli's (Woofy Productions, 1997)

With Terry Gibbs

• The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band (Verve, 1961)
• Explosion! (Mercury, 1962)
• Flying Home (Volume 3) (Contemporary, 1988)
• The Big Cat (Volume 5) (Contemporary, 1991)

With Woody Herman

• The Woody Herman Band! Part 1 (Capitol, 1954)
• The Woody Herman Band! Part 3 (Capitol, 1954)
• Road Band! (Capitol, 1955)
• The Woody Herman Band! (Capitol, 1955)
• Woody Herman (Metro, 1965)

With Stan Kenton

• Kenton in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1956)
• Songs for Hip Lovers (Verve, 1957)
• Road Show with June Christy and The Four Freshmen (Capitol, 1959)
• Standards in Silhouette (Verve, 1960)
• Artistry in Bossa Nova (Capitol, 1963)
• Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)
• Hair (Capitol, 1969)

With Steuart Liebig

• No Train (Cadence, 1997)
• Antipodes (Cadence, 2000)

With Shelly Manne

• My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast (Capitol, 1964)
• Manne–That's Gershwin! (Capitol, 1965)

With Mark Murphy

• Playing the Field (Capitol, 1960)

With Oliver Nelson

• Sound Pieces (Impulse!, 1966)
• Live from Los Angeles (Impulse!, 1967)
• Stolen Moments (East Wind, 1975)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Music from Mission: Impossible (Dot, 1967)
• Mannix (Paramount, 1968)
• Bullitt (Warner Bros., 1968)

With Diane Schuur

• Timeless (GRP, 1986)
• Pure Schuur (GRP, 1991)
• In Tribute (GRP, 1992)

With Bud Shank

• Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
• New Gold! (Candid, 1994)
• Plays Harold Arlen (Jimco, 1995)

With Supersax

• Supersax Plays Bird (Capitol, 1973)
• Salt Peanuts Supersax Plays Bird, Volume 2 (Capitol, 1974)
• Supersax Plays Bird with Strings (Capitol, 1975)
• Chasin' the Bird (MPS, 1977)
• Dynamite !! (MPS, 1979)
• Supersax & L.A. Voices Volume 2 (CBS, 1984)
• Stone Bird (Columbia, 1988)

With Gerald Wilson

• You Better Believe It! (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
• Moment of Truth (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
• Portraits (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
• On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
• Feelin' Kinda Blues (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
• The Golden Sword (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
• Lomelin (Discovery, 1981)
• Jessica (Trend, 1983)
• State Street Sweet (MAMA, 1995)
• Theme for Monterey (MAMA, 1997)

