2015 In Memoriam

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Roland Schneider (June 3rd, 1937 - December 25th, 2015) The pianist was part of his native Germany’s post-war Swing scene and later worked with Charly Antolini, Conny Jackel and Günter Lenz. Schneider died December 25th at 78. 

Ove Johansson (December 3rd, 1936 - December 24th, 2015) Apart from a stint with fellow Swede Lars Gullin, the saxophonist was mostly a leader of his own groups since the ‘50s, particularly Mwendo Dawa, and also founded LJ Records in 1989. Johansson died December 24th at 79. 

Sam Dockery (September 18th, 1929 - December 21st , 2015) The pianist (brother to bassist Wayne), whose first recording credit was with Clifford Brown, was part of drummer Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers from October 1956-October 1957 (coming in between the Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons eras), appearing on 10 albums for Columbia, Savoy, Pacific Jazz, Vik, Jubilee, Cadet and Bethlehem, including Hard Bop, Ritual (to which he contributed “Sam’s Tune), Tough! and A Night in Tunisia, later touring with Buddy Rich, Betty Carter and Archie Shepp. Dockery died December 21st at 86.

Daniel Smith (September 11th, 1939 - December 19th, 2015) The critically acclaimed classical bassoonist was a featured soloist with numerous orchestras and made a late career switch to jazz performance with a series of CDs for Summit. Smith died December 19th at 76. 

Tony Bazley (September 10th, 1936 - December 16th, 2015) The New Orleanais drummer’s career started in earnest on the West Coast after the army, leading to late ‘50s-early ‘60s recordings with Herb Geller, Wes Montgomery and Roy Ayers. Bazley died December 16th at 79. 

Don Doane (November 6th, 1931 - December 16th, 2015) The trombonist adapted years of early big band experience with Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and Count Basie into a career as an educator in Maine. Doane died December 16th at 84. 

Sándor Benkó (August 25th, 1940 - December 15th, 2015) The Hungarian clarinetist founded the longstanding Benkó Dixieland Band in 1957, which was the winner of the 1982 Sacramento Jazz Festival Grand Prize. Benkó died December 15th at 75. 

Rick Davies (??? - December 11th, 2015) The trombonist’s later career as an educator at SUNY-Plattsburgh was preceded by extensive work in the Latin scene as well as recordings with Saheb Sarbib, Jaki Byard and Blondie. Davies died December 11th at an unknown age. 

Rusty Jones (April 13th, 1942 - December 9th, 2015) The drummer worked from 1972-78 with George Shearing and also toured with Marian McPartland, Adam Makowicz, Ira Sullivan, J.R. Monterose and Stéphane Grappelli, among others. Jones died December 9th at 73. 

Jerome Ziering (March 13th, 1924 - December 4th, 2015) The trumpeter toured with Milton Berle’s U.S. Army show and later led his own orchestra but is most thanked for being Woody Shaw’s first teacher. Ziering died December 4th at 91. 

Dick Gail (June 14th, 1938 - December 2nd, 2015) The drummer performed with Charles Earland, Albert Ayler, Grant Green, Lonnie Smith, Rhoda Scott, Frank Wright, Eddie Henderson, Groove Holmes and Dizzy Reece, among others. Gail died December 2nd at 77. 

Buddy Moreno (July 14th, 1912 - November 29th, 2015) The vocalist was featured in the ‘40s band of Dick Jurgens, then moved on to greater exposure with Harry James’ band and leading his own orchestra through the ‘60s before devoting himself to radio work. Moreno died November 29th at 103. 

Bengt-Arne Wallin (July 13th, 1926 - November 23rd, 2015) The Swedish trumpeter has a leader discography going back to the late ‘50s on Vik, Dux, Sonet and Dragon and numerous sideman/arranging credits with Georg Riedel, Arne Domnerus, Ernestine Anderson, Quincy Jones, Lars Gullin, Friedrich Gulda, Monica Zetterlund and Hans Koller. Wallin died November 23rd at 89. 

Al Aarons (March 23rd, 1932 - November 17th, 2015) The trumpeter was a fixture in Count Basie bands of the ‘60s and also worked under Sarah Vaughan, Kenny Burrell, Eddie Harris, Stanley Clarke, Ella Fitzgerald and Zoot Sims, among others, to go along with occasional pop, rock and soul credits through the ‘80s and a single 1995 album as a leader, organized and released by the Los Angeles Jazz Society. Aarons died November 17th at 82. 

Allen Toussaint (January 14th, 1938 - November 10th, 2015) The New Orleanais royalty, though an accomplished pianist and performer, earned his jazz credits indirectly, his songs performed by artists such as Lou Donaldson, Al Hirt, David “Fathead” Newman, Jimmy Smith, Robin Kenyatta and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, as well as via production credits for Ramsey Lewis and Eric Gale, more recent performing appearances on albums by Madeleine Peyroux and Oz Noy and his own 2008 album The Bright Mississippi, wherein he played ragtime pieces and music by Ellington and Monk with such modern jazz players as Brad Mehldau, Don Byron, Marc Ribot, Nicholas Payton and Joshua Redman. Toussaint died November 10th at 77. 

