OBITUARIES : Warne Marsh; Recorded Jazz on Tenor Sax

Warne M. Marsh, a tenor saxophonist who toured with the Lennie Tristano and Buddy Rich bands and whose cool tones were heard on many jazz recordings, died of an apparent heart attack early Friday.

Pianist Ross Tomkins, who was leading a quartet at Donte’s in North Hollywood, said Marsh “just slipped off his stool” and collapsed Thursday night. He was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and pronounced dead, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“Warne was filling in for Conte Candoli,” said Tomkins, the “Tonight” show pianist. “Conte couldn’t show up” for his performance with what Tomkins called “The Thursday Night Band.”

Marsh was 60 and as a youth played with the old Hollywood Canteen Kids during World War II. Afterward he was seen with Hoagy Carmichael’s Teenagers before joining the Army in 1946, when he met Tristano.

He worked for a time in New York before returning to Los Angeles. He toured and recorded with Tristano and Lee Konitz, and in 1953 was heard as the saxophone soloist on the Metronome All Stars’ recording of “How High the Moon.”

Under his own name he recorded such albums as “Jazz of Two Cities,” “Quartet” and “Warne Marsh.”