2017 In Memoriam

---

John Buckingham (1940 - December, 2017) The tuba player was the rare African-American to play in symphony orchestras in the ‘60s-70s, a career he held concurrent with a smattering of jazz work, including participation in Carla Bley’s Escalator Over the Hill in 1971, two Bill Dixon Soul Note albums in 1985 and 1988 and concertizing into the new millennium. Buckingham died in December at an unknown age. 

Melton Mustafa (November 23rd, 1947 - December 28th, 2017) The trumpeter had a handful of ‘90s-00s dates as a leader to go along with work under Bobby Watson, Count Basie, Jaco Pastorius and Arthur Barron. Mustafa died December 28th at 70.

Roswell Rudd (November 17th, 1935 - December 21st, 2017) The trombonist’s early work in trad-jazz circles was set aside upon moving to New York in the late ‘50s, leading to sessions with Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, Archie Shepp, New York Art Quartet (of which Rudd was a founding member and which reunited briefly in 2000), Albert Ayler, Robin Kenyatta, his official leader debut in 1966 (Everywhere, Impulse!), participation in the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra and, as a result, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra and Carla Bley’s Escalator Over the Hill, the latter with whom he would continue to work through the end of the ‘70s, and appearances throughout the decades with Gato Barbieri, Enrico Rava, Allen Lowe, Steve Swell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Ab Baars, Charlie Kohlhase, Steven Bernstein’s Sexmob, Han Bennink and others, all to go along with albums made for Black Lion, Soul Note, Enja, Knitting Factory, Leo, Verve and, most recently, Sunnyside and RareNoise. Rudd died December 21st at 82. 

Kevin Mahogany (July 30th, 1958 - December 17th, 2017) The vocalist rose to stardom in the ‘90s with albums for Enja and Warner Bros. and credits under Elvin Jones, Carl Allen, Marlena Shaw, T.S. Monk, Ray Brown, Monty Alexander and others. Mahogany died December 17th at 59. 

Keely Smith (March 9th, 1928 - December 16th, 2017) The vocalist partner to and wife of fellow singer Louis Prima had her own success during her time with Prima and after their divorce, releasing albums on Capitol, Dot and Reprise during the late ‘50s-mid ‘60s, coming back to music in 1985 on Fantasy and then releasing a series of albums for Concord in the new millennium. Smith died December 16th at 89.

Willie Pickens (April 18th, 1931 - December 13th, 2017) Work with Eddie Harris brought the pianist early fame yet, due to staying in his adopted home of Chicago, he remained a local hero until tapped for membership in Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine and later sessions with Joanie Pallatto, Louis Bellson, Von Freeman, Marian McPartland and his own albums, done mostly for Southport Records. Pickens died December 13th at 86.

Sunny Murray (September 21st, 1936 - December 7th, 2017) The drummer, among those credited with unshackling jazz from time constraints and ushering in The New Thing, began playing with saxophonist Rocky Boyd in 1958 then, the next year, began the association that would propel his career: six years with pianist Cecil Taylor, accompanying him to Europe in the early ‘60s, where he would first play with saxophonist Albert Ayler, going on to record with the saxophonist, including a number of albums on ESP-Disk, the label that released Murray’s second album (Eponymous, 1966) after a release on the private label Jihad (Sonny’s Time Now, 1965), after which he would continue to record regularly over the decades for Shandar, EMI-Pathé, BYG-Actuel, Kharma, Marge, Moers, Westwind, Enja and Eremite, almost exclusively in Europe, where the drummer made his home in 1968 as part of the large exodus of American Black avant garde jazz players, and work with an array of American and European players like Bill Dixon, Ric Colbeck, Dave Burrell, Archie Shepp, Clifford Thornton, François Tusques, Burton Greene, Keshavan Maslak, Jimmy Lyons, Billy Bang, Khan Jamal, David Murray, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase and Charles Gayle. Murray died December 7th at 81. 

Mundell Lowe (April 21st, 1922 - December 2nd, 2017) The guitarist accompanied a number of singers from the ‘50s onwards such as Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Scott, Carmen McRae, Chris Connor and Ella Fitzgerald, worked with instrumentalists like Ruby Braff, Tony Scott, Billy Taylor, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter and Cal Tjader in a discography of hundreds of sessions and released his own albums on Victor, Riverside, RCA, Progressive and Nagel Heyer. Lowe died December 2nd at 95. 

George Avakian (March 15th, 1919 - November 22nd, 2017) The Russian émigré worked as a jazz critic, discographer, liner note author and, most importantly, producer, facilitating albums by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Gary Burton, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett in stints for Columbia, World Pacific, Warner Brothers and RCA, earning him an NEA Jazz Mastership in 2010. Avakian died November 22nd at 98. 

John Coates, Jr. (February 17th, 1938 - November 22nd, 2017) The pianist debuted as a leader in 1956 on Savoy but was a local hero in Delaware Water Gap, PA, playing at the Deer Head Inn and releasing albums on local label Omnisound in the ‘70s-80s. Coates died November 22nd at 79. 

Jon Hendricks (September 16th, 1921 - November 22nd, 2017) The vocalist, one-third of groundbreaking trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (LHR), began singing as a child, getting professional gigs on radio as a teenager, then, upon his move to New York, connecting with fellow vocalists Dave Lambert and Annie Ross to form LHR and recording the seminal vocalese album Sing a Song of Basie (ABC-Paramount, 1957) featuring Basie band members and Hendricks-penned lyrics for ten Basie band numbers, the trio going on to record albums for ABC-Paramount, Roulette, Pacific, Columbia and RCA Victor concurrent with Hendricks’ start as a leader for Pacific Jazz, then Columbia, Roulette, Reprise, Arista, Enja, Muse and Telarc. Hendricks died November 22nd at 96. 

Della Reese (July 6th, 1931 - November 19th , 2017) The gospel and pop vocalist had forays into soul-jazz singing on albums for Jubilee, ABC and RCA Victor in the late ‘50s-mid ‘60s and guesting with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1962. Reese died November 19th at 86. 