Richard Youngstein (October 30th, 1944 - November 9th, 2015) The bassist’s discography includes separate work with both Paul Bley and Carla Bley (including the latter’s massive opus Escalator Over The Hill) as well as credits with Bobby Naughton, Frederic Rzewski, Roswell Rudd, Fred Tomkins and Sam Phipps and three albums as a leader released under the name Noah Young. Youngstein died November 9th at 71. 

Kjell Öhman (September 3rd, 1943 - November 5th, 2015) The Swedish pianist/organist released a handful of albums under his own name from 1966 into the new millennium and worked with fellow Scandinavians like Rune Gustafsson, Bengt-Arne Wallin, Mads Vinding, Monica Zetterlund and ex-pat drummer Ed Thigpen to go along with a far more voluminous career as a session musician for Swedish pop acts. Öhman died November 5th at 72. 

Lothar Meid (August 28th, 1942 - November 3rd, 2015) The German bassist was a member of the jazz-rock bands Amon Düül, Embryo and Klaus Doldinger’s Passport and later moved into a parallel career as a film score composer. Meid died November 3rd at 73. 

Gene Norman (January 30th, 1922 - November 2nd, 2015) The club owner and record producer (né Nabatoff) came to jazz through work on the radio, then concert promotion at venues like the Shrine Auditorium and Hollywood Bowl and continued with Crescendo, his Los Angeles club, hosting many major jazz and comedy acts, such as Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington, and his eponymous label GNP (Gene Norman Presents), which released albums by Charlie Ventura, Buddy DeFranco, Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown and Max Roach, the debut by alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Lionel Hampton, Tenors West (Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, Harry Klee and Bob Enevoldsen with the Marty Paich Octet) and many others (some recorded live at Crescendo). Norman died November 2nd at 93.

Lee Shaw (June 25th, 1926 - October 25th, 2015) The pianist was perhaps best known for teaching John Medeski but studied off and on with Oscar Peterson, co-led a trio with her husband, drummer Stan Shaw, for decades, which backed up numerous visiting musicians in their adopted region of upstate New York, and played regularly with her own long-standing trio, recording the acclaimed Live in Graz (ARC) when she was 81 and then a quartet album with Medeski, Together Again: Live At The Egg (ARC) two years later. Shaw died October 25th at 89. 

Nat Peck (January 13th, 1925 - October 24th, 2015) The Brooklynite trombonist spent time in England as part of Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Orchestra, moved to Paris where he recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke, became a mainstay of Clarke’s big band with Francy Boland as well as amassing credits with Coleman Hawkins, Carmen McRae, Michel Legrand and Phil Woods, later giving up playing in lieu of orchestral contracting. Peck died October 24th at 90. 

Mark Murphy (March 14th, 1932 – October 22nd, 2015) The vocalist, multiple Grammy nominee and regular jazz poll winner had nearly 50 albums as leader for Verve, Riverside, Muse, HighNote and a one-album return to Verve in 2006 alongside guest spot with Charlie Byrd, Herb Geller, Jeff Hamilton and The Royal Bopsters Project. Murphy died October 22nd at 83.

Don Rendell (March 4th, 1926 - October 20th, 2015) The British saxophonist bridged the worlds of trad jazz and more experimental fare, working early on with Johnny Dankworth and Ted Heath (as well as being part of the touring bands of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman) and then co-founding a modern jazz quintet with trumpeter Ian Carr (which gave opportunities to younger British jazz musicians), recording several albums, and appearing on sessions by Michael Garrick, Neil Ardley and Amancio d’Silva while continuing to record as a leader into the new millennium. Rendell died October 20th at 89. 

Larry Rosen (May 25th, 1940 - October 9th, 2015) The music industry figure and one-time drummer co-founded GRP Records along with Dave Grusin (Billboard’s #1 Contemporary Jazz label for five consecutive years, the roster of which included Chick Corea, Diana Krall, Ramsey Lewis, Arturo Sandoval, Michael and Randy Brecker, Kevin Eubanks, Gary Burton and many others), created the PBS series Legends of Jazz, produced the Jazz Roots series and Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and won numerous Grammys as an album producer. Rosen died October 9th at 75. 

Dave Pike (March 23rd, 1938 - October 3rd, 2015) The vibraphonist’s early career was as part of Herbie Mann’s 1963-67 groups and he also worked with Slide Hampton, Kenny Clarke and Volker Kriegel and had a steady career as a leader starting with a 1961 Riverside date and continuing through the decades with releases on Epic, Moodsville, Verve, MPS, Muse and Criss Cross. Pike died October 3rd at 77. 

Coleridge Goode (November 29th, 1914 - October 2nd, 2015) The Jamaican bassist made his career in London after moving there in 1942, working early on with guitarist Django Reinhardt and then violinist Stéphane Grappelli and also was a part of fellow Jamaican Leslie “Jiver” Hutchinson’s all-Black band but is best known for his contributions to the more progressive ‘60s British jazz scene on albums led by alto saxophonist Joe Harriott and pianist Michael Garrick. Goode died October 2nd at 100. 

