2023 In Memoriam

December • November • October • September • August • July

June • May • April • March • February • January

Gabrielle Agachiko • Andy Alexander • Ricardo Amoy • Ulf Andersson • Serhii Artemov • Burt Bacharach • Peter Badie • Ronny Bailey • Harrison Bankhead • George Bannon • David Barker • Guido Basso • Alan Bates • Philip E. Batt • Edward Bear • Jeff Beck • Bob Bell • Jefferson Bender • Edward Bentz • Karl Berger • Bill Berry • Franz Biffiger • Michael Blackwood • Peter Blue • Roger Bobo • Neal Bonsanti • Simon Booth • Tommy “Slim” Borgudd • Gloria Bosman • Daniel Bourquin • Kwame Brathwaite • Phil Brenes • Hermann Breuer • Carmen Brown • Fred Brown • Pete Brown • Dix Bruce • Marianne Brull • Dennis Budimir • Jim Burg • Richard Burkart • John Burke • Raymond Cajuste • Bobby Caldwell • Carmen Caramanica • Luiz Orlando Carneiro • Ted Casher • Joseph Casino • Bebeto Castilho • Stephanie J. Castillo • Kerry Cavett • Yves Chamberland • Ken Chapin • Russell Cheatham • Chez Chesterman • Gail Christian • Tony Coe • Jamie Colpitts • Ivan "Mamão" Conti • Rick Cordrey • James Coulter • Terence Cox • Andrew Crisanti • Chris Daniels • Ralph Davies • Théo De Barros • John Delia • Pat DeRosa • Bill Dexter • Ricky Diaz • Jerry Dodgion • Jim Dofton • José Duarte • Herschel Dwellingham • Robert Eastham • Steven Eckels • Joan Eskau • Victor Evans • Chris Farlowe • Bill Farrar • Wally Fawkes • Scott Feiner • David Florence • Jai Enoch Flynt • Michael Fogarty • Ken Followill • Helmut Forsthoff • John Foss • Ken Franckling • Gerald Fried • Richie Frost • Ruth Fuller • John Gant • Carlos Garnett • İlham Gencer • Renée Geyer • John Giblin • Marcus Girvan • Lee Glasel • Steve Gnitka • Duško Gojković • Carin Goldberg • Jorge Gonzalez • Alain Goraguer • Jim Gordon • John Gosden • John Goulart • Margaret Davis Grimes • Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou • Linda Gurney • Bob Gusch • John Gutierrez • Jim Hacker • Dawit Firew Hailu • Saundra Hamilton • Toni Harper • Tommy Harris • Sammy Hartman • George Heid, Sr. • Mark Hennen • Isaac “Redd” Holt • Jeffrey Hills, Sr. • Jürgen Hintsche • Luc Hoenraet • Coen Hofmann • Seanie Hogan • Jouni Hokkanen • Jim Hopkins • Ralph Humphrey • Susi Hyldgaard • Allen Imbach • Lynette Irwin • Sam Jackson • Ruth Jacobson • Jochem Jaecks • Ahmad Jamal • Clifford Johnson • Jim Jones • Edward “Kidd” Jordan • David Kamien • Norm Karkruff • Günther Kieser • Gary Kimball • Don Kitchen • Dick Knowles • David Koskoski • Siegfried “Bibi” Kreutz • Harry Künzel • Tamaz Kurashvili • Adolph Labbe • Pierre Lacotte • Paula Langlands • Raymond Laracuenta • Miola Laws • Bill Lee • Bob Linney• Ronald Lipka • Willie Lofton • Dennis Lotis • Robin Lumley • Víctor Luque • Charles Lyon • Ida McBeth • Tim McCarver • Ronald McFadden • Mary McMahon • Gunnar Malmgren • Karaikudi Mani • Musa Manzini • Josette Sainte Marie-Bortot • Sebastian Marino • Ernest “Curly” Martin • Danny Matson • Hugh Mayronne • Jim Milan • Butch Miles • Michael Miller • Donald Moely • Udo Moll • Piero Montanari • Kenneth Moore • Jerry Moors • Clifford Moses • Mick Murphy • Ferus Mustafov • Sebastian Nay • Mike Naylor • Harald Neuwirth • Eunice Newkirk • Stefan Nilsson • Mike O'Connor • Mike O'Friel • Richard Österreicher • Ruth Ottenheimer • Wren Panzella • Jann Parker • Rodger Parrett • Maggie Pelleyá • Ojeda Penn • Mike Peters • Charles Pio • Al Presutti • Geneva Price • George Price • Chris Qua • Don Rader • Toninho Ramos • Yves Renard • Alan Rigg • Larry Roland • Leon Rollerson • Bernt Rosengren • Michael Royal • Kelly Rusike • Ed Russell • Ryuichi Sakamoto • Gordon Sams • Don Sands • Carl Saunders • Federico Savina • Don Sebesky • Libra Sene • Dick Shallberg • Richard Shanley • Don Shinn • Junichi Shiomi • Wayne Shorter • Rasul Siddik • Bernard Siffert • Carol Sloane • Don Smartt • Larry Smith • Bill Snodgrass • Michael Snow • Bruce Somers • Ben Soriano • Charles Starzynski • Pat Steel • Jackson Stock • Burchard Stocks • Carolyn Stockwell Tangeman • Forrest Stoll • June Stoskopf • Roxann Stout • Chris Strachwitz • Julie Sudiro • Phil Sunkel • Vera Tisheff • SveziaDane Terry • Paul D. Thomas • Lauri Tornivuori • Ádám Török • Gus Tripilas • Bob Troxell • Buddy Trumbo • Valery Tyrin • Christiane Ufholz • Lázaro Valdés • Helmut Viertl • Rafael Viñoly • Gary Walford • Ronald Wesley • Jay Weston • Pete Whelan • Carl Wickstrom • Craig Wigton • Jack Wilkins • Ross Willby • Wallace Wills • Jen Wilson • John "Doc" Wilson • Reuben Wilson • Richard B. Woodward • John Wurr • Marcel Zanini • Vyacheslav Zaitsev • Pete Zeldman • Alfons Zschockelt