Ben Riley (July 17, 1933 - November 18th, 2017) The drummer was most closely associated with Thelonious Monk, having worked with the pianist from 1964-68, co-founding the Monk tribute band Sphere (active from 1982-2002) and leading his own Monk Legacy band, but was also a go-to drummer for hundreds of sessions from 1958 onwards. Riley died November 18th at 84. 

Mel Martin (June 7th 1942 - November 17th, 2017) The saxophonist was part of the early ‘90s tribute group Bebop & Beyond and recorded with Bill Summers, Mark Soskin, George Cables, Freddy Cole and Pete Escovedo. Martin died November 17th at 75. 

Sol Schlinger (September 6th, 1926 - November 12th, 2017) The baritone saxophonist had recording credits from the ‘50s onwards with Benny Goodman, Al Cohn, Urbie Green, Teo Macero, Teddy Charles, Manny Albam, George Russell, Mundell Lowe, Armando Peraza, Ruby Braff and many others. Schlinger died November 12th at 91. 

Bobby Matos (July 24th, 1941 - November 11th, 2017) The percussionist had a few albums on Cubop and credits under Bobby Hutcherson, Pucho And His Latin Soul Brothers and Dave Pike. Matos died November 11th at 76. 

Paul Buckmaster (June 13th, 1946 - November 7th, 2017) The English multi-instrumentalist’s later work was in the pop and rock world as an arranger but his early career was marked by leading avant jazz band The Chitinous Ensemble, arranging for and playing on Miles Davis’ On The Corner and appearances with Chris Barber, Stomu Yamash’ta and Neil Ardley. Buckmaster died November 7th at 71. 

Wendell Eugene (October 12th, 1923 - November 7th, 2017) The trombonist was a staple in his native New Orleans’ traditional jazz scene, working with Paul Barbarin, Papa French, Olympia Brass Band and Professor Longhair. Eugene died November 7th at 94. 

Muhal Richard Abrams (September 19th, 1930 - October 29th, 1987) The pianist/composer/organizer who helped found and continued to champion the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was part of Walter Perkins’ MJT then, by the early ‘60s, had moved away from hardbop and founded his Experimental Band, an assemblage of musicians who would become part of the AACM, the organization eventually to include every major Chicago experimenter, his organizing work concurrent with albums for Delmark, Black Saint, Arista Novus, RPR, Koch, Mutable and Pi and appearances albums by many of his AACM colleagues like Anthony Braxton, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Chico Freeman, George Lewis as well as others like Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Marion Brown, Robin Kenyatta, Barry Altschul, Clifford Jordan, Woody Shaw and Marty Ehrlich. Abrams died October 29th at 87.

Frank Holder (April 2nd, 1925 - October 29th, 2017) The singer/percussionist was born in British Guyana and, through a stint in the British Royal Airforce, made it to London, where during the ‘50s-60s he recorded a few albums as a leader and with Johnny Dankworth, Kenny Graham, Joe Harriott and, decades later, Barbara Thompson. Holder died October 29th at 92. 

Fred Staton (February 14th, 1915 - October 24th, 2017) The saxophonist (and brother to vocalist Dakota) had the distinction of being the oldest still-active jazz musician, working with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band and appearing on recent albums by Danny Mixon and Catherine Russell. Staton died October 24th at 102. 

Atle Hammer (March 11th, 1932 - October 22nd, 2017) The Norwegian trumpeter worked in various indigenous large ensembles led by Egil Kapstad and Kjell Karlsen as well as the Norwegian Radio Big Band and his own orchestra. Hammer died October 22nd at 85. 

Phil Miller (Jan. 22nd, 1949 - October 18th, 2017) The British guitarist was part of his country’s jazz-rock scene, releasing albums on Europa, Impetus, Reckless, Mantra, Virgin and Crescent and working with bands like Caravan, Matching Mole, National Health and Hatfield and The North. Miller died October 18th at 68. 

Andy McGhee (November 3rd, 1927 - October 12th, 2017) The saxophonist had credits as part of the Lionel Hampton and Woody Herman bands in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, giving up the road at the end of that period to become a full-time instructor at Berklee College of Music. McGhee died October 12th at 89. 

Gottfried Böttger (December 21st 1949 - October 16th, 2017) The German pianist was a member of Leinemann and Hamburg All-Stars, worked with Udo Lindenberg and Herb Geller and put out records for Karusell, Telefunken, Blind Man, BMG ARIS, L+R and MVM. Böttger died October 16th at 67.

Grady Tate (January 14th, 1932 - October 8th, 2017) The jazz veteran had two careers, the first starting in the late ‘50s as a drummer for Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz, Oliver Nelson, Donald Byrd, Wes Montgomery, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, Cal Tjader, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Harris, Ron Carter and many others, the other, beginning in 1968, as a vocalist with albums for Janus, Skye, ABC, Milestone, Half Note and others, the latter becoming his exclusive trade by the new millennium. Tate died October 8th at 85. 

Lou Gare (June 16th, 1939 - October 6th, 2017) The saxophonist came out of the nascent avant garde scene of his native England, was an on-again/off-again member of English improvising ensemble AMM from its earliest days in the mid ‘60s, its reunion in 1972 and briefly in 1989-90 and had a 2005 solo record on Matchless, AMM's in-house label. Gare died October 6th at 78.

Lou Marino (November 17th, 1936 - September 29th, 2017) The drummer’s father was part of Paul Whiteman’s band, his childhood friend was saxophonist/arranger Don Menza and, called as sub for a James Moody gig, he was heard by and hired to tour with trombonist Kai Winding from 1956-58, later touring with Billie Holiday and Billy Eckstine as well as the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in the mid ‘60s. Marino died September 29th at 80. 