With others

• Gene Ammons, Free Again (Prestige, 1971)
• Paul Anka, The Music Man (United Artists, 1977)
• Gabe Baltazar, Stan Kenton Presents Gabe Baltazar (Creative World, 1979)
• The Beach Boys, 15 Big Ones (Reprise, 1976)
• Max Bennett, Max Bennett Vol. II (Bethlehem, 1957)
• Bill Berry, Hot & Happy (Beez Beez 1974)
• Bill Berry, Hello Rev (Concord Jazz, 1976)
• Ralph Burns, In the Mood (Atlantic, 1987)
• Kenny Burrell, Both Feet on the Ground (Fantasy, 1973)
• Frank Capp, In a Hefti Bag (Concord Jazz, 1995)
• Captain & Tennille, Song of Joy (A&M, 1976)
• June Christy, Bob Cooper, Do-Re-Mi (Capitol, 1961)
• June Christy, Big Band Specials (Capitol, 1962)
• Stanley Clarke, School Days (Nemperor, 1976)
• Nat King Cole, L-O-V-E (Capitol, 1965)
• Natalie Cole, Unforgettable with Love (Elektra, 1991)
• Dick Collins, Horn of Plenty (RCA, 1955)
• Dick Collins, King Richard the Swing Hearted (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Judy Collins, Hard Times for Lovers (Elektra, 1979)
• Willis Conover, House of Sounds (Brunswick, 1954)
• Ron Davies, U. F. O. (A&M, 1973)
• Neil Diamond, Beautiful Noise (Columbia, 1976)
• João Donato, A Bad Donato (Blue Thumb, 1970)
• Cass Elliot, Cass Elliot (RCA Victor, 1972)
• Michael Feinstein, Isn't It Romantic (Elektra, 1988)
• Michael Feinstein, Forever (Elektra, 1993)
• Allyn Ferguson, Pictures at an Exhibition (Framed in Jazz Aeva 1963)
• Clare Fischer, Extension (Pacific Jazz, 1963)
• Clare Fischer, Whose Woods Are These? (Discovery, 1984)
• Clare Fischer, Blues Trilogy (Discovery, 1987)
• Gil Fuller, Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy Gillespie (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
• Urbie Green & Nat Pierce, Old Time Modern (Vanguard, 1973)
• Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Forever Taurus (Milestone, 1976)
• Herbie Hancock, Sunlight (Columbia, 1978)
• Gene Harris, Tribute to Count Basie (Concord Jazz, 1988)
• Johnny Hartman, Unforgettable (Impulse!, 1995)
• Bill Holman, Bill Holman's Great Big Band (Capitol, 1960)
• Richard Holmes, Six Million Dollar Man, (RCA/Flying Dutchman, 1975)
• Shirley Horn, Shirley Horn with Strings Here's to Life (Verve, 1992)
• Milt Jackson, The Impulse Years (ABC/Impulse!, 1974)
• Milt Jackson, Bags' Groove (Quintessence Jazz Series 1979)
• Quincy Jones, This Is How I Feel About Jazz (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
• Quincy Jones, The Color Purple (Qwest, 1986)
• Quincy Jones, Q's Jook Joint (Qwest/Warner Bros., 1995)
• Earl Klugh, Finger Paintings (Blue Note, 1977)
• Peggy Lee, Mirrors (A&M, 1975)
• Vic Lewis, Presents a Celebration of Contemporary West Coast Jazz (Candid, 1994)
• Jon Lucien, Premonition (Columbia, 1976)
• Harvey Mandel, Righteous (Philips, 1969)
• Johnny Mandel, The Jazz Soul of Porgy and Bess (NEC Avenue 1990)
• Herbie Mann, Sultry Serenade (Riverside, 1958)
• Herbie Mann, Let Me Tell You (Milestone, 1973)
• Teena Marie, Emerald City (Epic, 1986)
• Letta Mbulu, There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1977)
• Les McCann, Les McCann Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
• Les McCann, Oh Brother! (Fontana, 1964)
• Jimmy McCracklin, The Stinger Man (Minit, 1969)
• Carmen McRae, Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)
• Don Menza, Burnin' (M&K Realtime, 1981)
• Charles Mingus, Mingus at Monterey (Jazz Workshop, 1965)
• Sammy Nestico, Dark Orchid (Dark Orchid, 1981)
• Sammy Nestico, Night Flight (Sea Breeze, 1986)
• Anita O'Day, Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May (Verve, 1991)
• Charlie Parker, One Night in Washington (Elektra, Musician, 1982)
• Bill Perkins, On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Bill Perkins, Our Man Woody (Jazz Mark, 1991)
• Nat Pierce, Dick Collins, Charlie Mariano, The Nat Pierce-Dick Collins Nonet/the Charlie Mariano Sextet (Fantasy, 1956)
• Prince, Parade (Paisley Park, 1986)
• Boots Randolph, Boots with Brass (Monument, 1970)
• Helen Reddy, Music, Music (Capitol, 1976)
• Rockie Robbins, You and Me (A&M, 1980)
• Diana Ross, Lady Sings the Blues (Motown, 1972)
• Horace Silver, Silver 'N Wood (Blue Note, 1976)
• Frank Sinatra, Duets (Capitol, 1993)
• The Singers Unlimited, Feeling Free (Pausa, 1980)
• O.C. Smith, Together (Caribou, 1977)
• Frank Strazzeri, Somebody Loves Me (Fresh Sound, 1994)
• Toni Tennille, More Than You Know (Mirage, 1984)
• Frankie Valli, Valli (Private Stock 1976)
• Joe Williams, In Good Company (Verve, 1989)