Mr. Wanzo died Friday, Sept. 9, 2005, of prostate cancer at his Detroit home. The onetime member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman's Swinging Herd (1966-1968) and the Count Basie Orchestra (1969-1996) was 74.

"Aside from being a wonderful musician, he was an all-around great guy," said Midge Ellis, a Livonia concert promoter known as Mama Jazz. "He always had that big smile on his face."

Mr. Wanzo's resume includes six Grammy Awards, more than 23 years as lead trombonist in the Basie orchestra and recordings with legends including Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan. Mr. Wanzo also performed for Queen Elizabeth II of England, the king of Thailand and the president of Finland. During the Korean War, Mr. Wanzo played with the 36th Army Band.

"He would just hold that trombone section together," Ellis said. "You know how tents need stakes to stay together? Well, Mel was that center pole. Without him, that whole tent would fall down."

Mr. Wanzo converted to Islam and was renamed El-Hajji M. Wahid Muhammad. He retired from road bands in 1996, but continued to play with Metro Detroit big band leader Johnny Trudell and others. He taught at Wayne State University, where he endowed a scholarship for talented music students based on academic standings.

Mr. Wanzo is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughter and son-in-law Clovette and Michael Coulter; a sister, Judy Ayres; two grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Funeral services were at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 12, 2002 at the Muslim Center, 1605 W. Davison in Detroit. Burial was at Elmwood Cemetery, 1200 Elmwood in Detroit.