Wilfried Eichhorn (May 27th, 1939 - September 24th, 2017) The German saxophonist had a small recorded legacy, most significantly as part of the early avant garde group Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe (MJQK) and then as part of Total Music Association, Fourmenonly (led by MJQK trumpeter Herbert Joos) and Frederic Rabold Crew. Eichhorn died September 24th at 78. 

Mike Carr (December 7th, 1937 - September 22nd, 2017) The British keyboard player (and brother to trumpeter Ian Carr), when not backing American musicians touring the U.K. and Europe, worked early on as part of The Emcee Five (alongside his brother) and later the jazz-funk band Cargo and released a handful of albums as a leader to go along with sideman work under Harold McNair, Ronnie Scott and other British players. Carr died September 22nd at 79. 

Pete Turner (May 30th, 1936 - September 18th, 2017) The photographer’s work was marked by intense color and deep geometry, whether shooting buildings, people or animals, pieces used for hundreds of LP covers for ABC-Paramount, Verve, Impulse, Epic, A&M, Kudu, Prestige and dozens of records for CTI, as much a part of that label’s aesthetic as Creed Taylor’s production and Don Sebesky's arranging. Turner died September 18th at 83. 

Jean Aussanaire (April 9th, 1961 - September 15th, 2017) The French reedplayer was a member of Cache Cache, Veines De Tuffeau, La Marmite Infernale, Workshop De Lyon, Harmonie L'Esperance De Saint Coin and Imuzzic Grand(s) Ensemble and worked with Mico Nissim. Aussanaire died September 15th at 56.

Frank Capp (August 20th, 1931 - September 12th, 2017) The drummer first worked under Marty Paich in various groups, was part of The Five Brothers, recorded with André Previn, Dinah Shore, Dave Pell, Shorty Rogers, Benny Goodman, Barney Kessel, Bud Shank and Chet Baker, as well as pop and rock credits under Cher, Captain & Tennille and even Frank Zappa, and led his Frankie Capp Percussion Group on the Kimberly LP In A Tribute To Glenn Miller in 1963 and a shared release, Juggernaut, with pianist Nat Pierce for Concord in 1977. Capp died September 12th at 86. 

Andy Manndorff (February 24th, 1957 - September 8th, 2017) The Austrian guitarist released albums on Millennium, EmArcy, Not Two, Extraplatte and Cracked AnEgg and was a member of the Vienna Art Orchestra in the mid ‘80s. Manndorf died September 8th at 60. 

John Jack (May 25th, 1933 - September 7th, 2017) The British jazz producer worked early on as a salesman for Melodisc, went on to be manager of Ronnie Scott’s Club and then founded the Cadillac label and distribution company, the former releasing albums by Dudu Pukwana, Harry Beckett, Johnny Dyani, Mike Westbrook, Stan Tracey, Bobby Wellins, Joe Harriott and other seminal figures in UK jazz history, as well as producing British trumpeter Ric Colbeck’s sole session as a leader, The Sun is Coming Up (Fontana, 1970). Jack died September 7th at 84. 

Leo Cuypers (December 1st, 1947 - September 5th, 2017) The Dutch pianist originally trained as a classical percussionist but was soon swept up in the burgeoning avant garde scene of his native Netherlands and larger Europe, switching to autodidactic study of the piano, going on to work with the Baden-Baden Free Jazz Orchestra, Theo Loevendie Consort, Willem Breuker (with and apart from his Kollektief), Nedly Elstak and Harry Miller and releasing albums on BASF, BVHaast, FMP, VaraJazz, Dureco and other labels. Cuypers died September 5th at 69. 

Morris Ellis (May 23rd, 1929 - September 1st, 2017) The trombonist was a product of bandleader Capt. Walter Dyett of Chicago’s DuSable High School and performed with Count Basie, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Ramsey Lewis, Eddie Harris and others in addition to leading his own bands and orchestras. Ellis died September 1st at 88. 

Larry Elgart (March 20th, 1922 - August 29th, 2017) The saxophonist worked with Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey and other big bands and then went on to lead, along with his brother Les, a swing/pop-inspired band that recorded a version of Charles Albertine’s “Bandstand Boogie”, the theme song for American Bandstand, and release albums for Decca, MGM, Columbia and RCA Victor. Elgart died August 29th at 95. 

Tim Luntzel (November 1st, 1972 - August 27th, 2017) The bassist’s recording credits include albums by Melvin Sparks, Jim Campilongo, Jenny Scheinman, Norah Jones, Lee Ranaldo and Michael Blake. Luntzel died August 27th at 44. 

John Abercrombie (December 16th, 1944 - August 22nd, 2017) The guitarist began his career in the organ jazz world under the leadership of Dick Delaney and Johnny “Hammond” Smith, then became part of the burgeoning fusion movement, both as part of the short-lived Dreams and on albums by Barry Miles, Gato Barbieri, Enrico Rava, Gil Evans, Cobham, Horacee Arnold, Michał Urbaniak and Dave Liebman’s Lookout Farm, the latter his entry to Manfred Eicher’s ECM label, a relationship yielding over 40 albums under his own name and with other ECM artists like DeJohnette, Rava, Barre Phillips, Charles Lloyd, Collin Walcott, Dave Holland, Jan Garbarek, John Surman, Ralph Towner and Kenny Wheeler. Abercrombie died on August 22nd at 72. 

Mike Hennessey (February 25th, 1928 - August 16th, 2017) The British author penned numerous liner notes for albums on MPS, Elektra, SteepleChase, Storyville and other labels and wrote or co-wrote biographies of Johnny Griffin, Kenny Clarke and Ronnie Scott. Hennessey died August 23rd at 89. 

Benard Ighner (January 18th, 1945 - August 14th, 2017) The vocalist and multi-instrumentalist had relatively few credits under his own name, including one leader album in 1978, but was known for his composing and producing work for a number of vocalists like Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, George Benson and Karrin Allyson. Ighner died August 14th at 72. 