Phil Woods (November 2nd, 1931 – September 29th, 2015) The alto saxophonist, a DownBeat Critics’ Poll Winner in 1975-79, 1981-85, 1988-90, 1992, 1996-2001 and 2008 and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, President’s Merit Awardee from the Grammy Foundation and Kennedy Center Living Legends in Jazz recipient, got his start with Jimmy Raney and Neal Hefti, debuting as a co-leader in 1954 with Jon Eardley for Prestige, continue to record for the label through the ‘50s and later for Mode, Epic, Candid, Impulse, Pathé, Verve, Embryo, Muse, Philology (an Italian label named for him for whom he recorded from 1980 onwards), Enja, Red, Mosaic, Venus, Chesky, Jazzed Media and Kind of Blue, among others to go along with sideman dates for Duke Jordan, Donald Byrd, Frank Wess, Sahib Shihab, Cecil Payne, Herbie Mann, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Thelonious Monk, Benny Carter, Bob Brookmeyer, Quincy Jones, Art Farmer, Oliver Nelson, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Michel Legrand and many others, plus being the soloist on Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are”. Woods died September 29th at 83.

Wilton Felder (August 31st, 1940 - September 27th, 2015) The saxophonist was one of the co-founders of the Jazz Crusaders of the ‘60s (later Crusaders in the ‘70s and then partially reformed as the Jazz Crusaders in the ‘90s) and would go on to a long career as an electric bassist for artists like Jean-Luc Ponty, Blue Mitchell, Donald Byrd, Grant Green and various pop acts, returning to saxophone for his several albums as a leader. Felder died September 27th at 75. 

Ray Warleigh (September 28th, 1938 - September 21st, 2015) The Australian saxophonist’s career was based in the blues, folk and jazz scenes of Britain, the latter as part of the groups of Ronnie Scott, Mike Gibbs, Mike Westbrook, John Stevens, Tubby Hayes, Soft Machine, Kenny Wheeler, Ray Russell, Dedication Orchestra and Stan Sulzmann, in addition to four albums as a leader or co-leader for Phillips, Vinyl, psi and Rare Music. Warleigh died September 21st at 76. 

Zen Matsuura (??? - September 19th, 2015) The Japanese-American drummer was a founder of the short-lived Commitment band with Jason Hwang, Will Connell and William Parker and also worked with Parker, pianist Steve Cohn, violinist Billy Bang and trumpeter Roy Campbell, Jr. Matsuura died September 19th at an unspecified age. 

Ernie Felice (April 11th, 1922 - September 13th, 2015) The accordion player briefly brought the instrument into the jazz world as part of clarinetist Benny Goodman’s short-lived sextet of 1947 and released a handful of more commercial albums under his own name for Capitol. Felice died September 13th at 93. 

Augusta Lee Collins (1946 - September 7th, 2015) The guitarist’s recent work was in the realm of Delta blues but he got his start as a drummer playing R&B and then jazz in the ‘70s, working with Idris Ackamoor’s Pyramids and Julian Priester’s Marine Intrusion. Collins died September 7th at 69. 

Bruce Lawrence (~1927 - August 31st, 2015) The bassist had credits with Dave Martin, Rose Murphy and Babs Gonzales. Lawrence died August 31st at 88.

Hugo Rasmussen (March 22nd, 1941 – August 30th, 2015) The Danish bassist, winner of the Ben Webster, Bent Jædig and Dansk Musiker Forbund Prizes and pedagogue at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, had hundreds of credits with a wide stylistic swathe of players, from saxophonists Ben Webster, Oliver Nelson and John Tchicai and pianists Joe Albany and Horace Parlan to guitarist Pierre Dørge and drummer Kresten Osgood, plus a few albums as a leader or as part of a collective. Rasmussen died August 30th at 74.

Erik Lindström (May 29th, 1922 - August 27th, 2015) The Finnish bassist had early credits with Bengt Hallberg, Benny Bailey and his own ensembles but was much better known in his native country as a composer and arranger for various pop and jazz acts. Lindström died August 27th at 93. 

Doudou N’diaye Rose (July 30th, 1928 - August 19th, 2015) The Senegalese Griot and percussionist had performing credits with such jazz players as Miles Davis, David Murray and Michel Portal. Rose died August 19th at 87. 

Max Greger (April 2nd, 1926 - August 15th, 2015) The German saxophonist began his jazz career after World War II, led a number of small bands during the ‘50s-60s and then took over leadership of the ZDF Big Band in the ‘70s along with releasing albums on Brunswick and Polydor. Greger died August 15th at 89. 

Emily Ann Wingert (November 24th, 1934 - August 15th, 2015) The founder and proprietor of the Montclair jazz club Trumpets from 1988-98 (sold after losing her hearing) later was an advocate for the hearing-impaired. Wingert died August 15th at 80.

