2019 In Memoriam

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Vic Juris (September 29th, 1953 - December 31st, 2019) The guitarist, who had over two dozen albums for Muse, Jazzpoint, ZOHO, Mel Bay and, most prolifically, Denmark’s SteepleChase from the mid '90s onward, came up with saxophonist Eric Kloss and through him and fellow guitarist Pat Martino, went on to work with organ players Don Patterson, Jimmy Smith and Wild Bill Davis alongside a parallel career in the '70s in the fusion milieu with peers such as Barry Miles and in his own groups, followed by collaborations with fellow guitarists Biréli Lagrène and John Etheridge, dates with Rio Clemente, Bill Goodwin, Dan Krimm, Brian Torff, Mel Tormé, Cole and, most importantly, a fruitful relationship with Dave Liebman, appearing on over two dozen of the saxophonist’s albums, as well as influencing many younger players as an educator at The New School, Lehigh and Rutgers Universities. Juris died December 31st, 2019 at 66. 

Christian Kellens (January 18th, 1925 - December 31st, 2019). The Belgian trombonist was a member of the famed International Youth Jazz Band that played the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and also worked with Henri Renaud, Kurt Edelhagen, Christian Chevallier and Kenny Clarke while based in Europe and, after relocating to Argentina, Jorge Lopez Ruiz and Alberto Favero. Kellens died December 31st at 94. 

Garrett List (September 10th, 1943 - December 27th, 2019). The trombonist/composer’s debut came on Max Schubel’s Opus One in 1972, which was followed by albums on Horo, Lovely Music, Igloo and Carbon 7 to go along with sessions under Frederic Rzewski, Anthony Braxton, Keshavan Maslak, Willem Breuker and Morton Feldman as well as ‘80s participation in the ICP Orchestra. List died December 27th at 76. 

Jack Sheldon (November 30, 1931 - December 27th, 2019). The trumpeter was among a handful on his instrument also known for their vocals, playing and singing on his albums for Capitol, Beez, V.S.O.P., Concord and Butterfly, plus releases by Shelly Manne, Victor Feldman, Woody Herman, Rosemary Clooney, Jake Hanna, Tom Klubis and others (plus episodes of Schoolhouse Rock and The Simpsons), in addition to hundreds of instrumental credits with Jimmy Giuffre, Mel Lewis, Quincy Jones, Dave Pell, Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, Art Pepper, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, Rolf Kühn, Anita O’Day, Neal Hefti, Peggy Lee, Henry Mancini, Herbie Mann, Gary Burton, Lena Horne, Marty Paich, Vic Lewis, Diane Schuur and many others. Sheldon died December 27th at 88. 

Gary Barone (December 12th, 1941 - December 24th, 2019). The Detroit-born trumpeter, brother to trombonist Mike Barone and son of saxophonist Joe Barone, had credits under Joe Masters, Joe Torres, Bob Thiele, Gerald Wilson, Bud Shank, Frank Strazzeri, Shelly Manne, Tom Scott and others while based on the West Coast (where he also led his own big band), to go along with session work, participation in several Frank Zappa large ensemble albums and a handful of dates as a leader. Barone died December 24th at 78. 

Willy Bischof (January 28th, 1945 - December 23rd, 2019). The Swiss keyboard player added journalist for his country’s Radio DRS II to his resumé later in life, but was a part of the jazz and jazz-fusion bands Open Music Group and Tetragon in the ‘70s and released records as a leader and did production work for Switzerland’s TCB Records in the ‘90s. Bischof died December 23rd at 74. 

Emil Richards (September 2nd, 1932 - December 14th, 2019) The vibraphonist/ percussionist’s discography was massive, starting in the late ‘50s with George Shearing, continuing into the ‘60s with Paul Horn, Shorty Rogers, Neal Hefti, Barney Kessel, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Hugh Masekela, Shelly Manne, Gabor Szabo, Victor Feldman, Ravi Shankar, Frank Zappa, Willie Ruff and Stan Kenton; Lalo Schifrin, Roger Kellaway, Gerry Mulligan, Carmen McRae, Henry Mancini, John Klemmer, George Duke, Alphonse Mouzon, Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, The Singers Unlimited and L. Subramaniam in the ‘70s; then studio work throughout the ‘80s, hundreds of sessions leaving little time for leader dates, of which he had only a couple in the late ‘60s and then again in the mid ‘90s. Richards died December 14th at 87. 

Herbert Joos (March 21st, 1940 - December 7th, 2019). The German trumpeter/ flugelhornist had two releases on JAPO during the ‘70s in a leader discography also including dates for FMP, pläne, Sesam, Extraplatte, Mood, ECM, EmArcy, Jazzwerkstatt, Double Moon and Jazzhaus through 2017, was a member of obscure free jazz band Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe in the ‘60s, co-led Fourmenonly in the ‘70s and Südpool in the ‘90s, had credits with Hans Koller, Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Patrick Bebelaar and others, was a longtime member of Vienna Art Orchestra and had a parallel career as a painter and photographer, his work appearing on both sides of LPs by Baden Powell, Dave Liebman, S.O.H., Horace Parlan, Don Menza and others. Joos died December 7th at 79. 

Jacques Morgantini (February 21st, 1924 - December 2nd, 2019). The French producer and longtime Chair of Hot-Club de France supervised jazz and blues sessions as well as reissues and compilations for Black and Blue, EPM Musique and Frémeaux & Associés, which included releases by Lionel Hampton, Jelly Roll Morton, Tiny Grimes, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, Milt Buckner, Buddy Tate and others. Morgantini died December 2nd at 95. 

Buddy Terry (January 30th, 1941 - November 29th, 2019) While the saxophonist started out strong as a leader, making several albums for Prestige and Mainstream in the late ‘60s-early ‘70s, plus dates with Freddie Roach, Harold Mabern, Joe Morello and Alphonse Mouzon and brief stints with Lionel Hampton and Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, his international star waned after the ‘70s, becoming a legendary figure in his native Newark, NJ. Terry died November 29th at 78. 

Andy Scherrer (October 10th, 1946 - November 25th, 2019) The Swiss saxophonist led or co-led several dates for his country’s Unit and TCB Records in the new millennium, including international affairs with the likes of Wolfgang Muthspiel and Bill Carrothers, was a member of the short-lived Magog and had a long tenure with the Vienna Art Orchestra to go along with credits under Joe Haider, Dusko Goykovich, Charly Antolini and Klaus Weiss. Scherrer died November 25th at 73. 

Roy Willox (August 31st, 1929 - November 25th, 2019) The British saxophonist’s career was a prolific one from the early ‘50s onward, with credits under Ted Heath, George Chisholm, Tubby Hayes, Stan Tracey, Benny Goodman, Cleo Laine, Phil Woods, Michel Legrand, Freddy Cole, Clark Terry, George Shearing and others Willox died November 25th at 90. 