Janet Seidel (May 28th, 1955 - August 8th, 2017) The Australian jazz and cabaret singer had a handful of albums under her own name, one of which, Moon of Manakoora, won the Bell Award for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album in 2006. Seidel died August 8th at 62. 

Eddie Pazant (June 29th, 1938 - August 1st, 2017) The saxophonist/ flutist/oboe player worked with Lionel Hampton for over a decade starting in 1959 as well as Pucho And The Latin Soul Brothers, Sonny Phillips, Dizzy Gillespie, George Gee, Frank Foster and Grant Green, Jr. and led his own band with his trumpeter brother Al, releasing an album on Vanguard in 1975. Pazant died August 1st at 79.

Chuck Loeb (December 7th, 1955 - July 31st, 2017) The guitarist had dozens of records for Grapevine, Jazz City, DMP, Lipstick, Shanachie and Heads Up International and sideman appearances with Stan Getz, Steps Ahead, Bob Mintzer, Donald Harrison, Vince Mendoza, Gary Burton, Rolf Kühn, Bob James, Ann Hampton Callaway and a number of pop artists. Loeb died July 13th at 61. 

Tom McIntosh (February 6th, 1927 - July 26th, 2017) The trombonist was a member of The Jazztet and New York Jazz Sextet and also worked with John Lewis, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Milt Jackson, Roland Kirk, Shirley Scott, Ray Brown, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Hubert Laws, Jimmy Smith, Art Blakey, Jimmy McGriff, Lee Morgan, Harold Vick, Eddie Harris, Dizzy Gillespie, Eddie Jefferson, Lionel Hampton and others and had his music and/or arrangements recorded by many of them plus Howard McGhee, Blue Mitchell, Leo Wright, Clifford Jordan, Maynard Ferguson, Bobby Timmons, Paul Winter, Illinois Jacquet, George Braith, Johnny Hodges, Benny Bailey, George Benson, Tommy Flanagan, Karin Krog, John Hicks, Kenny Burrell and more.  McIntosh died July 26th at 90.

Joe Thomas (May 31st, 1933 - July 26th, 2017) The saxophonist/flutist recorded in the ‘60s-70s with Buddy Terry, Rhoda Scott and Jimmy McGriff while releasing his own albums in the ‘70s for Groove Merchant and its subsequent incarnation Lester Radio Corporation. Thomas died July 26th at 84. 

Errol Dyers (March 29th, 1952 - July 21st, 2017) The South African guitarist had a single album on Nkomo as a leader and credits with Abdullah Ibrahim, Basil Coetzee, Sheer Allstars, Winston Ngozi and Robbie Jansen. Dyers died July 21st at 65. 

Graham Wood (September 15th, 1971 - July 19th, 2017) The Australian pianist led a trio, co-owned The Ellington Jazz Club, co-founded the Perth International Jazz Festival and was an Associate Professor at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Wood died July 19th at 45. 

Egil Kapstad (August 6th, 1940 - July 13th, 2017) The Norwegian pianist had albums on Norsk Jazzforum, Zarepta, NOPA, Gemini and Hot Club since the late ‘60s to go along with credits under Karin Krog, Chet Baker and many Norwegian folk musicians. Kapstad died July 13th at 76. 

Joe Fields (1929 - July 12th, 2017) The producer began his career with the Brooklyn sales beat for Columbia Records, followed by a spot with London Records in their singles division, a position with Creed Taylor's Verve and then five years with Prestige, finally founding Cobblestone, which morphed into Muse Records abetted by producer Don Schlitten and then 25 years later HighNote and sister label Savant. Fields died July 12th at 88. 

Phil Cohran (May 8th, 1927 - June 28th, 2017) The trumpeter, an early member of Chicago’s Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, played with the Sun Ra Arkestra from 1959-61, led his own Artistic Heritage Ensemble from 1967 onward with a number of releases on his own Zulu Records and early performances at the Affro-Arts Theater, which he also founded, and fathered all eight members of the modern all-horn Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Cohran died June 28th at 90. 

Alain Tercinet (January 29th, 1935 - June 28th, 2017) The French author wrote books on West Coast Jazz, Bebop, Jazz on Screen, Charlie Parker and Stan Getz and liner notes for releases on BMG France, Blue Note, Decca France, EMI France, EmArcy, Frémeaux & Associés, Gitanes Jazz Productions, Media 7, RCA, Saga, Universal France, Verve and other labels. Tercinet died June 28th at 82.

Geri Allen (June 12th, 1957 - June 27th, 2017) The pianist, among the most significant musicians of her generation, began classical studies as a child, was influenced early on by the music she heard in her Lutheran church, received extensive jazz training at the famed Cass Technical High School and counted Detroit trumpeter Marcus Belgrave as an early mentor, then, after moving to Pittsburgh, absorbed the influence of Mary Lou Williams and made her first album as leader in 1984 for Minor Music, followed over the decades by releases on Polygram, Soul Note, Blue Note, Winter & Winter, Verve, DIW, Storyville, Telarc and Motéma Music, complemented by hundreds of sessions with Belgrave, Oliver Lake, Frank Lowe, Steve Coleman, Woody Shaw, John Stubblefield, James Newton, Greg Osby, Paul Motian, Ralph Peterson, Chico Freeman, Jay Hoggard, Betty Carter, Cassandra Wilson, Wallace Roney, Joseph Jarman, Reggie Workman, Lenny White, Bob Belden, Andy Bey, Charlie Haden, Ravi Coltrane, Craig Handy, Buster Williams, Charles Lloyd, Mary Lou Williams Collective, Carmen Lundy, Trio 3 and Terri Lyne Carrington, among many others. Allen died June 27th at 60. 

Eddie Diehl (June 16th, 1936 - June 20th, 2017) The guitarist was mostly active on Prestige in the ‘60s groups of Sonny Stitt, George Braith, Jack McDuff and Johnny “Hammond” Smith as well as a handful of sessions in the early ‘70s with Hank Mobley, Reuben Wilson and McDuff and an appearance on Roswell Rudd’s 1999 Knitting Factory Works album Broad Strokes. Diehl died June 20th at 81. 