Harold Ousley (January 23rd, 1929 - August 13th, 2015) The tenor saxophonist had a smattering of leader dates for Bethlehem, Muse, Cobblestone and Delmark from 1961-2000 along with sessions under Bennie Green, Horace Parlan, Jack McDuff, Grassella Oliphant, Ray Bryant, George Benson, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Lou Donaldson and Dinah Washington. Ousley died August 13th at 86. 

Gary Keys (February 12th, 1934 - August 9th, 2015) The documentary filmmaker’s later works may have been about Whitney Houston and Muhammad Ali but he got his start as a jazz concert programmer at MoMA, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and made three films about Duke Ellington, the first in conjunction with a tour of the band he organized, as well as the 1976 TV special “The Original Rompin’ Stompin’ Hot and Heavy, Cool and Groovy All-Star Jazz Show” with jazz legends of the period. Keys died August 9th at 81. 

Buddy Emmons (January 27th, 1937 - July 29th, 2015) The steel guitar player was a legend in the Nashville country scene from the late ‘50s on but brought his instrument into the jazz world with Steel Guitar Jazz (Verve, 1963), featuring Jerome Richardson, Art Davis and Charli Persip and material by Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver and Ray Noble. Emmons died July 29th at 78. 

Van Alexander (May 2nd, 1915 - July 19th, 2015) The composer and arranger, known for his work with a young Ella Fitzgerald (while both were with Chick Webb), also collaborated with Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, Peggy Lee and others and later become famed as a composer for Hollywood films and teacher of arranging. Alexander died July 19th at 100. 

John Taylor (Sep. 25th, 1942 - July 17th, 2015) The pianist was a participant in the jazz scene of his native England in the ‘60s, working with Harry Beckett, Graham Collier, Alan Skidmore, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone (the latter two with whom he formed Azimuth), leading various groups on labels like Turtle and MPS in the ‘70s to his most recent recordings for CAM Jazz and being a stalwart player for ECM on sessions by Arild Andersen, Peter Erskine, Jan Garbarek, Miroslav Vitous, Surman, Wheeler and Winstone. Taylor died July 17th at 72. 

Howard Rumsey (November 7th, 1917 - July 15th, 2015) The California bassist’s early work was in the Stan Kenton band but his claim to fame is establishing The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach as ground zero for the West Coast jazz movement in 1949 and leading The Lighthouse All-Stars, members of which included Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Giuffre, Bud Shank, Hampton Hawes, Marty Paich, Shelly Manne, Max Roach and others and recorded for the Contemporary label in the ‘50s and then again in the late ‘80s after reforming. Rumsey died July 15th at 97. 

Ettore Stratta (March 20th, 1933 - July 9th, 2015) The producer of albums by Phil Woods, Dick Hyman, Stéphane Grappelli, Tony Bennett, Eddie Daniels, Ramsey Lewis, Cleo Laine, Dave Brubeck and others as well as a conductor/arranger for popular symphonic orchestras was, along with his wife Pat Philips, an organizer of concerts, notably the annual Django Reinhardt Festival held at Birdland. Stratta died July 9th at 82. 

Masabumi Kikuchi (October 19th, 1939 – July 6th, 2015) The pianist, nicknamed Poo, began his career in his native Japan in the early ‘60s, first with older players like pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and Sadao Watanabe, then peers such as Masahiko Togashi and Terumasa Hino and visiting players like Gary Peacock, starting his leader career in 1970, then, later in the decade, relocating to New York City where he worked with Gil Evans, Hino and Al Foster, led his own projects, such as a series of realtime synthesizer performances named for the elements in Japanese Buddhism and his Tethered Moon group with Peacock and Paul Motian, and being part of Motian’s last groups and including him in his ECM debut. Kikuchi died July 6th at 75.

Garrison Fewell (October 14th, 1953 - July 5th, 2015) The guitarist and professor at Berklee College of Music led ensembles such as The Variable Density Sound Orchestra, released albums on Accurate, Koch and Splasc(h) and collaborated with John Tchicai, Steve Swell and others. Fewell died July 5th at 61. 

Joerg Reiter (November 22nd, 1958 - July 2nd, 2015) The German pianist’s credits include Biréli Lagrène, Johannes Faber, Peter Herbolzheimer and Uri Caine as well as his own bands and work as an arranger for various ensembles. Reiter died July 2nd at 56. 

Eddy Louiss (May 2nd, 1941 - June 30th, 2015) The French organ player had over 30 albums to his credit, mostly for Nocturne and Dreyfus, and collaborations with John Surman, Kenny Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty, Daniel Humair, Barney Kessel, Stan Getz, Jef Gilson and Stephane Grappelli since the mid ‘60s. Louiss died June 30th at 74.

Bob Whitlock (January 21st, 1931 - June 30th, 2015) The bassist, whose credits include the ‘50s quartets of Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan and Warne Marsh, also worked with Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Zoot Sims and others. Whitlock died June 30th at 84.