Eddie Duran (September 6th, 1925 - November 22nd, 2019) His 1957 debut for Fantasy was titled simply Jazz Guitarist and that is what Eddie Duran was, primarily in the groups of Cal Tjader, with or without Stan Getz, and Vince Guaraldi, as well as sessions with Earl “Fatha“ Hines, Jon Hendricks, Benny Goodman, Tania Marie and others, plus a handful more leader dates through the ‘80s. Duran died November 22nd at 94. 

Mary Ann Topper (June 17th, 1940 - November 14th, 2019) Her The Jazz Tree management company was aptly named as her first clients in the ‘80s were deep-rooted figures like Ray Brown, Jim Hall, Jack DeJohnette, J.J. Johnson and others before she branched out to nurture the careers of younger players such as Geoff Keezer, Kurt Elling, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Benny Green, New York Voices and others. Topper died November 14th at 79. 

Jan Erik Kongshaug (July 4th, 1944 - November 5th, 2019) The Norwegian engineer and producer first worked in the Oslo-based Arne Bendiksen and Talent Studios, concurrent with playing guitar or bass on jazz, folk and pop albums by Svend Asmussen, Sven Nyhus, Jan Eggum, Bjarne Nerem, Carl Hjalmby, Frode Thingnæs, Kåre Korneliussen, Asmund Bjørken and others, sometimes doing double-duty as engineer of the session (later releasing a couple of albums under his own name in the late ‘90s-early ‘00s for ACT and Hot Club Records), then, in 1970-71, while working at Bendiksen Studio, engineered sessions for Manfred Eicher’s fledgling ECM imprint, beginning a momentous partnership (and what has reductively been dubbed the “ECM Sound”) with Jan Garbarek, Bobo Stenson, Chick Corea, Terje Rypdal, Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Gary Burton, Bennie Maupin, Edward Vesala, Steve Kuhn, John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Jack DeJohnette, Enrico Rava, Eberhard Weber, Egberto Gismonti, Collin Walcott, Pat Metheny and many many others, founding Rainbow Studio in Oslo in 1984 where he would engineer hundreds more ECM dates as well as hundreds of jazz albums engineered for other labels as well as just as many in the rock, classical, electronic and pop fields. Kongshaug died November 5th at 75.

Gerry Teekens (December 5th, 1935 - October 31st, 2019) The Dutch producer, after a period playing drums professionally, founded Criss Cross Jazz in 1981 with the Jimmy Raney Quartet album Raney ‘81, the first of over 1,400 albums released on the imprint, whose roster over the decades has included Eric Alexander, Kenny Barron, Peter Bernstein, David Binney, Seamus Blake, Bill Charlap, Scott Colley, Steve Davis, Billy Drummond, Orrin Evans, Joe Farnsworth, Kenny Garrett, Wycliffe Gordon, Jimmy Greene, Tom Harrell, David Hazeltine, Conrad Herwig, David Kikoski, Boris Kozlov, Mike LeDonne, Kirk Lightsey, Lage Lund, Joe Magnarelli, Sam Newsome, Jeremy Pelt, Ralph Peterson, Chris Potter, Noah Preminger, Melvin Rhyne, Tim Ries, Adam Rogers, Jim Rotondi, Alex Sipiagin, Gary Smulyan, Grant Stewart, John Swana, Mark Turner, Cedar Walton, Tim Warfield, Walt Weiskopf, Steve Wilson and many many others comprising the modern New York City jazz scene, continuing to the present day under his son Jerry. Teekens died October 31st at 83. 

Fred Taylor (June 28th, 1929 - October 26th, 2019) The Boston jazz royal recorded a 1952 Dave Brubeck performance at Storyville, which would be released on Fantasy and helped launch the pianist’s career, but was far better known for his decades as a concert promoter, bringing myriad stars to Beantown—including Miles Davis’ 1981 comeback shows—at different local venues as well as the jazz clubs Paul’s Mall and The Jazz Workshop and, decades later, establishing Scullers Jazz Club as its Artistic Director. Taylor died October 26th at 90. 

George Masso (November 17th, 1926 - October 22nd, 2019) The trombonist’s credits include sessions with Buck Clayton, several dates with Yank Lawson and Bob Haggarts’ World’s Greatest Jazz Band, Charlie Ventura, Benny Goodman, Scott Hamilton, Eddie Miller, Helen Merrill, Glenn Zottola, Butch Miles, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller Orchestra, George Shearing, Bob Wilber, Ruby Braff and others plus his own albums for Famous Door, World Jazz, Nagel Heyer and Arbors. Masso died October 22nd at 92. 

Ray Santos (December 28th, 1928 - October 17th, 2019) The saxophonist had a few instrumental credits with Machito and Mario Bauza but made his career as a composer and arranger for such artists as Tito Puente, Willie Bobo, Joe Cain, Machito, Charlie and Eddie Palmieri, Bobby Valentin, Justo Betancourt, Paquito D’Rivera, Bobby Sanabria and others. Santos died October 17th at 90. 

Milcho Leviev (December 19th, 1937 - October 12th, 2019) The Bulgarian pianist regularly released or co-led albums from the late ‘70s onward for Dobre, Philippopolis, Discovery, Pan Music, Optimism Incorporated, Balkanton, MA Recordings, Riva Sound Music Center, AVA, Gega New, Mole Jazz, Atlas, Bunardjik Music Unlimited, Ethnic Art, Mighty Quinn Productions, Perfect and other labels, which included collaborations with Charlie Haden, Dave Holland and Anatoly Vapirov, to go along with numerous sideman credits under Don Ellis, Billy Cobham, Arif Mardin, John Klemmer, Flora Purim, Roy Haynes, The Manhattan Transfer, Art Pepper, Gerald Wilson and others. Leviev died October 12th at 81. 

Kadri Gopalnath (December 11th, 1949 - October 11th, 2019) The Indian saxophonist was a pioneer of Carnatic music for his instrument, releasing albums on Oriental in the ‘80s, Sangeetha, BMG Crescendo, Padmini Music and The Gramophone Company Of India in the ‘90s, co-leading a 1999 album, Southern Brothers, with mridangam player Puvalur Srinivasan and flutist James Newton for Water Lily Acoustics and being exposed to a wider jazz audience in the new millennium by appearing on fellow saxophonist/musical heir Rudresh Mahanthappa’s 2007 Pi Recordings album Kinsmen, Gopalnath died October 11th at 69. 