May 2023

Reuben Wilson (April 9th, 1935 - May 26th, 2023) The organ player had a string of late ‘60s-mid ‘70s albums for Blue Note, Groove Merchant and Cadet, followed decades later by dates for Ausfahrt Musikverlag GMBH, ‎Cannonball, ‎Jazzateria, Scufflin’, ‎Savant and 18th & Vine to go alongside guest spots with Willis Jackson, George Benson, Grant Green, Jr., Melvin Sparks and others. Wilson died May 26th at 88.

Stefan Nilsson (July 27th, 1955 - May 25th, 2023) The Swedish pianist and composer was a founding member of the jazz-rock group Kornet and worked with Georg Wadenius, Gary Boyle, Georg Reidel and Tommy Körberg. Nilsson died May 25th at 67.

Bill Lee (July 23rd, 1928 - May 24th, 2023) The bassist and composer (and father to filmmaker Spike) was active since the ‘50s with Billy Wallace, Torchy Jones, Frank Strozier, Ray Bryant, Chris Anderson, Johnny Griffin, John Handy, Baba Olatunji, Harold Mabern, Richard Davis, Clifford Jordan, Bill Campbell, Stanley Cowell and Ted Harris, led or co-led The New York Bass Violin Choir and The Brass Company, worked with various folk acts and wrote music for Davis, Brown, Campbell, Griffin, Max Roach, Billy Higgins and several of his son’s films. Lee died May 24th at 94.

Isaac “Redd” Holt (May 16th, 1932 - May 23rd, 2023) The drummer met bassist Eldee Young, his future partner in The Young-Holt Unlimited (active from 1966-74), when both were in Ramsey Lewis’ trio for about a decade starting in the mid ‘50s, going on to win a Grammy in 1966 with Lewis for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance in a career that also saw early work with James Moody, Ken Nordine, Earl Bostic, Bill Henderson and Shelley Moore and his own 1961 Argo debut then, decades later, a 2018 session for Treehouse. Holt died May 23rd at 91.

David Barker (October 20th, 1979 - May 21st, 2023) The Dutch drummer was a founding member of Mezcolanza and Think Tank and worked with Pierre Anckaert, Rogier Schneemann, Andres Alaru, Onur Ataman, Martien Oster and others. Barker died May 21st at 43.