Carlos Carli (September 28th, 1946 - June 26th, 2015) The Uruguayan drummer, based in Spain, was a stalwart of the Madrid scene and worked most notably with Pedro Iturralde and Paquito D’Rivera, whom he housed after the clarinetist fled Cuba. Carli died June 26th at 68.

Hal Gaylor (July 9th, 1929 - June 25th, 2015) The Canadian bassist, whose earliest work was backing visiting American singers, went on to play with countryman pianist Paul Bley on both sides of the border, was a member of Chico Hamilton’s quintet in the late ‘50s, worked with Clark Terry, Stan Getz, Bill Evans and Kai Winding, became part of the NYC fusion scene in the late ‘60s and left music in 1972 after a viral infection partially destroyed his hearing. Gaylor died June 25th at 85.

Gunther Schuller (November 22nd, 1925 - June 21st, 2015) The composer and musical theorist, whose career began on French horn on Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool as well as sessions by John Lewis, Gigi Gryce, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan and Julius Watkins and as a conductor for the Modern Jazz Quartet, Charles Mingus and others, was a longtime educator at Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, Berkshire Music Center and New England Conservatory (where he served as President for a decade), composed hundreds of works, was credited for creating the Third Stream movement, founded his own record label and publishing companies, was a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award, Pulitzer Prize and DownBeat Lifetime Achievement Award and whose sons Ed (bass) and George (drums) are active jazz players. Schuller died June 21st at 89.

Harold Battiste (October 28th, 1931 - June 19th, 2015) The New Orleanais pianist (originally a saxophonist) was famed as a producer, record label owner and arranger (mostly for R&B acts, notably early work with Dr. John) and went on to become an educator in his hometown, mentoring younger musicians like trumpeter Wynton and saxophonist Branford Marsalis and trumpeters Nicholas Payton and Terence Blanchard in his Next Generation Band. Battiste died June 19th at 83.

Jean Warland (October 23rd, 1926 - June 17th, 2015) The Belgian bassist’s credits include Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland, Don Byas, Duško Gojković, Fats Sadi, Sahib Shihab, Charly Antolini, Peter Herbolzheimer, Eugen Cicero and Barbara Dennerlein. Warland died June 17th at 88.

Allan Browne (July 28th, 1944 - June 13th, 2015) The Australian drummer was a founder of the Red Onion Jazz Band, worked with visiting American musicians, was a mainstay in the Paul Grabowsky Trio, led the groups Onaje, Australian Jazz Band and Allan Browne Sextet and was a frequent Australian Jazz Bell Award winner. Browne died June 13th at 70.

Monica Lewis (May 5th, 1922 - June 12th, 2015) The vocalist, best known for her TV and film work as well as voicing the Miss Chiquita Banana cartoon character, got her start in the band of Benny Goodman and went on to record for Signature, Decca, Jubilee, Capitol and Verve. Lewis died June 12th at 93.

Ornette Coleman (March 9th, 1930 - June 11th, 2015) The alto saxophonist (and trumpeter and violinist), named an NEA Jazz Master in 1984, had early work was in dance bands in the South then, eschewing the traditional jazz path of sidemanship, made his simultaneous recording and leader debut at 28 for Contemporary, followed by the prophetic Atlantic album The Shape of Jazz To Come and seminal dates Free Jazz (Atlantic, 1960), Live at The “Golden Circle” (Blue Note, 1965), Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971), Skies of America (Columbia, 1972), Of Human Feelings (Antilles, 1979) with his Prime Time band and Song X (Geffen, 1985) with guitarist Pat Metheny, his last official album, Sound Grammar (2006), winning the Pulitzer Prize. Coleman died June 11th at 85.

Archie Alleyne (January 7th, 1933 - June 8th, 2015) The Canadian drummer became a legend in his hometown of Toronto, both as a local performer at various venues and as a backing musician for visiting American acts. Alleyne died June 8th at 82.

Paul Bacon (December 25th, 1923 - June 8th, 2015) The graphic designer, best known for his iconic book jackets from the ‘50s on, as well as movie posters like Jaws, got his start as an LP designer for the Blue Note and Riverside labels in the ‘50s. Bacon died June 8th at 91.

Ray Kennedy (January 6th, 1957 - May 28th, 2015) The pianist and arranger worked as a leader of his own groups and as part of various big bands but spent much of the new millennium as band member in and arranger for guitarist John Pizzarelli’s various projects. Kennedy died May 28th at 58.

Emmanuel Riggins (September 17th, 1942 - May 28th, 2015) The keyboardist was best known for appearances on early ‘70s albums by Grant Green and later Billy Wooten and as father of modern jazz drummer Karriem Riggins. Riggins died May 28th at 72.

Peter Schmidlin (December 28th, 1947 - May 25th, 2015) The Swiss drummer began his professional career in his native country as a teen and worked extensively over the decades with stars from both sides of the Atlantic, some performances of which were documented on Schmidlin’s own TCB - The Montreux Label, which was founded in 1994 and had close to a hundred releases. Schmidlin died May 25th at 68. 