Ginger Baker (August 19th, 1939 - October 6th, 2019) The British drummer, best known for his membership in rock bands, came up as a Dixieland drummer, recording 10” shellac records with Bob Wallis and The Storyville All- Stars and later Terry Lightfoot, was mentored by countryman bebop legend Phil Seamen, joined up with jazz-blues organ player Graham Bond’s Organization, a band that notably included bassist Jack Bruce, the pair (plus Eric Clapton) redefining rock music during Cream's brief existence, following that with his jazz-Afrobeat-fusion-rock ensemble Ginger Baker’s Air Force, whose eponymous 1970 live double-LP debut included Seamen and noted jazz saxophonist Harold McNair, and notorious drum “battles” with such jazz drummers as Elvin Jones and Art Blakey (much later he would be in a three-way competition with Max Roach and Tony Williams), his work as a leader from the ‘70s onward a mélange of his jazz upbringing, rock bonafides and studies of West African rhythms (most notably alongside Fela Kuti, in whose band Baker would often perform), including his most straightforward jazz album, Going Back Home (Atlantic), in a trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Charlie Haden (they would record Falling off the Roof in 1995-96), then, nearly 20 years later, Why? (Motéma Music), a jazz-Afrobeat album with bassist Alec Dankworth, percussionist Abass Dodoo and saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, his last regular project, which included originals and jazz standards. Baker died October 6th, 1929 at 80.

Ray Swinfield (December 14th, 1939 - October 4th, 2019) The Australian saxophonist/flutist/woodwinds player came up in the British music scene of the ‘60s, pairing pop credits with jazz work under Dakota Staton, John Dankworth, Kenny Wheeler, Indo-British Ensemble, Stan Tracey, Cleo Laine, Kenny Baker, George Shearing and others to go along with a handful of albums under his own name. Swinfield died October 4th at 79. 

Bill Folwell (May 1st, 1939 - October 2nd, 2019) The bassist was more active in the ‘60s psychedelic rock scene as a founding member of Ars Nova but has jazz cred via an appearance on a few Albert Ayler albums, 1966-67’s In Greenwich Village and 1969’s Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe and The Last Album, all on Impulse, plus several posthumous Ayler concert recordings. Folwell died October 2nd at 80. 

Gianni Lenoci (June 6th, 1963 - September 30th, 2019) The Italian pianist collaborated with Massimo Urbani, Franco Degrassi, Actis Dato, Joëlle Léandre, Markus Stockhausen, Carlos Zingaro, Kent Carter, William Parker, Gianni Mimmo, Steve Potts and others, appeared on albums by Eugenio Colombo, Dolmen Orchestra, Antonio Di Lorenzo, Pino Minafra, Maurizio Quintavalle, Stefano Luigi Mangia and Sylvano Bussotti and released his own dates for Modern Times, Insubordinations, Evil Rabbit and Silta. Lenoci died September 30th at 56. 

Larry Willis (December 20th, 1942 - September 29th, 2019) The pianist worked briefly as a leader in the early ‘70s after ‘60s work with Lee Morgan and Jackie McLean but then would wait over a decade before going at it full time, releasing albums consistently from the late ‘80s onward on Evidence, SteepleChase, Mapleshade, Sound Hills, HighNote, SmallsLIVE and, in 2012, House Of Masekela with a four-CD set with his old friend from Manhattan School of Music, trumpeter Hugh Masekela (the pair had been recording together on and off since 1965), filling in the gaps with credits under Richard “Groove” Holmes, Robin Kenyatta, Joe Henderson, Sonny Fortune, Woody Shaw, Nat Adderley, Dave Liebman, Carla Bley, Freddie Hubbard, Cindy Blackman, Valery Ponomarev, Jerry Gonzalez, Jimmy Cobb, Freddy Cole, Roy Hargrove, George Mraz, Attila Zoller, Steve Berrios, Louis Hayes, Papo Vazquez, Steve Swallow, Leni Stern, Steve Davis and many others. Willis died September 29th at 76. 

Anders Stefansen (July 13th, 1932 - September 25th, 2019) The Danish producer worked on albums released by Debut, Freedom, Metronome, Black Lion, United Artists, Live at E.J.’s and, most regularly, Storyville. Stefansen died September 25th at 87.

Richard Wyands (July 2nd, 1928 - September 25th, 2019) The pianist, though having only a smattering of albums as a leader since the late ‘70s for Storyville, DIW, Criss Cross, SteepleChase, Savant and Venus, kept himself more than busy in an over-six-decade career, making hundreds of records with Benny Carter, Cal Tjader, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Etta Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Gene Ammons, Gigi Gryce, Houston Person, Kenny Burrell, Oliver Nelson, Roland Kirk, Teddy Edwards, Von Freeman, Warren Vaché, Willis “Gator” Jackson and many others. Wyands died September 25th at 91. 

Harold Mabern (March 20th, 1936 - September 17th, 2019) The pianist, whose hundreds of credits encompassed much of modern mainstream jazz history alongside an esteemed career as a jazz educator (and reputation for knocking grand pianos out of tune with his huge hands and energetic style), began playing at the relatively late age of 16 with high school classmates like Frank Strozier, then, upon moving to Chicago, turned pro, debuting on Walter Perkins’ MJT +3 (Vee Jay, 1959), a band that included Strozier, then relocating once more to New York where his career flourished, from Nat Adderley and Johnny Griffin in the late ‘50s, Jimmy Heath, Art Farmer, J.J. Johnson, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery and Philly Joe Jones in the ‘60s, Idris Muhammad, Terumasa Hino, George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Archie Shepp, George Freeman, Frank Foster, Richie Cole, Eddie Jefferson and Louis Smith in the ‘70s, George Coleman, James Williams, Contemporary Piano Ensemble and Lionel Hampton in the ‘80s, Eric Alexander, Bill Henderson, Cecil Payne, Donald Brown, Richie Cole, Bill Mobley, Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis in the ‘90s and Dale Fielder, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Bernstein and Mike DiRubbo in the new millennium, plus over two dozen albums as a leader for Columbia, DIW, Fantasy, HighNote, Prestige, Sackville, smallsLIVE, Smoke Sessions, Tokuma, Trident Music International and Venus. Mabern died September 17th at 83.

Steve Dalachinsky (September 29th, 1946 - September 16th, 2019) The poet had numerous collections dedicated to and/or in collaboration with jazz musicians and was a New York City jazz scene stalwart who worked with an international cast of musicians like Federico Ughi, Joe McPhee, John Tchicai, Matthew Shipp, Joëlle Léandre, Dave Liebman, Alan Silva and others on albums for 577, Treader, Dark Tree, RogueArt and Hopscotch and contributed texts to releases by Charles Gayle, Anthony Braxton, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell, Roscoe Mitchell, Sonny Simmons and many others. Dalachinsky died September 16th at 72. 