Pete Brown (December 25th, 1940 - May 19th, 2023) The English lyricist and singer, noted for his work with Cream, had his songs recorded by Don Sebesky, Gerald Wilson, Frank Ricotti, Mongo Santamaria, Ella Fitzgerald, Jazz Rock Symposium, Colosseum, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Larry Coryell, Julie Tippetts, Curlew, Frank Gambale, Hessischer Rundfunk Big Band, Nguyên Lê, Medeski Martin & Wood, Mike Clark and others. Brown died May 19th at 82.

Musa Manzini (May 30th, 1971 - May 15th, 2023) The South African bassist released albums in the new millennium on BMG Records Africa, Gallo Jazz and Sheer Sound and worked with Rene McLean, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonathan Butler, Mark Goliath, Judith Sephuma, Winston Ngozi, Menyatso Mathole, Selaelo Selota, Joe McBride, UCT Jazz Orchestra and others. Manzini died May 15th at 51.

John Giblin (February 26th, 1952 - May 14th, 2023) The Scottish bassist, in addition to his many pop and rock credits, worked with Gary Boyle, Brand X, Hugh Masekela, Peter Erskine and Alan Pasqua. Giblin died May 14th at 71.

Bernt Rosengren (December 24th, 1937 - May 14th, 2023) The Swedish tenor saxophonist/flutist was part of the International Youth Band appearing at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, soon going on to record as a leader for Jazzland, Sonet, Polskie Nagrania Muza, Bird Notes, SJR, SR, Columbia, Gazell, Odeon, Harvest, Amigo, EMI, Caprice, SteepleChase, Phontastic, Dragon, Mirrors, Arietta Discs and pb7 alongside work with Benny Bailey, Krzysztof Komeda, Jancy Körössy, Idrees Sulieman, Bengt Ernryd, Jan Wallgren, Jan Johansson, Finn Von Eyben, Don Cherry, Lars Gullin, George Russell, Baden-Baden Free Jazz Orchestra, Sven-Åke Johansson, Gunnar Lindqvist, Maffy Falay, Rolf Ericson, Sabu Martinez, Nils Lindberg, Claes-Göran Fagerstedt, Lars Werner, Thad Jones, Karin Krog, Doug Raney, Eje Thelin, Hasse Kahn, Thore Swanerud, Bertil Lövgren, Monica Zetterlund, Tomasz Stańko, Rune Carlsson, Berndt Egerbladh, Arne Domnérus, Per Henrik Wallin, Per Tjernberg, Jonas Kullhammar and others. Rosengren died May 15th at 85.

John "Doc" Wilson (July 9th, 1926 - May 13th, 2023) The trumpeter and arranger worked with Dick Stabile, Eddie Sauter/Bill Finnegan, Benny Goodman, Pete Rugalo, Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Raney and others prior to a decades-long career as an educator, including co-authoring Instrumental Jazz Arranging: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide. Wilson died May 13th at 96.

Jen Wilson (1944 - May 8th, 2023) The Welsh pianist, composer and archivist was commissioned to write “The Dylan Thomas Jazz Suite - Twelve Poems” for the poet’s centenary, founded the archive Jazz Heritage Wales and published Freedom Music Wales (Emancipation and Jazz 1850-1950) in 2019. Wilson died May 8th at 78.

Larry Smith (1944 - May 6th, 2023) The alto saxophonist had a couple of records, one live from Slovakia, the other co-led with Franco D’Andrea, and credits with Dennis Yerry, James Carter, Jim Manley and others. Smith died May 6th at 79.

Chris Strachwitz (July 1st, 1931 - May 5th, 2023) The founder of the Arhoolie and Changes Labels, in addition to the various regional musics he released, put out a handful of jazz dates by Luna, Now Creative Arts Jazz Ensemble, Jerry Hahn, Smiley Winters, Sonny Simmons and various releases and reissues by semi-obscure New Orleanais traditional artists. Strachwitz died May 5th at 91.