Marcus Belgrave (June 12th, 1936 - May 24th, 2015) The Motor City trumpeter got his start in the horn-heavy bands of Ray Charles in the late ‘50s, went on to work with Charles Mingus, former Charles bandmate David “Fathead” Newman, McCoy Tyner, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and protégé Geri Allen, was a longtime session musician for Motown Records, released a handful of albums as leader and was treasured as an educator/mentor of many musicians coming out of Detroit such as Allen, Regina Carter, James Carter and Kenny Garrett. Belgrave died May 24th at 78.

Bob Belden (October 31st, 1956 - May 20th, 2015) The saxophonist and producer was noted for his daring arrangements of pop music (The Beatles, Prince, Sting) in jazz contexts, produced a number of notable reissues, particularly of Miles Davis and crucial fusion recordings, and performed and/or recorded with Tim Hagans, Herbie Hancock, Nicholas Payton and part of the Powerhouse project, reimagining Davis’ In a Silent Way. Belden died May 20th at 58.

Bruce Lundvall (September 13th, 1935 - May 19th, 2015) The record label executive began in the marketing department of Columbia in the ‘60s, eventually becaming president (and later president of its parent company CBS) and during his tenure signed such artists as tenor saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz, keyboard player Herbie Hancock and young trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, leaving in 1982 to found Musician, a jazz subsidiary of Elektra, whose output included reissues and new releases by vocalist Bobby McFerrin, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianists Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner, guitarists Kevin Eubanks and Bill Frisell, drummer Billy Cobham, tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd and the World Saxophone Quartet and, finally, was offered the assignment of reviving the dormant Blue Note label for Capitol Records, raising it close to its former glory with a roster including Marsalis, saxophonist Joe Lovano, pianists Jason Moran, Jacky Terrasson and Robert Glasper, trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Ambrose Akinmusire and vocalists Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson and others. Lundvall died May 19th at 79. 

Ron Crotty (Apr. 2nd, 1929 - May 7th, 2015) The West Coast bassist, despite playing into his 80s and leading his own bands, is best remembered as an original member of pianist Dave Brubeck’s late ‘40s-early ‘50s trio and quartet and appearing on some of his famous college recordings. Crotty died May 7th at 86.

Jerome Cooper (Dec. 14th, 1946 - May 6th, 2015) The drummer/keyboard player was an early member of the A.A.C.M. and had a handful of albums as a leader or co-leader for Karma, hatHUT and Mutable but is most noted as one-third of the groundbreaking chamber jazz trio The Revolutionary Ensemble, alongside violinist Leroy Jenkins and bassist Sirone, which was active in the late ‘60s-late ‘70s, revived in the new millennium and of which Cooper was the last surviving member. Cooper died May 6th at 68.

Marty Napoleon (June 2nd, 1921 - April 27th, 2015) The pianist came from a musical family (uncle Phil was a trumpeter who led the Memphis Five and older brother Teddy, who died in 1964 at 50, was also a pianist and had a two-piano quartet with his brother), worked with numerous big bands in the ‘40s, was one-quarter of “The Big Four” alongside drummer Buddy Rich, bassist Chubby Jackson and leader/ saxophonist Charlie Ventura and had two stints (14 years apart) with trumpeter Louis Armstrong’s All-Stars, to go along with a handful of sessions as a leader (mostly in the late ‘50s for Bethlehem and Everest but also a self-released album from 2011 appropriately called Swingin’ at 90) and numerous soundtrack credits. Napoleon died April 27th at 97.

Wolfgang Sauer (January 2nd, 1928 - April 26th, 2015) The vocalist/pianist had a successful career in the early ‘50s- 60s in his native Germany, working with countrymen orchestra leaders like Kurt Edelhagen, Erwin Lehn and Paul Kuhn before switching to pop music and eventual radio broadcasting. Sauer died April 26th at 87. 

Bernard Stollman (July 19th, 1929 - April 19th, 2015) The lawyer turned label impresario gave a home to a generation of progressive jazz musicians (as well as some European compatriots and an array of free-thinking rock and folk acts) with over 100 albums from 1964-74 on his ESP-Disk’ imprint, restarted in 2005, reissuing many of its releases (and previously unissued historical sessions) and signing new artists, yet excoriated throughout the decades for, at best, negligence and, at worst, malfeasance with accusations of unpaid royalties, particularly for shady European reissues after the label’s initial folding. Stollman died April 19th at 85.

Eric Doney (January 22nd, 1953 - April 17th, 2015) The pianist got early experience in Poconos resort bands led by saxophonist Al Cohn, drummer Bill Goodwin and others, later played with singer Jon Hendricks and bandleader Les Brown and founded Pacific St. Records, releasing albums by saxophonist Phil Woods, pianist Bob Dorough and himself. Doney died April 17th at 62.