Vic Vogel (August 3rd, 1935 - September 16th, 2019) The pianist, bandleader, composer and beloved son of the Montréal jazz scene had his music featured in the 1976 Summer Olympics (the only time it was held in Canada) and albums on Québecor, Radio- Canada, Pinnacle, Grudge, Justin Time, Les Productions BYC Ltée and his own V V Records, ranging in formats from solo piano to small groups to big bands. Vogel died September 16th at 84. 

Ian Bird (??? - September 10th, 2019) The British saxophonist led the house band (which included a young Jon Hiseman on drums and helped birth Clive Burrows-then-Neil Ardley’s New Jazz Orchestra) at the Jazzhouse Club in Blackheath, South East London, often supporting countrymen/fellow saxophonists such as Tubby Hayes or Ronnie Scott, and had two co-led albums with trumpeter John Curtis from the late ‘60s, the second of which, Needs B, was released 49 years after the fact on Norway’s Jazzaggression. Bird died September 10th at an unknown age. 

Clora Bryant (May 30th, 1927 - August 23rd, 2019) The trumpeter and protégée of Dizzy Gillespie was a mainstay of the Los Angeles jazz scene in her later years, leading various combos, but earlier was a part of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm in the late ‘40s and recorded an album for Mode in 1957, Gal With A Horn. Bryant died August 23rd at 92. 

Connie Lester (June 12th, 1931 - August 20th, 2019) The saxophonist was a stalwart of the Newark, NJ jazz scene and had a smattering of recording credits in the ‘60s with Joe Carroll, Jimmy McGriff and Freddie Roach. Lester died August 20th at 88. 

Turk Mauro (June 11th, 1944 - August 15th, 2019) The saxophonist had releases on Jazzcraft, Phoenix Jazz, Bloomdido and Milestone from the ‘70s-90s and sideman credits with Buddy Rich, Red Rodney, Mark Murphy and Eric Allison. Mauro died August 15th at 75. 

Jim Cullum, Jr. (September 20th, 1941 - August 11th, 2019) The cornet player and son of clarinetist Jim Cullum took over his father’s Dixieland ensemble Happy Jazz Band in 1973, renaming it the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, releasing a large number of traditional jazz albums from 1976 into the new millennium to go along with sideman credits under his father, Allan Vaché, Evan Christopher and others. Cullum died August 11th at 77. 

Bob Wilber (March 15th, 1928 - August 4th, 2019) The saxophonist/clarinetist, an early early student, protégé and sideman for Sidney Bechet, had a six-decade career, making his leader debut for Commodore in 1947 with his Wildcats, going on to work with Ruby Braff, Wild Bill Davison, Jimmy McPartland, Rex Stewart, Max Kaminsky, Stan Rubin, plus membership in the band The Six (which released albums on Norgran and Bethlehem in the mid ‘50s), Bobby Hackett, Jim Chapin, Jack Teagarden and others, co-founding Soprano Summit with Kenny Davern in the '70s (albums for World Jazz, Concord, Chiaroscuro and Storyville), continuing to be active in the ‘80s as a guest with the Widespread Depression Orchestra, a duet with Dick Wellstood, playing the music of Django Reinhardt with Biréli Lagrène and, most significantly, founding his Bechet Legacy Band, reuniting with Davern in the '90s for a second go-around with Soprano Summit and beginning a relationship with Arbors, making many albums for the label into the new millennium. Wilber died August 4th at 91.

Skip Beckwith (October 1st, 1939 - July 31st, 2019) The Canadian bassist recorded with pianist Brian Browne in the mid to late ‘60s, singer Anne Murray in the early to mid ‘70s and, most notably, pianist Oliver Jones in the mid ‘80s. Beckwith died July 31st at 79. 

Ramsey Ameen (August 24th, 1945 - July 23rd, 2019) The violinist, though out of music for decades, did have a fertile period between 1978-80 when he was part of several Cecil Taylor groups, resulting in three albums on MPS and hatHUT. Ameen died July 23rd at 73. 

Ado Broodboom (November 14th, 1922 - July 18th, 2019) The Dutch trumpeter was active in the ‘50s-60s with credits under countrymen like Wessel Ilcken, the Jacobs brothers (Pim and Ruud) and Boy Edgar and Belgian Jack Sels as well as recording credits with Herbie Mann and Lucky Thompson. Broodboom died July 18th at 96. 

Ruud Jacobs (May 3rd, 1938 - July 18th, 2019) The Dutch bassist (brother to pianist Pim) was active from the late ‘50s onward with his brother, Wessel Ilcken, Rita Reyes, the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival International Youth Band, Piet Noordijk, Han Bennink, Peter Beets and visiting Americans like Don Byas, Dave Pike, Clark Terry, Wes Montgomery, Bob Cooper and Johnny Griffin as well as being a longtime producer for CBS, Philips and Mercury. Jacobs died July 18th at 81. 

Arno Marsh (May 28th, 1928 - July 12th, 2019) The saxophonist’s discography was mostly with Woody Herman bands of the ‘50s-60s as well as Harry James and Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars to go along with a late-career album co-led with Carl Fontana, Live At Capozzoli’s (Woofy, 1997). Marsh died July 12th at 91. 

Danny Barber (October 18th, 1953 - July 11th, 2019) The trumpeter worked with Maynard Ferguson, Frank Mantooth and Chicago Jazz Orchestra to go along with a parallel career as a session player for disco albums and horn sectioneer for rock band Styx. Barber died July 11th at 65. 

Steve Cannon (April 10th, 1935 - July 7th, 2019) The poet founded The Gathering of the Tribes, initially a literary magazine and later an arts center out of his East Village townhouse, which between 1990-2014 hosted performances by Sun Ra Arkestra, Bob Holman, Billy Bang, Butch Morris, Steve Dalachinsky, Sabir Mateen, Billy Harper and many others. Cannon died July 7th at 84.

João Gilberto (June 10th, 1931 - July 6th, 2019) The Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, who fused his native samba music with American jazz to create Bossa Nova in the late ‘50s, setting off a craze in the mid ‘60s, made his first recordings at 19 as a guest of the popular Brazilian vocal group Garotos da Lua, then, in 1952, recorded his first EP, not recording again until 1958, another 78—one piece co-written by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes the other a Gilberto original, both recorded with Jobim’s orchestra—these tunes, plus four others taken from shellac 78s and six new tunes forming the basis of Gilberto’s full-length debut, Chega De Saudade (Odeon, 1958-59) and, more importantly, helping to usher in a whole new music form marrying Jobim, Gilberto and others’ music with Gilberto’s guitar and vocals and the rhythmic patterns of their native Brazilian sambas, explored by Gilberto and Jobim with further albums through the mid ‘60s, reaching an apex when the pair collaborated with American saxophonist Stan Getz in 1963 to record Getz/Gilberto for Verve, adding Gilberto’s then-wife Astrud on vocals for “The Girl From Ipanema”, becoming a national craze in the U.S. and leading to the LP being the first the first jazz album to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, followed a year later with Getz/Gilberto #2, also released on Verve and recorded live at Carnegie Hall, the 1970 onward seeing only a couple of handfuls of albums made for Polydor, Columbia, Warner Bros., Elektra-Musician and a return to Verve in the new millennium. Gilberto died July 6th at 88. 