Jack Wilkins (June 4th, 1944 - May 5th, 2023) The guitarist (né Jack Rivers Lewis) started playing professionally as a teenager, then started his recording career in the ‘70s as a leader with dates for Mainstream, Chiaroscuro, CTI, Greene Street, Musicmasters, Arabesque, String Jazz, Mel Bay, MAXJAZZ and other labels, sideman dates with Barry Miles, Albert Dailey, Paul Jeffrey, Pete Yellin, Buddy Rich, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Sonny Fortune, Astrud Gilberto, Bob Brookmeyer, Nancy Harrow, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, Julius Hemphill. The Manhattan Transfer, Chris Connor, Jay Clayton, Amy London, Camille Thurman and others and collaborations with Kenny Drew, Jr., Gene Bertoncini, Mundell Lowe and more. Wilkins died May 5th at 78.

Karaikudi Mani (September 11th, 1945 - May 4th, 2023) The Indian mridangam player and teacher worked with Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, Lakshminarayana Shankar and Australian Art Orchestra. Mani died May 4th at 77.

April 2023

Neal Bonsanti (??? - April 30th, 2023) The saxophonist and educator, in addition to his credits in the pop and rock world, worked with Duffy Jackson, Jaco Pastorius, Melton Mustafa, Tito Puente, Jr. and his brother Dan’s 14 Jazz Orchestra. Bonsanti died April 30th at an unknown age.

Chris Qua (November 14th 1951 - April 30th 2023) The Australian bassist/trumpeter was a founding member in 1969 of Galapagos Duck, which had early albums on Philips and 44 Records, and worked with compatriots like John Sangster, Len and Bob Barnard, Tom Baker, Johnny Nicol, Julian Lee, George Golla, Bob Bertles and others as well as visiting Englishmen Stan Tracey and Don Weller. Qua died April 30th at 71.

Don Sebesky (December 10th, 1937 - April 29th, 2023) While he started out as a trombonist with Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Bill Russo and others in the late ‘50s, it was as a composer/arranger/conductor that he would become best known, amassing hundreds of credits with Ferguson, Shirley Horn, Charlie Mariano, Astrud Gilberto, Kai Winding, Wes Montgomery, Carmen McRae, Warren Covington, Toots Thielemans, Chris Connor, Glenn Miller Orchestra, George Benson, Erroll Garner, Buddy Rich, Doc Severinsen, Kenny Burrell, Cal Tjader, Jack Sheldon, Willie Bobo, Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, Dizzy Gillespie, Jean-Luc Ponty, Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Weston, Airto Moreira, Milt Jackson, Chet Baker, Joe Beck, Jim Hall, Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter, Eddie Daniels, Blue Mitchell, Franco Ambrosetti, Roland Hanna, Earl Klugh, Larry Coryell, John Pizzarelli, Dave Grusin, John Allred, Enrico Rava, Hilary Kole and others, plus his own albums for Verve, Gryphon, Paddle Wheel, RCA Victor and, most notably CTI, where he was essentially the house arranger from its founding through the mid '70s, and his work for Broadway, film and television. Sebesky died April 29th at 85.

Richard B. Woodward (1953 - April 29th, 2023) Among the author’s other writings about art were various essays and reviews on jazz for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Village Voice and other publications. Woodward died April 29th at 70.

Jim Hacker (July 12th, 1967 - April 28th, 2023) The trumpeter and educator worked with Jaco Pastorius, Concert Jazz Band University Of Miami, Copacabana Orquesta and Ed Calle. Hacker died April 28th at 55.

Ralph Humphrey (May 11th, 1944 - April 23rd, 2023) The drummer, previous to his many rock credits, most notably with Frank Zappa, was a member of the Don Ellis Orchestra during the late ‘60s-early ‘70s and also had later work under The Manhattan Transfer, L. Subramaniam, Milcho Leviev, Herb Alpert, Wayne Shorter, Diane Schuur, Pete Christlieb, Patrick Gleeson, Tierney Sutton and others. Humphrey died April 23rd at 78.

Gordon Sams (February 20th, 1925 - April 20th, 2023) The one-time jazz promoter drummed as a teenager with the Maynard Baird Southern Serenaders territory band in the late ’30-early ‘40s and later booked musicians in his native Knoxville, eventually opening Gordon’s Town House there, which from 1957-62 hosted big bands led by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Louis Prima and others. Sams died April 20th at 98.