Chris Murrell (December 18th, 1956 - June 18th, 2017) The gospel singer was tapped by Frank Foster to be the featured singer in the Count Basie Orchestra from 1991-2004, recording two albums with the band in the late ‘90s. Murrell died June 18th at 60.

Bern Nix (September 21st, 1947 - May 31st, 2017) The guitarist had a handful of albums under his own name since the '90s but was best known for his work under Ornette Coleman from the mid ‘70s to early ‘90s as well as sessions with Ronald Shannon Jackson, Jayne Cortez, Jemeel Moondoc and Frank Lowe. Nix died May 31st at 69. 

Irio De Paula (May 10th, 1939 - May 23rd, 2017) The Brazilian guitarist had several co-led albums for Horo in the ‘70s and a number of sessions for Philology from the late ‘80s forward as well as appearances with Sal Nistico, Steve Grossman, Archie Shepp and Dannie Richmond (Horo period) and Phil Woods, Lee Konitz and Renato Sellani (Philology era). De Paula died May 23rd at 78. 

Mickey Roker (September 3rd, 1932 - May 22nd, 2017) The drummer's resumé from 1960 onwards reads like a jazz encyclopedia, a discography of nearly 200 albums, including many classics of the hardbop and postbop genres such as Gigi Gryce’s The Hap’nin’s (Prestige, 1961), Joe Williams’ At Newport ‘63 (RCA, 1963), Sonny Rollins’ On Impulse (Impulse, 1965), Donald Byrd’s The Creeper (Blue Note, 1967), Horace Silver’s Serenade to a Soul Sister (Blue Note, 1968), Herbie Hancock’s Speak Like a Child (Blue Note, 1968), Cedar Walton’s Spectrum (Prestige, 1969), Lee Morgan’s Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note, 1970) and Dizzy Gillespie’s Dizzy’s Big 4 (Pablo, 1974) along with several other albums with Rollins in 1964- 65, being Gillespie’s drummer for most of the ‘70s, first recording with vibraphonist Milt Jackson in 1968, leading to over a dozen more albums with him through the late ‘90s as well as taking over the drum chair of the Modern Jazz Quartet from an ailing Connie Kay, and sessions with Phil Woods, Ray Bryant, Willis “Gator” Jackson, Junior Mance, McCoy Tyner, Ben Webster, Nat Adderley, Bobby Timmons, Duke Pearson, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Art Farmer, Frank Foster, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Randy Brecker, Bobby Hutcherson, Gene Ammons, Mary Lou Williams, Hank Jones, J.J. Johnson, Shirley Scott, Odean Pope, Mike Longo and many many others, leaving little time to work as a leader, releasing only a single date on a small Italian label in the new millennium. Roker died May 22nd at 84. 

Gijs Hendriks (February 26th, 1938 - May 21st, 2017) The Dutch saxophonist released albums on Polydor, VaraJazz, Timeless and YVP (a co-led session with Beaver Harris) and was part of the big bands of Boy Edgar and Loek Dikker. Hendriks died May 21st at 79. 

Tom McClung (April 4th, 1957 - May 14th, 2017) The  pianist was long based in France and worked with fellow expatriates Marion Brown, Stephen McCraven, Ted Curson and, most frequently, Archie Shepp from the ‘90s onwards. McClung died May 14th at 60. 

Jan Arnet (April 13th, 1934 - May 13th, 2017) The Czech bassist was the first European to be part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (from 1969-70, making one Japanese album, Jazz Messengers ‘70, Victor) and also recorded with Karel Velebný (as part of SHQ), Sonny Stitt, Chico Hamilton and Booker Ervin before retiring from music in the ‘70s. Arnet died May 13th at 83. 

Bill Dowdy (August 15th, 1932 - May 12th, 2017) The drummer had an early credit under Nat Adderley but was best known as the drummer for The 3 Sounds, a trio with pianist Gene Harris and bassist Andy Simpkins, which recorded a slew of albums for Blue Note and supported such artists as Anita O’Day, Lou Donaldson and Stanley Turrentine. Dowdy died May 12th at 84. 

Dave Pell (February 26th, 1925 - May 7th, 2017) The West Coast saxophonist was a mainstay of Les Brown’s Band of Renown in the ‘40s-50s, led numerous bands, particularly octets, starting in the early ‘50s (with arrangements by Shorty Rogers, Marty Paich, André Previn, Johnny Mandel and Bill Holman), recorded with Jimmy Giuffre, Mel Tormé, Pete Rugolo, Chet Baker and others and also contributed photography to ‘50s jazz albums. Pell died May 7th at 92. 

A.R. Penck (Oct. 5th, 1939 - May 2nd, 2017) The German artist and multi-instrumentalist co-founded the Triple Trip Touch (TTT) trio and also worked with Frank Wright and Peter Kowald to go along with painting album covers for TTT, Kowald, Wright, Günter Baby Sommer and others. Penck died May 2nd at 77.  

John Shifflett (January 1st, 1953 - April 27th, 2017) The bassist recorded with Fred Ho, Peter Apfelbaum, Joel Harrison, Will Bernard, Anton Schwartz, Jacqui Naylor, Taylor Eigsti and Scott Amendola and was longtime faculty at San Jose State and the California Jazz Conservatory. Shifflett died April 27th at 64.

Allan Holdsworth (August 6th, 1946 - April 15th, 2017) The British guitarist’s own releases were in the jazz-fusion and art-rock veins to go along with membership in iterations of Tempest, Gong, Soft Machine and U.K., and jazz credits with Ian Carr, Tony Williams Lifetime, Gordon Beck, John Stevens, Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford and Stanley Clarke. Holdsworth died April 15th at 70. 

Stan Robinson (April 13th, 1936 - April 9th, 2017) The British saxophonist’s credits include Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet, Neil Ardley, Maynard Ferguson, Francy Boland, Nathan Davis and a number of English big bands. Robinson died April 9th at 80. 