Wanda Warska (April 28th, 1932 - July 6th, 2019) The Polish vocalist, poet and composer’s discography was mostly with the groups of her husband, pianist Andrzej Kurylewicz, albums recorded for Polskie Nagrania Muza between 1958-71, to go along with one album under her name in 1981. Warska died July 6th at 87. 

German Lukyanov (Aug. 23rd, 1936 - July 5th, 2019) The Russian trumpeter was among the most advanced conceptualists of Soviet jazz since the early ‘60s, leading his own trios and sextet Cadence and as a soloist with the Moscow and Czechoslovak Radio Jazz Orchestras. Lukyanov died July 5th at 82. 

Paolo Vinaccia (March 27th, 1954 - July 5th, 2019) The Italian drummer, based in Norway since the late ‘70s, worked with many of that country’s musicians like Nils Petter Molvær, Bugge Wesseltoft, Terje Rypdal and, most frequently, Arild Andersen, in whose trio he was a member for over a decade, resulting in three albums for ECM. Vinaccia died July 5th at 65. 

Michael Colgrass (April 22nd, 1932 - July 2nd, 2019) The Pulitzer Prize-winning composer was a concertizing percussionist, working with Gunther Schuller and playing on two important jazz albums: Dizzy Gillespie’s Perceptions (Verve, 1961) and John Lewis’ Orchestra U.S.A. (Colpix, 1963). Colgrass died July 2nd at 87. 

Duncan Lamont (July 4th, 1931 - July 2nd, 2019) The Scottish saxophonist’s albums were initially bossa nova outings on Metronome, Studio 2 Stereo and Music for Pleasure in the late ‘60s and library reference recordings for Bruton from the late ‘70s-early ‘80s but he had a more traditional career mostly as a section member in London big bands, from Johnny Scott and Jack Nathan to Michael Gibbs and Kenny Wheeler. Lamont died July 2nd at 87.

Tony Hall (April 1st, 1928 - June 26th, 2019) The British music executive’s eponymous production company helped the careers of Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix but he got his start in the jazz world, working at London’s famed The 100 Club, producing albums and writing liner notes for Tempo Records by such players as Tubby Hayes, Victor Feldman, Dizzy Reece, Jimmy Deuchar, Stan Tracey and The Jazz Couriers and being a contributor to Jazzwise Magazine well into the new millennium. Hall died June 26th at 91. 

Karlheinz Miklin (November 3rd, 1946 - June 15th, 2019) The Austrian saxophonist was active since the ‘80s with albums on Amadeo, GeeBeeDee, WEA, EMP, SOS and TCB and collaborations with Billy Hart, Mark Murphy and Quintetto Argentina. Miklin died June 15th at 72. 

Dr. John (November 20th, 1941 - June 6th, 2019) The New Orleanais singer, pianist and songwriter (né Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr.) and real-life inspiration for The Muppets’ Dr. Teeth began playing professionally as a teenager and started cutting his first records in the late ‘60s for ATCO, his music a mélange of the blues, jazz, burgeoning rock ‘n’ roll plus the music and spiritual practice of the various cultures of his hometown, going on to make making dozens of recordings for CBS, Crazy Cajun, Warner Bros. Blue Thumb, Parlophone, Nonesuch and many other labels right up until his death including participation in the 1984 A&M album That’s The Way I Feel Now - A Tribute To Thelonious Monk, his own 1999 tribute to Duke Ellington (Duke Elegant, Blue Note) and 2014 tribute to Louis Armstrong (Ske-Dat-De-Dat The Spirit Of Satch, Concord) plus collaborations with Chris Barber, Donald Harrison, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Hank Crawford, David “Fathead” Newman, Bennie Wallace, Jimmy Smith, John Scofield, Nicholas Payton, Robin Kenyatta and others over the years. Dr. John died June 6th at 77. 

Lawrence Leathers (November 23rd, 1981 - June 2nd, 2019) The up-and-coming drummer was noted for a long association with Cécile McLorin Salvant (with whom he won two Grammy Awards in 2015 and 2017) and sideman work with Jeremy Pelt, Aaron Diehl, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, John Dokes, Charles Turner, Richie Vitale and others as well as a longtime jam session at Smalls, his promising career cut tragically short with his murder. Leathers died June 2nd at 37. 

Rosław Szaybo (August 13th, 1933 - May 21st, 2019) The Polish art director designed covers for ‘60s Polskie Nagrania Muza albums by Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Eje Thelin, Krzysztof Komeda, Andrzej Kurylewicz and others, then went on to Columbia and art direction for albums by Soft Machine, Maynard Ferguson, Tony Bennett, George Benson and hundreds of rock and pop acts. Szaybo died May 21st at 85. 

Tetsu Saitoh (October 27th, 1955 - May 18th, 2019) The Japanese bassist was an ardent champion of the instrument, whether through his Bass Ensemble GEN311, solo albums on ALM, JABARA and Ohrai, duets with Nobuyoshi Ino and Joëlle Léandre, bass trios and quartets with Barre Phillips, William Parker, Ino and Léandre and participation in Sebastian Gramss’ Bassmasse. Saitoh died May 18th at 63. 

Doris Day (April 3rd, 1922 - May 13th, 2019) The actress, a major Hollywood star in the ‘50s-60s, got her start a decade earlier as a singer, her first major gig was with orchestra leader Barney Rapp, which later led to work with Les Brown in the early ‘40s, featured on a number of his 10” shellac recordings made for Columbia (most notably an iconic take of Brown-Ben Homer-Bud Green’s “Sentimental Journey”), the label for which she would debut in the late ‘40s and recorded prolifically through the mid ‘60s in collaborations with Buddy Cole, Harry James (the soundtrack to Young Man with a Horn, loosely based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke), Paul Weston, Frank Sinatra, André Previn and others, while having radio program in 1952-53, which featured guests like Ray Noble, Sammy Cahn, Frankie Laine and others. Day died May 13th at 97. 

Mike Migliore (October 16th, 1954 - May 13th, 2019) The saxophonist was a mainstay with Maynard Ferguson from 1977 until the trumpeter’s 2006 death, also working under Rich Szabo, Al Porcino, Bob Belden, Chico O’Farrill, Bill O’Connell, Bill Warfield, Mike Longo and others. Migliore died May 13th at 64. 