Franz Biffiger (February 16th, 1939 - April 19th, 2023) The Swiss pianist was a member of the Riverboat Stompers, led various trad bands and modern jazz groups (which included trumpeter Jürg Grau) in the latter half of the ‘50s into the early ‘60s, worked with Heinz Bigler, was a longtime faculty member of at the Swiss Jazz School, helmed numerous jazz radio progams, co-founded the Red Hot Peppers in 1990, toured with Robin Kenyatta, Clifford Jordan, Sal Nistico and other visiting musicians, opened a jazz club in Bern in the ‘90s and released albums on Horn into the new millennium. Biffiger died April 19th at 84.

Don Rader (October 21st, 1935 - April 18th, 2023) The trumpeter was a big band stalwart, working with Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin, Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass, Don Menza, Klaus Weiss, Les Brown, Erwin Lehn, Bob Curnow, SDR/SWR Big Band, Sydney All Star Big Band and others to go along with a handful of small-group leader dates for DRM, PBR International, Discovery, Jet Danger, Bellaphon and Newmarket Music. Rader died April 18th at 87.

Peter Badie (May 17th, 1925 - April 17th, 2023) The bassist worked with Lionel Hampton, Dave Bartholomew, AFO Executives, The New Orleans Jazz Wizards, Doc Cheatham and others. Badie died April 17th at 97.

Ivan "Mamão" Conti (August 16th, 1946 - April 17th, 2023) The Brazilian drummer/percussionist was a founding member of the group Azymuth, which had numerous albums on Atlantic, Milestone, SBA, ITM, Intima, West Wind Latina, Far Out, Spotlight, and later the percussion collective Grupo Batuque, worked with Milton Nascimento, Eumir Deodato, Marcio Montarroyos, Ulf Wakenius, Mark Murphy, Antonio Adolfo, Ithamara Koorax, Marcos Valle, Stanley Jordan, Jazzanova and others, and led a handful of dates for Milestone, Maracatu, CID and Far Out Recordings. Conti died April 17th at 76.

Herschel Dwellingham (November 2nd, 1944 - April 16th, 2023) The drummer, among his other performance, composition and production credits, played on Weather Report’s 1973 Sweetnighter album. Dwellingham died April 16th at 78.

Ahmad Jamal (July 2nd, 1930 - April 16th, 2023) The pianist (né Frederick Russell Jones) spent over 60 years in the unusual jazz position of almost exclusively recording as a leader of mostly trios, releasing dozens of albums on OKeh, Argo (later Cadet), Epic, ABC, Impulse!, Chess, 20th Century, Catalyst, Motown, Who’s Who in Jazz, Shubra, Chiaroscuro, Atlantic, Blues Alley Music Society, Verve, Telarc, Birdology, GRP, Dreyfus Jazz and Jazz Village, a career that saw him named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, be given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys and receive various other honors. Jamal died April 16th at 92.

Steve Gnitka (May 13th, 1953 - April 14th, 2023) The guitarist was a longtime collaborator of Milo Fine and Joe McPhee, separately and together, appearing on albums by both for hatHUT. Gnitka died April 14th at 69.

Karl Berger (March 30th 1935 - April 9th, 2023) The German pianist/vibraphonist was a key figure in jazz on two continents, first in Europe where he worked with Bent Jædig, Barney Wilen, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Rolf and Joachim Kühn, Alexander Von Schlippenbach and others then, after moving to the States, recording for ESP-Disk’ (From Now On, 1966) and having credits with Marzette Watts, Lee Konitz, Steve Lacy, Clifford Thornton, Alan Silva and Carla Bley, going on to co-found the Creative Music Studio in his adopted home of Woodstock with his wife Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, a key organization in exploring and promoting avant garde jazz (still active, leadership transitioning in 2018 to Billy Martin), while making more records for Calig, Enja, Creative Music Communication, Sackville, FMP, Horo, Circle, Palcoscenico, MPS, Victor, ITM, Black Saint, L+R, In+Out, Douglas Music, Double Moon, Ajeco, Between The Lines, Tzadik, NoBusiness, Nacht, FMR, Leo, True Sound, Stunt and Fresh Sound and collaborating with Albert Mangelsdorff, John McLaughlin, Frederic Rzewski, Anthony Braxton, Maurice McIntyre, Musica Elettronica Viva, Machine Gun, Steve Cohn, Bill Laswell, Robert Musso, John Tchicai, Theo Jörgensmann, Karl Lindberg, Ivo Perelman, Kirk Knuffke, Michael Bisio and others. Berger died April 9th at 88.