Kim Plainfield (March 24th, 1954 - April 8th, 2017) The drummer and longtime educator at Berklee College of Music worked with Bill Connors, Tania Maria, Jon Lucien, Andrea Brachfeld, Kenny Rankin, Didier Lockwood and Bill O’Connell and was part of fusion supergroup The Avengers with Adam Holzman, Beledo and Lincoln Goines, releasing one album in 2012. Plainfield died April 8th at 63. 

Hugh Brodie (February 7th, 1933 - April 5th, 2017) The saxophonist, vocalist and cousin to Ella Fitzgerald released albums on Cadence (including a live co-led session with J.R. Monterose), First Quake and P-Vine alongside appearances with Cal Massey and Illinois Jacquet. Brodie died April 5th at 84. 

Delmar Brown (February 20th, 1954 - April 1st, 2017) The keyboard player worked with Pat Martino, Bob Moses, Hiram Bullock, Jaco Pastorius, James “Blood” Ulmer, Kenwood Dennard, Stanley Jordan, Gil Evans, Miles Davis and others to go along with a handful of albums as a leader. Brown died April 1st at 63. 

Bob Cunningham (December 28th, 1934 - April 1st, 2017) The bassist appeared on sessions led by Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Hardman, Ken McIntyre, Walt Dickerson, Frank Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Junior Mance, Yusef Lateef, Sam Rivers, Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, Sun Ra, Archie Shepp and others since the early ‘60s for Verve, Prestige, Atlantic, Milestone, Marge, Black Saint and other labels to go along with a single album as a leader, 1985’s Walking Bass for drummer Alvin Queen’s Nilva imprint. Cunningham died April 1st at 82. 

Hal Posey (1930 - March 31st, 2017) The trombonist worked with Woody Herman, Freddy Merkle, Charlie Byrd, Bill Potts, Bernie Stopak and others. Posey died March 31st at 86.

Arthur Blythe (July 5th, 1940 - March 27th, 2017) The alto saxophonist, who had releases on India Navigation, Adelphi and CBS/Columbia in the ‘70s- 80s and Enja, In+Out, Konnex, CIMP, Intuition and Savant in the ‘90s-00s, began his recording career in the late ‘60s with Horace Tapscott (as “Black Arthur”) and continued with Azar Lawrence, Charles Tyler, Julius Hemphill, Steve Reid, Gil Evans, Chico Hamilton, Lester Bowie, Barry Altschul, Jack DeJohnette, McCoy Tyner, The Leaders, World Saxophone Quartet and Chico Freeman. Blythe died March 27th at 76. 

Bob Erdos (August 2nd,1930 - March 25th, 2017) The producer’s Stomp Off put out music by Terry Waldo, Limehouse Jazz Band, Black Eagle Jazz Band, Wally Fawkes, Bob Connors, Acker Bilk, South Frisco Jazz Band, Jim Cullum, Marty Grosz, Eddie Bayard, Art Hodes, Howard Alden, Vince Giordano, Dick Hyman, Independence Hall Jazz Band, Dan Levinson and other trad-jazz artists. Erdos died March 25th at 86.

Ekkehard Jost (January 22nd, 1938 - March 23rd, 2017) The German saxophonist and professor of music at Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen was part of the free jazz collective Grumpff,  released one album for View and many for his own Fish Music between 1988-2016. Jost died March 23rd at 79. 

Buck Hill (February 13th, 1927 - March 20th, 2017) The tenor saxophonist recorded for SteepleChase from 1978-81 and Muse in the ‘80s and worked with Charlie Byrd, the Washington Jazz Ensemble and, in the ‘90s, Shirley Horn. Hill died March 20th at 90. 

Gérard Terronès (June 9th, 1940 - March 16th, 2017) The French producer’s Futura, Marge and Impro labels released music by Dizzy Reece, Siegfried Kessler, Mal Waldron, Georges Arvanitas, Michel Portal, François Tusques, Burton Greene, Ted Curson, Anthony Braxton, Hal Singer, Jaki Byard, Freddie Redd, Joachim Kühn, Perception, Jean-Philippe Blin, Steve Lacy, Jacques Thollot,  Paul Van Gysegem, Mico Nissim, Jef Gilson, Raymond Boni, Pierre Favre, Bernard Vitet, Sonny Grey, Saheb Sarbib, Dave Burrell, Frank Lowe, David Murray, Willem Breuker, John Tchicai, Archie Shepp, Billy Harper, Bernard Lubat, Sunny Murray, Abbey Lincoln, Stu Martin, Sonny Sharrock, Philly Joe Jones, Richard Davis, Rob Brown, Hilton Ruiz, Assif Tsahar, Sonny Simmons, Eddie Henderson, James Spaulding, Barney Wilen, Trio 3, FAB Trio, Joe McPhee, Evan Parker/Barry Guy/Paul Lytton, NU Band and others. Terronès died March 16th at 76.

Jim Czak (April 4th, 1945 - March 15th, 2017) The longtime engineer from the late ‘60s onward at Nola Recording Studios recorded albums for Riverside, Buddah, Lane, Atlantic, Doctor Jazz, RBI, Daffodil, Master Mix, LaserLight Digital, Milestone, Lena Horne, Novius, Progressive, BMG, Reservoir, CAP, Ricordi, TCB, Double-Time, RCA Victor, Nagel Heyer, Marstam, Arbors, Evening Star, HighNote, Mack Avenue, Concord, Justin Time, EmArcy, Summit, Koch, Telarc, Challenge, Candid, Origin and other labels. Czak died March 15th at 71.

Tommy Lipuma (July 5th, 1936 - March 13th, 2017) The credits for the A&M, Blue Thumb, Warner Bros. and Verve producer included Gabor Szabo, Phil Upchurch, Paul Humphrey, George Benson, Yellowjackets, Bob James, Miles Davis, Joe Sample, Jimmy Scott, Diana Krall, Danilo Pérez, Eric Reed, McCoy Tyner, Shirley Horn and others, yielding many Grammy nominations and wins for albums done with Benson (“This Masquerade”, Warner Bros., 1976) and Krall (Live In Paris, Verve, 2002). LiPuma died March 13th at 80. 