Mick Collins (1938 - April 9th, 2015) The British trumpeter was part of several progressive English large ensembles led by pianists in the ‘60s- 70s, such as Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, Mike Westbrook’s big bands and Keith Tippett’s Centipede, and later led his own bands, including the 40-year-old Modern Jazz Orchestra, a proving ground for many young British jazz musicians. Collins died April 9th at 76.

Rick Chamberlain (March 17th, 1952 - March 27th, 2015) The trombonist was a regular house musician in the Poconos for visiting acts, co-founded the annual jazz festival Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts and worked and/ or recorded with Bill Watrous, Chuck Mangione, Louis Bellson, Gerry Mulligan, Mel Tormé, George Shearing and Phil Woods. Chamberlain died March 27th at 63.

Dale Fitzgerald (December 23rd, 1942 - March 20th, 2015) The jazz impresario co-founded The Jazz Gallery in 1995 (originally in SoHo, since relocated to Midtown South), was its Executive Director until 2009 and introduced each concert with a distinctive smooth baritone voice, which oozed an unmistakable veneration for the genre. Fitzgerald died March 20th at 72.

Paul Jeffrey (April 8th, 1933 - March 20th, 2015) The saxophonist had the bulk of his career as a leader in the late ‘60s - early ‘70s for Savoy and Mainstream, had sideman credits with Charles Mingus (working with the bassist until his 1979 death), Sam Rivers, Thelonious Monk, Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie and was an educator at Columbia, Jersey City State College, Rutgers and Duke. Jeffrey died March 20th at 81.

Daevid Allen (January 13th, 1938 - March 13th, 2015) The Australian guitarist/ composer co-founded jazz/progressive rock band The Soft Machine but left the band and the UK shortly thereafter for France, where he founded the prog band Gong, which performed, in various incarnations, for five decades. Allen died March 13th at 77.

Lew Soloff (February 20th, 1944 - March 8th, 2015) The trumpeter had a discography that found him in a wide variety of ensembles, from big bands like Maynard Ferguson, Eddie Palmieri, Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, George Russell, Carla Bley, Bill Warfield, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, George Gruntz, Mike Gibbs and particularly Gil Evans to small group recordings with Barry Miles, George Benson, Mongo Santamaria, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Stanley Clarke, Gato Barbieri, Carmen McRae, Steve Gadd and Joe Henderson, was the longest-tenured member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet, co-led the cooperative Trumpet Legacy with Tom Harrell, Eddie Henderson and Nicholas Payton, had voluminous credits in the pop world, particularly Blood, Sweat & Tears (BS&T), and a handful of albums as a leader since the mid ‘80s. Soloff died March 8th at 71.

Orrin Keepnews (March 2nd, 1923 - March 1st, 2015) The producer, multiple Grammy-award winner and NEA Jazz Master, after working briefly as a jazz critic, co-founded Riverside Records (the early roster of which included such future legends as Randy Weston, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and Sonny Rollins) and then co-founded Milestone Records with pianist Dick Katz (releasing albums by Joe Henderson, Lee Konitz, Jack DeJohnette, Gary Bartz and McCoy Tyner, among many others), eventually working on the catalogues for both under then-owners Fantasy and, later, Concord Music Group, which briefly had a Keepnews Collection series featuring new liner notes written by him. Keepnews died March 1st at 91.

Cephas Bowles (April 20th, 1952 - February 21st, 2015) The radio veteran became President/CEO of jazz station WBGO in 2009, was a board member of the Syracuse University Jazz Appreciation Society and recipient of a Jazz Hero Award from the Jazz Journalists Association in 2014. Bowles died February 21st at 62.

Clark Terry (December 14th, 1920 - February 21st, 2015) The trumpeter, National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, Jazz at Lincoln Center Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner; holder of 16 honorary doctorates, Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department recipient of The French Order of Arts and Letters and holder of a step on the St. Louis Walk of Fame and who performed, during his 70-year career, for eight U.S. presidents came up in the bands of Charlie Barnet, Count Basie (backing up Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday) and Duke Ellington, with whom he would play off and on from 1951-67 (and later with Mercer Ellington), going on to appear on hundreds of sessions by Oscar Pettiford, Johnny Hodges, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Johnny Griffin, Yusef Lateef, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Mark Murphy, Gary Burton, Michel Legrand, Baba Olatunji, Oliver Nelson, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Mann, J.J. Johnson, Lalo Schifrin, Bob Brookmeyer, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones and many many more and amassing dozens albums under his own name since the mid ‘50s. Terry died February 21st at 94.

Keith Copeland (April 18th, 1946 - February 14th, 2015) The drummer was the son of trumpeter Ray Copeland, debuted on record with Johnny Griffin in 1978, worked with the Heath Brothers, Sam Jones, Dr. Billy Taylor, George Russell, Charlie Rouse, Joshua Breakstone, Stanley Cowell, Chris White, Hank Jones, Chris Connor and Johnny Hartman, released a number of albums under his own name starting in 1993 and was a longtime educator. Copeland died February 14th at 68.