Edward “Kidd” Jordan (May 5th, 1935 - April 7th, 2023) The saxophonist and 2008 Vision Festival Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, active since the mid ‘50s, became far more visible from the ‘80s onward, first as part of The Improvisational Arts Quintet then co-leading a band with Joel Futterman (with albums on Kali, Konnex, Silkheart, Drimala and Charles Lester Music) as well as collaborations with Hamiet Bluiett, Dennis González, Alvin Fielder, Fred Anderson, Alan Silva, Marshall Allen, Hamid Drake, Kali Z. Fasteau, Oluyemi Thomas, Peter Kowald, World Saxophone Quartet, William Parker, Jeff Albert, Borah Bergman, Jazz Poetry Ensemble, Abbey Rader and Dopolarians, plus his own albums on Danjor Productions, Engine Studios, RJ and other labels. Jordan died April 7th at 87.

Harrison Bankhead (March 1st, 1955 - April 5th, 2023) The bassist was a stalwart in his native Chicago’s jazz scene since the ‘80s, working with Randy Murray, Ed Wilkerson, Malachi Thompson, Fred Anderson, Hanah Jon Taylor, Joel Brandon, Roscoe Mitchell, Oluyemi Thomas, Nicole Mitchell, Ernest Dawkins, Hamid Drake, Dee Alexander, Butch Morris, George Freeman, Mwata Bowden and others and leading or co-leading a handful of albums for Ayler and Engine Studios. Bankhead died April 7th at 68.

Duško Gojković (October 14th, 1931 - April 5th, 2023) The Serbian trumpeter, his country’s most famed jazz player, was part of the International Youth Band appearing at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival but had already been active for a few years prior with Albert Mangelsdorff and Kurt Edelhagen, soon going on to a long and prolific career as a leader/co-leader for Electrola, PGP TRB, Philips, Music De Wolfe, MPS, Ensayo, Horo, RCA, Selected Sound, Intersound, EGO, Nilva, Diskoton, DIW, Hot House, Balance, Enja, Birdland Neuberg, SJF, Paddle Wheel, Cosmic Sounds, Multisonic, ZKP RTVS, B92, Organic Music, JCT, Amayana and other labels alongside hundreds of credits with Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland (separately and as a longtime member of their orchestra), Oscar Pettiford, Gil Cuppini, Teté Montoliu, Maynard Ferguson, European All Stars, Woody Herman, Bent Jædig, Buddy Collette, Big Band Munich, Erich Kleinschuster, Emergency, Charly Antolini, Peter Herbolzheimer, Klaus Doldinger, Gigi Cichellero, George Gruntz, Friedrich Gulda, Roland Kovac, Hot Line, Belgrade Jazz Sextett, Bobby Jones, Alvin Queen, Soesja Citroen, Cees Slinger, Hans Hammerschmid, Per Husby, Nathan Davis, Paul Millns, Stjepko Gut, Masahiko Osaka, Nicolas Simion, Paul Kuhn, Joe Haider, František Uhlíř, Italian Sax Ensemble, Big Band RTV Slovenija, Torino Jazz Orchestra, Wolfgang Hafner and more. Gojković died April 5th at 91.

Alfons Zschockelt (January 15th, 1935 - April 5th, 2023) Prior to a long legal career, the guitarist/banjo player was part of Germany’s trad-jazz scene with his own groups and later as part of The Feetwarmers, Jazz Band Halle and with Gustav Brom. Zschockelt died April 5th at 88.