Dave Valentin (April 29th, 1952 - March 8th, 2017) The flutist had a number of late ‘70s-early ‘90s releases for GRP, followed by new millennium albums for HighNote, all to go along with over 100 appearances as a sideman since the mid ‘70s with Jay Hoggard, Dave Grusin, Teo Macero, Chris Connor, Bill O’Connell, Steve Turre, Eliane Elias, Hilton Ruiz, Tito Puente and others. Valentin died March 8th at 64. 

Misha Mengelberg (June 5th, 1935 - March 3rd, 2017) The Dutch pianist, part of a lineage of famed Dutch conductors, found early inspiration in Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols, then made his most important musical connection in 1964 with drummer Han Bennink, the pair and reed player Willem Breuker forming the Instant Composers Pool in 1967, a collective of free improvisers who also worked with international players and self-released (often with handmade covers) a number of seminal albums of European avant garde jazz, out of which came the ICP Orchestra, playing pieces by Mengelberg, Monk, Nichols and others and Mengelberg's own albums over the years for Varajazz, Artone, FMP, BVHaast, Soul Note, Avant, hatART, Songlines, Tzadik and Psi. Mengelberg died March 3rd at 81. 

Hideo Ikeezumi (1949 - February 27th, 2017) The Japanese producer and record store owner founded P.S.F., which released music by Kaoru Abe, Borbetomagus, Barre Phillips, Keiji Haino, Sabu Toyozumi, Makoto Kawashima, Masayuki Takayanagi, Charles Gayle, Motoharu Yoshizawa, Tamio Shiraishi, Peter Brötzmann, AMM, Urabe Masayoshi, Chie Mukai, Toshiaki Ishizuka, Michihiro Satoh, Lee Konitz, Derek Bailey and others. Ikeezumi died February 27th at ~68.

Don Payne (January 7th, 1933 - February 25th, 2017) The bassist made his only album as a leader in 2000 in a career stretching back to the late ’50s with work under Ornette Coleman, Chris Connor, Mundell Lowe, Art Pepper, Herbie Mann, Stan Getz, Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, Luiz Bonfa, Maynard Ferguson, Don Sebesky, Bobby Hackett, Joe Beck, Paul Horn, Candido and others, plus numerous pop and rock acts. Payne died February 25th at 84.

Fumio Karashima (Mar. 9th, 1948 - February 24th, 2017) The Japanese pianist had over two dozen releases since the mid ‘70s and collaborated with Larry Coryell, Toots Thielemans, Takeo Moriyama and Elvin Jones as part of the latter’s Jazz Machine from 1978-1985. Karashima died February 24th at 68. 

Horace Parlan (January 19th, 1931 - February 24th, 2017) The pianist worked with Charles Mingus, Lou Donaldson, Stanley Turrentine, Booker Ervin, and Roland Kirk as well as four albums for Blue Note from 1960-61 before moving to Denmark where he recorded most frequently for SteepleChase. Parlan died February 24th at 85. 

Rudy Lawless (1931 - February 21st, 2017) The drummer worked with Etta Jones, Betty Roché, Jimmy Neeley, Freddie McCoy, Junior Mance, Danny Mixon and others. Lawless died February 21st at 86.

Nicolai Munch-Hansen (May 11th, 1977 - February 20th, 2017) The Danish bassist worked with Hans Ulrik, Jakob Bro, Caroline Henderson, John Tchicai, Kresten Osgood, Jonas Müller, Stefan Pasborg, Ned Ferm, Maria Faust and others alongside various pop and rock credits and had three leader or co-led albums for Stunt. Munch-Hansen died February 20th at 39.

Larry Coryell (April 2nd, 1943 - February 19th, 2017) The guitarist was widely considered the father of jazz-rock with membership in The Free Spirits and Gary Burton’s late ‘60s quartet and then continued into fusion during the ‘70s with The Eleventh House in a career that included dozens of albums for Vanguard, Flying Dutchman, Arista, Elektra, Atlantic, Mood, MPS, Philips, SteepleChase, Muse, CTI, HighNote, Chesky and Wide Hive and collaborations with fellow guitarists like John McLaughlin and Biréli Lagrène as well as siring accomplished guitarists in Julian and Murali. Coryell died February 19th at 73. 

Maurice Vander (June 11th, 1929 - February 16th, 2017) The French pianist worked with Jimmy Raney, Django Reinhardt, Fats Sadi, Barney Wilen, Sarah Vaughan, Barney Kessel, Jean-Luc Ponty, Don Byas, Stéphane Grappelli, Michel Portal, Colette Magny and others to go with over two dozen releases as a leader. Vander died February 16th at 87. 

Michael Naura (August 19th, 1934 - February 13th, 2017) The German pianist’s recording career began in the mid ‘50s on Metronome and continued with Brunswick, MPS, ECM and Mood with bands that included Wolfgang Schlüter, Joe Nay, Eberhard Weber and Leszek Zadlo. Naura died February 13th at 82. 

Al Jarreau (March 12th, 1940 - February 12th, 2017) The vocalist’s career spanned the jazz, pop and R&B worlds with releases on Warner Bros., Reprise, GRP and Concord and sessions with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, Bob James/Dave Sanborn, Jon Hendricks and Benny Golson. Jarreau died February 12th at 76. 

Barbara Carroll (January 25th, 1925 - February 11th, 2017) The pianist and stalwart at New York City’s Birdland recorded with Serge Chaloff in 1951 and went on to release albums for Atlantic and RCA Victor in the ‘50s, A&M and Blue Note in the ‘70s, Discover in the ‘80s and RCA in the ‘90s. Carroll died February 11th at 92. 