Sol Yaged (December 8th, 1922 - May 11th, 2019) The clarinetist began playing after hearing Benny Goodman on the radio, had his first record in 1956 with It Might As Well Be Swing (Herald), the same year he was a consultant for the film The Benny Goodman Story, and released a couple more albums over the subsequent decades for Philips (a collaboration with Coleman Hawkins in 1960) and Lane as well as work with Jack Teagarden, Zoot Sims/Al Cohn, Red Allen and others and a performance schedule that continued right up until his death. Yaged died May 11th at 96. 

Fritz Novotny (November 21st, 1940 - May 7th, 2019) The Austrian saxophonist co-founded The Reform Art Unit, a band still active from its 1965 founding with albums on various labels and collaborations with Sunny Murray and other international musicians, to go along with his own partnerships with Paul Fields, Linda Sharrock and membership in Three Motions and Clan Music Overdrive. Novotny died May 7th at 78. 

Norma Miller (December 2nd, 1919 - May 5th, 2019) The dancer was the youngest (and last surviving) member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, a group of Swing dancers who toured and appeared in Hollywood films, later going on to lead her own dance troupe, which toured with Count Basie, as well as being a singer, comedian, author and noted dance instructor. Miller died May 5th at 99. 

Robert "Cleve" Pozar (August 8th, 1941 - April 2019) The drummer/percussionist was active since the ‘60s with Bob James, Eric Dolphy, Bill Dixon, Ed Curran, Bobby Naughton and others and had a 1967 album on Savoy. Pozar died in April 2019 at 78. 

Dave Samuels (October 9th, 1948 - April 22nd, 2019) The vibraphonist/percussionist began as a drummer then, while matriculating at Boston University, switched to vibraphone and marimba, eventually going on to Berklee College of Music and studies with Gary Burton, starting his recording career in his mid 20s and taking part in the famed Gerry Mulligan/Chet Baker November 1974 Carnegie Hall Concert released on CTI, followed by more work with Mulligan, David Friedman, Michael Mantler/Carla Bley, Frank Zappa, a guest appearance with Spyro Gyra and releasing the first album under the moniker Double Image in 1977, the duo of himself and fellow vibraphonist Friedman, then continuing to work with Spyro Gyra, first as a guest, then as a full-fledged member and again as a guest through 2008, appearing on over 20 albums, while Double Image would yield several albums between 1977-2006, those projects concurrent with a trio with Art Lande and Paul McCandless, which recorded a 1981 album for ECM, and sideman work with Anthony Davis, Andy LaVerne, Joe Beck, Oscar Peterson, Michael Brecker and Billy Cobham, participation in various Pat Metheny groups from 1994-2001 and his own albums for Telarc, MCA, GRP, Columbia, Verve and Concord, concentrating from the mid ‘90s well into the new millennium on his Caribbean Jazz Project, which made 10 albums, including ones with guests Paquito D’Rivera and Diane Schuur, while also being active as a columnist for instrument magazines, instructional book author, clinician and instructor at Berklee and New England Conservatory. Samuels died April 22nd at 70. 

Gary Williamson (June 4th, 1944 - April 17th, 2019) The Canadian pianist worked with Ian McDougall, Kenny Wheeler, Ed Bickert, Phil Nimmons, Sam Noto, Neil Swainson, Barry Elmes, Kathryn Moses, Marty Morell, Dave Young, Ryan Oliver and others. Williamson died April 17th at 75. 

Jack Jennings (1928 - April 5th, 2019) The percussionist and vibraphonist had credits since the mid ‘60s under Kai Winding, Wes Montgomery, Astrud Gilberto, Willie Bobo, George Benson, Paul Desmond, Gene Bertoncini, Kenny Burrell, Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton. Jennings died April 5th at 91. 

Sam Pilafian (October 25th, 1949 - April 5th, 2019) The tuba player was originally in the classical world as part of The Empire Brass Quintet but veered off into jazz in the ‘90s, releasing a couple of albums under his own name and working with Frank Vignola and as part of Summit Brass. Pilafian died April 5th at 69. 

Davey Williams (1952 - April 5th, 2019) The guitarist was on albums made for the Trans Museq label alongside LaDonna Smith, Andrea Centazzo and Wally Shoup from the late ‘70s onward, was a member of Curlew and recorded with Anne LeBaron, Jim Staley, John Zorn and others. Williams died April 5th at 66. 

Einar Iversen (July 27th, 1930 - April 3rd, 2019) The pianist received the Buddyprisen from the Norwegian Jazz Forum in 1958, released Me and My Piano, his country’s first piano trio LP, in 1967, worked with visiting Americans like Anthony Ortega, Dexter Gordon and others and released leader albums in the ‘90s-00s for Gemini and HazelJazz. Iversen died April 3rd at 89. 

Lisle Atkinson (September 16th, 1940 - March 25th, 2019) The bassist, who led handful of dates with small groups and his Neo-Bass Ensemble, was in Nina Simone’s band when she played Carnegie Hall, documented on the titular Colpix album, continuing to work with the pianist/vocalist through 1965, then four years later, participating in a group that would go on to have a long-term effect on his career as one of seven bassists in Bill Lee’s The New York Bass Violin Choir, followed by dates with Betty Carter, David Amram, Albert Dailey, Walt Dickerson, Andrew Cyrille, Horace Parlan, Frank Strozier, Norman Simmons, Howard McGhee and Richard Wyands through the ‘70s, a debut as a leader in 1978 with Bass Contra Bass (Jazzcraft), recording with George Coleman, Helen Humes, Danny Mixon, Junko Milne and Benny Carter in the '80s, the same decade he convened a band the Neo-Bass Ensemble with himself and four other bassists (including wife Karen), releasing its debut on Karlisle, a follow-up in 1995 on Inspire Productions and a third, self-released disc in 2005, the new millennium also finding him with Roni Ben-Hur, Hilton Ruiz, Kenny Burrell, Joshua Breakstone and others and as an instructor for Jazzmobile’s Saturday Jazz Workshop. Atkinson died March 25th at 78.

Jeff Andrews (January 20th, 1960 - March 14th, 2019) The bassist was active in the fusion, smooth and contemporary jazz scenes of the ‘80s-90s with Special EFX, Mike Stern, Bob Berg, Michael Brecker, Biréli Lagrène, Eliane Elias, Joe Locke, Steps Ahead, Steve Smith, Tom Coster, Reuben Hoch and others and filled the titular role in the 1991 Novus tribute album I Remember Jaco. Andrews died March 14th at 59. 

Jim Beatty (June 9th, 1934 - March 12th, 2019) The clarinetist was a part of the American Dixieland revival scene in the ‘60s-70s, made albums for G.H.B, JB and Northwestern and co-led dates with Wild Bill Davison for Tri-Ad and JB and was the inspiration for a character in the 2000 independent film Undertaker’s Paradise. Beatty died March 12th at 84. 

