Here are a few videos and recordings of Rafael Mendez. Mendez began playing and endorsing Olds trumpets in the late 1940’s and he can be seen playing a Super and a Super Recording in some of his performances and in Olds marketing materials. In 1952, Olds began producing the signature Mendez model trumpet (and later cornet).

Rafael Mendez

According to the biography, Magnificent Mendez, by Jane Hickman and Del Lyren (Summit Records, 2005 second edition, p. 50), the 16 mm films were intended for high schools, universities, and public libraries as a way to showcase the great musicians of the twentieth century. It was an honor for Mendez to be chosen for the film on the trumpet because the musicians featured in other films were violinist Jascha Heiftetz, pianist Arthur Rubenstein, and guitarist Andres Segovia as well as cellists Pablo Casals and Gregor Piatigorsky. Mendez considered the film to be one of the highlights of his career.

Here are a few more Mendez clips. First up is a brief performance of the fast section of Mendez’s Samba Gitana from the Milton Berle Show in 1951 (check out his dance moves half way through).

This is a clip of his performance of “The Girl From Chihuahua” from the 1946 movie, Holiday in Mexico (starting with a fabulous cadenza).

Here is a soulful performance of “El Gitano” from the 1958 film, Cowboy. Enjoy!

Another clip featuring Rafael Mendez and his sons Ralph and Robert. This time on the Art Linkletter Show in 1957 performing the Tre-Mendez Polka.