Svend Asmussen (February 28th, 1916 - February 7th, 2017) The Danish violinist, affectionately known as the “Fiddling Viking”, shared bills as a young man with visiting Americans like Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller then, after his career was put on hold in his late 20s during the Nazi occupation of Denmark when he was imprisoned by the Gestapo, collaborated with singer Alice Babs and guitarist Ulrik Neumann as The Swe-Danes, a group that toured the U.S. and eventually recorded a handful of albums for Warner Bros, and began recording as a leader for Parlophone, Philips, Odeon, Tono, Decca, Atlantic, Metronome, SABA, Sonet, RCA Victor, EMI, Polydor and Storyville as well as collaborating with a number of American musicians such as John Lewis, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton and fellow violinists such as Stuff Smith, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stéphane Grappelli and L. Subramaniam. Asmussen died February 7th at 100. 

Stephan Diez (January 6th, 1954 - February 5th, 2017) The German guitarist first came up in the early ‘70s with the prog-rock band Agitation Free, then recorded with Deiter Reith, Klaus Lenz, Manfred Schoof and the NDR Big Band and released albums for Ego, Europhon and Intersound. Diez died February 5th at 63. 

Ed Berger (March 5th, 1949 - January 22nd, 2017) The producer, author and archivist was a stalwart at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, founded Evening Star (wth releases by Benny Carter, Phil Woods, Joe Wilder, Randy Sandke, Ray Bryant and other), wrote liner notes for Arbors, Concord, EmArcy, Jazz Heritage, Limelight, Musicmasters, Progressive and Verve) and published biographies on Carter, Wilder, Teddy Reig and George Duvivier. Berger died January 22nd at 67.

Jaki Liebezeit (May 26th, 1938 - January 22nd, 2017) The German drummer was best known for founding Can, the pioneering Krautrock band, and helping define the motorik beat, and whose earliest credits were in the mid ‘60s with the Manfred Schoof Quintet and the first iterations of Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra. Liebezeit died January 22nd at 78. 

Chuck Stewart (May 21st, 1927 - January 20th, 2017) The photographer’s work was included in hundreds of releases since the ‘50s for EmArcy, Roost, Roulette, Argo, Columbia, Verve, Sonet, Chess, Bethlehem, Riverside, Vee Jay, Pacific Jazz, Impulse, Mercury, ESP-Disk’, Mainstream, Atlantic, His Master’s Voice, Milestone, Blue Note, Flying Dutchman, CTI, Freedom, Cobblestone, Savoy, Prestige, Concord, Soul Note, Candid and hatART, among others. Stewart died January 20th at 89. 

Eddie Coleman (1933 - January 19th, 2017) The bassist worked with Cal Tjader, Vince Guaraldi and Ella Fitzgerald in the early ‘60s before going into academia and founding the University of Oregon’s African American literature program. Coleman died January 19th at 84.

Charles “Bobo” Shaw (September 15th, 1947 - January 16th, 2017) The drummer and founding member of the St. Louis-based Black Artists Group had albums with his Human Arts Ensemble for Freedom, Black Saint and Moers Music and credits under Lester Bowie, Oliver Lake, Frank Lowe, Leroy Jenkins, Joseph Bowie, Billy Bang and Anthony Braxton. Shaw died January 16th at 69. 

Bill Horvitz (May 12th, 1947 - January 15th, 2017) The guitarist (and brother to keyboard player Wayne) released a handful of albums from 1980 into the new millennium on Theatre for your Mother, Dossier, Ear-Rational, Marblecone, Music & Arts, Evander and Rastascan to go along with sessions led by John Zorn, Peter Kuhn and Butch Morris. Horvitz died January 15th at 69. 

Buddy Greco (August 14th, 1926 - January 10th, 2017) The vocalist, who got his start with the late ‘40s band of Benny Goodman, had his own releases on Columbia, Epic, Reprise and other labels more in the ‘50s jazz-pop vein and was also married to and collaborated with jazz-pop singer Lezlie Anders in the late ‘90s-early Aughts. Greco died January 10th at 90. 

Buddy Bregman (July 9th, 1930 - January 8th, 2017) The composer, arranger and producer released albums for Verve and World Pacific and collaborated (both via arrangements and bandleading) in the ‘50s-60s with Bing Crosby, Annie Ross, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Oscar Peterson, Anita O’Day, Count Basie and Buddy Rich. Bregman died January 8th at 86. 

Rod Mason (September 28th, 1940 - January 8th, 2017) The trumpeter was involved in his native England’s trad jazz scene as part of the Monty Sunshine Band and a co-led unit with Ian Wheeler and was then a stalwart in Europe first as part of the Dutch Swing College Band and then his own albums for Black Lion, Timeless and Sentinel. Mason died January 8th at 76. 

Nat Hentoff (June 10th, 1925 - January 7th, 2017) The jazz critic, editor, producer and inaugural National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master for Jazz Advocacy began his career in college when hosted a radio program, going on to freelance writing and then becoming Associate Editor for DownBeat Magazine from 1953-57, followed by three years as Co-Editor for Jazz Review, during the latter period also A&R Director for Candid Records in 1960-61, producing such seminal albums as Charles Mingus’ Newport Rebels, Cecil Taylor’s The World of Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy’s The Straight Horn Of Steve Lacy and Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, going on to write liner notes for hundreds upon hundreds of albums on labels such as Atlantic, Columbia, World Pacific, Contemporary, Verve, Blue Note, Bethlehem, Prestige and dozens of others and writing interviews, profiles and album reviews for publications as varied as The New Yorker and The New Republic as well as full-length books like Jazz Country (1965), Jazz: New Perspectives on the History of Jazz by Twelve of the World’s Foremost Jazz Critics and Scholars (1974), Boston Boy: Growing Up with Jazz and Other Rebellious Passions (1986), Listen to the Stories: Nat Hentoff on Jazz and Country Music (1995); and American Music Is (2004). Hentoff died January 7th at 91.