Hal Blaine (February 5th, 1929 - March 11th, 2019) Among the drummer’s hundreds of pop and rock credits were early sessions under Herb Alpert, Gerry Mulligan, Dennis Budimir and Bud Shank. Blaine died March 11th at 90. 

George “Sax” Benson (February 26th, 1929 - March 9th, 2019) The Motor City saxophonist led or co-led records with J.C. Heard, Marcus Belgrave and Sammy Price for local label Parkwood as well as Alembic, had pop and funk credits with The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, ADC Band, Eddie Russ and others and was a noted teacher, writing Jazz Etudes Over Classic Jazz Changes. Benson died March 9th at 90. 

James Dapogny (September 3rd, 1940 -  March 6th, 2019) The pianist founded the Chicago Jazz Band in the ‘70s and worked with Gene Mayl, Sippie Wallace, Maria Muldaur and Marty Grosz but is perhaps most significant for his work as a musicologist, specifically his writings on and recordings of the music of Jelly Roll Morton, particularly the 1976 Smithsonian Collection album Piano Music of Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton. Dapogny died March 6th at 78. 

Jacques Loussier (October 26th, 1934 - March 5th, 2019) The French pianist made an unusual career of interpreting the works of Bach in a jazz piano trio vein, recording over a dozen volumes from 1959 into the new millennium for Decca, London, Paddle Wheel and other labels to go along with a voluminous discography, which included interpretations of other classical composers and jazz-fusion experiments. Loussier died March 5th at 84.  

Ed Bickert (November 29th, 1932 - February 28th, 2019) The Canadian guitarist made albums from the mid ‘70s onward for PM, Sackville, Concord, Innovation, Unisson and ArtistShare to go along with sideman credits since the late ‘50s with Moe Koffman, Ron Collier, Peter Appleyard, Rob McConnell, Gene Lees, Paul Desmond, Don Thompson, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Rosolino, Benny Carter, Sammy Nestico and many others. Bickert died February 28th at 86. 

André Previn (April 6th, 1929 - February 28th, 2019) The German-born, longtime U.S. resident pianist/composer started recording as a teenager for RCA Victor, had further releases on MGM, Contemporary, Metrojazz, Columbia, Capitol, Angel, Telarc, Deutsche Grammophon and many other labels to go along with parallel careers conducting the classical music in which he had trained as a youth and composing music for film, leading to a discography numbering in the hundreds and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys, Kennedy Center, London Symphony Orchestra and Gramophone Classic FM, Austrian and German Crosses of Merit, Glenn Gould Prize and a knighthood in Great Britain. Previn died February 28th at 89. 

Janusz Skowron (May 23, 1957 - February 28th, 2019) The Polish keyboard player was a founding member of the jazz-rock band String Connection, which was active from 1982 onward, worked with countrymen like Kazimierz Jonkisz, Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Jaremko, Witold E. Szczurek and Zbigniew Namysłowski and was part of the International Quintet with Bill Evans, David Gilmore, Krzysztof Zawadzki and Victor Bailey. Skowron died February 18th at 61. 

Jim Miller (June 13th, 1953 - February 25th, 2019) The drummer was a founding member of Reverie, with three ‘80s albums on Encounter, and also recorded with Frank Cook, John Larkin, Gerald Veasley, Bob Fanelli, Eddie Green, Suzanne Cloud, Denis DiBlasio, George Rabbai, Jim Ridl, Brian Betz and others. Miller died February 25th at 65.

Ira Gitler (December 18th, 1928 - February 23rd, 2019) The Dean of the jazz critics’ school, who co-authored The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz with Leonard Feather, began his career at then-recently-founded Prestige in a number of administrative roles, going on to pen liner notes for virtually every major label and artist well into the new millennium, defining a critical terminology still used by most jazz writers today (“Sheets of sound”...that’s one of his), having a stint as the editor of DownBeat in the ‘60s, contributing jazz criticism for JazzTimes, Modern Drummer, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Village Voice, Playboy and New York Magazine and writing books on bebop in the ‘40s (as well as his other love, hockey), resulting in Lifetime Achievement Awards from the New Jersey Jazz Society and Jazz Journalists Association and an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2017. Gitler died Februry 23rd at 90.  

Ethel Ennis (November 28th, 1932 - February 17th, 2019) The soul-jazz vocalist toured Europe with Benny Goodman in 1958, sang the National Anthem at Richard Nixon’s second inauguration at the request of Spiro Agnew and had albums on Jubilee, Capitol, RCA Victor, BASF, EnE, Hildner Productions and Savoy Jazz. Ennis died February 17th at 86. 

Ken Nordine (April 13th, 1920 - February 16th, 2019) The host of the Word Jazz program on Chicago’s WBEZ for 40 years got his start doing voiceover work, then moved into reading poetry with jazz players during the Beat Era, most notably a series of collaborations with Fred Katz for Dot Records, then albums for FM, Philips, Snail and Asphodel. Nordine died February 16th at 98. 

Willie Thomas (February 13th, 1931 - February 16th, 2019) The trumpeter got his start in the late ‘50s with Al Belletto, appeared on most of the albums of Walter Perkins’ MJT+3 in the ‘50s, was part of Woody Herman’s Herd in the late ‘50s-early ‘60s, participated in several large ensemble recordings by Slide Hampton and Bill Barron during the ‘60s, made a couple of albums in partnership with Bunky Green in the ‘80s and wrote instructional books for Alfred Publishing. Thomas died February 16th at 88.

Normand Deveault (March 26th, 1960 - February 14th, 2019) The Canadian pianist was a member of Tropic Fusion, worked with Normand Guilbeault, André Leroux and Herbert “Happy” Lewis and self-released a solo set in 2001. Deveault died February 14th at 58. 

Connie Jones (March 22nd, 1934 - February 13th, 2019) The trumpeter was in Jack Teagarden’s group in the early ‘60s, recorded under Billy Maxted, Pete Fountain and Bucky Pizzarelli and made two albums, one with his Crescent City Jazz Band and the other in partnership with Dick Sudhalter. Jones died February 13th at 84. 

André Francis (June 6th, 1925 - February 12th, 2019) The French radio DJ introduced the Miles Davis Quintet before their 1963 Antibes appearance, led a brief compilation series of American artists for Le Chant Du Monde and produced albums for Shandar, Disques Festival, Enja, Palm and L’Escargot. Francis died February 12th at 93. 

Frank Pullara (1938 - February 12th, 2019) The bassist was a member of The Boys From Rochester, a group that included fellow Rochesterians Chuck and Gap Mangione, Steve Gadd and Joe Romano and made a 1989 album for Feels So Good Records, reuniting the bassist with the Mangiones after a 1961 Riverside album by The Jazz Brothers, which included Sal Nistico from nearby Syracuse. Pullara died February 12th at 81. 