Richie Pratt (March 11th, 1943 - February 12th, 2015) The drummer recorded with Lonnie Liston Smith, Frank Foster, Roland Hanna, New York Jazz Quartet, Lionel Hampton and worked in the band of Broadway’s Sophisticated Ladies. Pratt died February 12th at 71.

Benny Vasseur (March 7th, 1926 - February 6th, 2015) The French trombonist worked with Claude Bolling, Sidney Bechet and James Moody in the ‘40s, Django Reinhardt and Americans like Lucky Thompson and Chet Baker in the ‘50s, had a long-standing duo with fellow trombonist André Paquinet and continued performing through 2007. Vasseur died February 6th at 88. 

William Thomas McKinley (Dec. 9th, 1938 - February 3rd, 2015) The classical composer studied with Gunther Schuller at New England Conservatory (later teaching composition and jazz there), wrote the notorious Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra featuring Stan Getz and recorded (as Tom McKinley) with Ed Schuller and Miroslav Vitous. McKinley died February 3rd at 76.

Zane Musa (January 1st, 1979 - February 2nd, 2015) The saxophonist was a member of trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s bands and also had credits with Phil Ranelin, Dave Tough and Austin Peralta to go along with one album as a leader. Musa died February 2nd at 36.

Ward Swingle (Sep. 21st, 1927 - January 19th, 2015) The American pianist and singer founded the Grammy-winning French vocal group Les Swingle Singers in the early ‘60s (which featured jazz vocalist Christiane Legrand), bringing jazz cadences and improvisation to the works of classical composers, and later similar groups with slightly different names in the UK and US. Swingle died January 19th at 87. 

Paul Serrano Paul Serrano (January 1st, 1932 - January 15th, 2015) As a trumpeter he led a date for Riverside in 1960 and had credits with MJT+3, Lorez Alexandria, Eddie Higgins, James Moody, Mongo Santamaria, Art Farmer, Red Holloway, Sonny Cox, Bunky Green, Ramsey Lewis and others while as an engineer at his P.S. studio worked on albums by Young-Holt Unlimited, Moody, Ahmad Jamal, Jimmy McGriff, Sonny Stitt, Lewis, Muhal Richard Abrams, Air, Chico Hamilton, Eddie Harris, Cleveland Eaton, Malachi Thompson, New York Jazz Quartet, Clifford Jordan, Von Freeman, Chico Freeman, Charles Earland, Kahil El’Zabar, Barrett Deems, Andrew Lamb, Roscoe Mitchell, Eric Alexander, Cecil Payne, Zane Massey, Ari Brown, Jodi Christian, Marian McPartland, Frank Catalano and others. Serrano died January 15th at 83. 

Clifford Adams (October 8th, 1952 - January 12th, 2015) The trombonist’s first professional gigs came in his late teens with local funk bands, then was hired by Charles Earland for several ‘70s Prestige albums, followed by work with Lonnie Liston Smith, Reggie Lucas, Rhoda Scott, Charlie Rouse, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Duke Ellington orchestras, Max Roach and a 1979-2013 association with Kool & the Gang as well as more jazz work with Slide Hampton’s World of Trombones, Charles Davis, Bobby Watson, Mario Escalera, Jimmy McGriff, Earland again, Spirit of Life Ensemble, Vincent Herring and Anthony Branker, releasing a handful albums as a leader starting in the late ‘90s. Adams died January 12th at 62. 

George Probert (March 5th, 1927 - January 10th, 2015) The soprano saxophonist/clarinetist, concurrent with a career as a music editor for TV and film, was a stalwart figure in the California trad-jazz scene, working with Bob Scobey, Ward Kimball, Kid Ory, George Bruns, Eddy Davis, Golden River City Jazz Band, Benkó Dixieland Band, Natural Gas Jazz Band, The Frisco Syncopators, Bill Bissonnette and others and having his own or co-led dates on G.H.B., Fat Cat’s Jazz, Feel The Jazz, Jazz Crusade and Jazzology.Probert died January 10th at 87.

Ivan Jullien (October 27th, 1934 - January 3rd, 2015) The French bandleader, trumpeter and composer worked with Jef Gilson, Eddy Louiss and other countrymen, wrote arrangements for Didier Lockwood and a number of French vocalists like Charles Aznavour and led the Paris Jazz All Stars in the ‘60s. Jullien died January 3rd at 80.

Jeff Golub (April 15th, 1955 - January 1st, 2015) The smooth jazz guitarist, in addition to 12 albums as a leader for Atlantic, GRP and E1 since 1988 and credits in the rock and blues worlds, worked with Bill Evans, Bob James, Gato Barbieri, David Benoit and Kirk Whalum. Golub died January 1st at 59.

Tommy Ruskin (July 15th, 1942 - January 1st, 2015) The Kansas City drummer stayed in his hometown to local acclaim, performing regularly at numerous venues, worked with Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Carl Fontana and Billy Eckstine and recorded with Mike Metheny, the older brother of Pat, the latter to whom Ruskin gave his first playing opportunities as a teenager. Ruskin died January 1st at 72.