Kiyoshi Koyama (February 12th, 1936 - February 3rd, 2019) This editor of Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal (1962-79, 1990-93) produced Japanese issues of albums on MPS, Verve, Mercury and EmArcy as well as Japanese labels like Next Wave and authored liner notes for Japanese reissues of American and European albums and indigenous releases on various Japanese labels. Koyama died February 3rd at 82. 

Michel Legrand (February 24th, 1932 - January 26th, 2019) The French pianist parlayed a classical education into a lengthy career, his instrumental debut I Love Paris made when he was only 22, numerous credits as a composer for other artists as well as for film (in particular the French New Wave directors and, most famously, 1964’s Les Parapluies de Cherbourg), a second career as a performer on both piano and voice as well as more composing work for film, ballet and opera and dozens of albums over the decades to go along with three Oscars and five Grammys. Legrand died January 26th at 86. 

Roland Keijser (August 9th, 1944 - January 25th, 2019) The Swedish saxophonist worked in both his country’s folk and jazz scenes, the latter including participation in the G.L. Unit’s Orangutang! 1970 session, membership in Palle Danielsson’s 1971 band, 1997 collaboration with Bengt Berger and 2008- 09 duo project with drummer Raymond Strid. Keijser died January 25th at 74. 

Clive Stevens (1940 - January 24th, 2019) The British saxophonist worked with Bob Downes and Charles Austin/ Joe Gallivan and, after moving to the States, Naná Vasconcelos and others and releasing a number of albums under his own name, most notably a pair for Capitol in the mid ‘70s with his Atmospheres group featuring John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Steve Kahn, Rick Laird, Billy Cobham and Michael Carvin. Stevens died January 24th at 70. 

Christopher Ellis (December 25th, 1928 - January 21st, 2019) The British singer formed the Magnolia Jazz Band early on in his career before moving into production at EMI, mostly with reissues of jazz albums but also new sessions by Dick Sudhalter, Keith Nichols, Keith Ingham and others, all while maintaining an active schedule as a singer in London venues, releasing his sole album, Vocal With Hot Accomp., in 1987 on Dormouse before moving to Holland and co-founding Challenge Records. Ellis died January 21st at 90. 

Joseph Jarman (September 14th, 1937 - January 9th, 2019) The reedplayer and founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and Art Ensemble of Chicago (AEC) was part of Muhal Richard Abrams' Experimental Band, the precursor to the AACM, made a pair of records for Delmark in 1967-68, then with Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors and Lester Bowie starting the AEC (an outgrowth of the 1967 Bowie album on Nessa, Numbers 1&2), which, though inextricably linked with The Windy City, really began as a European construct with the members decamping to France as part of a major exodus of Black American musicians, releasing albums BYG-Actuel, Saravah, EMI-Pathé, America, Galloway, Decca, Freedom, Atlantic, ECM, DIW, Pi and the band’s own AECO imprint, his discography also including later albums for Delmark, India Navigation, AECO, Black Saint, Four Star, Baybridge, Music & Arts, Ocean, Bopbuda Music and Melungeon and credits with AEC bandmates Mitchell, Bowie and percussionist Famadou Don Moye, fellow AACM reedplayer Anthony Braxton and, more recently, Lou Grassi, Scott Fields and Chris Chalfant. Jarman died January 9th at 81.

Horst Liepolt (July 27th, 1927 - January 9th, 2019) The German-born producer began his career in his adopted country of Australia in the ‘50s, opening the Jazz Centre 44 club in Melbourne, booking acts at Sydney’s The Basement and organizing the Festival of Sydney Jazz Festival, Manly Jazz Festival and Music Is An Open Sky concert series as well as producing albums for RCA Victor, Philips and his own 44 Records by various Australian artists before moving to New York in 1981 and opening the Sweet Basil and Lush Life jazz clubs, organizing the annual Greenwich Village Jazz Festival and producing albums for Evidence, Ekapa, Electric Bird, Paddle Wheel, Soul Note, Gramavision and Justin Time, all live recordings from his New York City clubs, winning a Grammy in 1989. Liepolt died January 9th at 91. 

Phil Mattson (1939 - January 9th, 2019) The keyboard player led contemporary jazz group The P.M. Singers for three albums in the mid ‘80s but was better known as an arranger for The Manhattan Transfer and other vocal groups, playing with Mark Murphy, Bobby McFerrin, Barbara Morrison, Richie Cole, Ernestine Anderson and Carmen Lundy and as conductor of the Carnegie Hall Vocal Jazz Festival. Mattson died January 9th at 80. 

John C. Sanders (June 30th, 1925 - January 6th, 2019) The trombonist would have been a perfect fit for Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music Concerts of 1965-73, having played with the bandleader from 1954-59 and then again briefly in 1963 and 1967, appearing on such albums as Such Sweet Thunder, A Drum Is A Woman, Ellington at Newport and “...And His Mother Called Him Bill”, before undertaking priestly formation in 1965 and being ordained as a Catholic priest in 1973, working in his adopted state of Connecticut until his 2000 retirement. Sanders died January 6th at 93. 

Alvin Fielder (November 23rd, 1935 - January 5th, 2019) The drummer followed up a late ‘50s stint with Sun Ra by being a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and playing on Roscoe Mitchell’s 1966 Delmark album Sound and then sessions led by Charles Brackeen, Ahmed Abdullah, Dennis Gonzalez, Joel Futterman and others as well as membership in the ‘80s band Improvisational Arts Quintet to go along with a number of albums as a collaborator with Kidd Jordan, Peter Kowald, Damon Smith, Frode Gjerstad, Joe McPhee and others in the new millennium and a single album as a leader, A Measure Of Vision, in 2007 for Clean Feed. Fielder died January 5th at 83. 

Ralph Jungheim (May 19th, 1929 - January 5th, 2019) The producer supervised sessions for RealTime, Delos, Fantasy, Contemporary, LaserLight Digital, Drive Archive and Naxos Jazz by such artists as Duke Ellington Allstars, Jack Sheldon, Freddie Hubbard, Don Menza, Etta James/Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Howard Rumsey, Joe Pass, Freddy Cole, Michel Legrand, Joe Farrell, James Zollar and others, winning a pair of Grammys. Jungheim died January 5th at 89. 

Harry Harman (1928 - January 2nd, 2019) The Australian multiinstrumentalist started out on tuba with his Paramount Jazz Band in the early ‘50s, switched to upright bass with the Port Jackson Jazz Band in the mid ‘50s and then moved to banjo upon joining the Graeme Bell All Stars in the early ‘60s, returning to music after a long hiatus in the ‘80s playing both tuba and bass. Harman died January 2nd at 91.