Yves Chamberland (1933 - April 4th, 2023) The French sound engineer, in addition to his many production credits, founded Studio Davout in Paris, active from 1964-2020 and site of recordings by Jef Gilson, Paris Jazz All Stars, Michel Legrand, Marion Brown, Archie Shepp, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Rhoda Scott, Stéphane Grappelli, Eddy Louiss, Claude Bolling, Keith Jarrett, Sam Rivers, Maurice Vander, Willem Breuker, Steve Grossman/Jean-François Jenny-Clark, Chet Baker, Michel Portal, Alan Silva, Bernard Lubat, Walter Davis, Jr., Steve Lacy, Philip Catherine, Martial Solal, Nina Simone, Don Cherry, Aldo Romano, Richard Galliano, Joachim Kühn, Daniel Humair, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, Pharoah Sanders, Stan Getz, Biréli Lagrène, Didier Lockwood, Jean-Luc Ponty, Roy Haynes, Abbey Lincoln/Hank Jones, Michel Petrucciani, Nguyên Lê, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Manu Dibango and many others, some of which were released on the labels he founded or co-founded, CY (1973-88) and Dreyfus Jazz (1991-present). Chamberland died April 4th at 90.

Chris Farlowe (October 13th, 1940 - April 4th, 2023) The British vocalist, among his many blues credits, worked with jazz-rock group Colosseum in the ‘70s and then again in the ‘90s onward after its reunion, plus separately with Colosseum co-founder Dick Heckstall-Smith. Farlowe died April 4th at 82.

Jorge Gonzalez (September 19th, 1957 - April 4th, 2023) The Nuyorican percussionist worked with Larry Harlow, Ramon Rodriguez, Nesto Sanchez, Chico Mendoza, Ray Barretto, Richie Cabo, Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Willie Colon, Ruben Rivera and others. Gonzalez died April 4th at 65.

Lauri Tornivuori (February 24th, 1936 - April 3rd, 2023) The Finnish pianist/organ player was a member of the Jazz Society Big Band, Polaris Celebration Band and Starbut and worked with Theo Nabicht, Åke Forsell and others. Tornivuori died April 3rd at 87.

Kwame Brathwaite (January 1st, 1938 - April 1st, 2023) The photographer (né Ronnie), among his other work documenting Black culture from the mid ‘50s onward, had photos on several ‘60s-70s albums released by Blue Note, UNI, Right-On, CTI and Impulse!. Brathwaite died April 1st at 85.

March 2023

José Duarte (June 23rd, 1938 - March 30th, 2023) The Portuguese producer had his country’s longest-running jazz radio show in history, “Five Minutes of Jazz”, which began in 1966, among other radio and television work, did the introduction for Steve Lacy’s 1972 live album from Lisbon (Estilhaços, Guilda Da Música) and wrote liner notes for releases by George Duke, New York Jazz Quartet, Carlos Bechegas/Peter Kowald and others. Duarte died March 30th at 84.

Ryuichi Sakamoto (January 17th, 1952 - March 28th, 2023) The Japanese keyboard player and composer, apart from his own lauded work, collaborated with Jaques Morelenbaum, Yosuke Yamashita, Bill Laswell, Kazumi Watanabe, Masayoshi Takanaka, Luiz Brasil, Toshiyuki Tsuchitori, Arto Lindsay, Yasuaki Shimizu, Goro Ito, Yasuaki Shimizu, Masaki Matsubara, Toshinori Kondo, Masahiko Togashi, Akiko Yano and Shigeru Suzuki and had his music recorded by Masayasu Tzboguchi, Chris Minh Doky, Delta Saxophone Quartet, Ulf Wakenius, Jim Hall/Geoffrey Keezer, Peter Dominguez, Pascal Schumacher, Dominick Farinacci, Meg Okura, Billy Kilson, Lars Danielsson, The New Sound Quartet and Till Brönner among others. Sakamoto died March 29th at 71.

Ken Franckling (June 19th, 1949 - March 24th, 2023) The writer was a contributor to JazzTimes, Hot House, OffBeat, AllAboutJazz.com and other publications, had liner notes and photographs for albums on Candid, Concord, Contemporary, Impulse, Koch Jazz, Milestone, Novus, Progressive, Reservoir and other labels and ran the Jazz Notes blog. Franckling died March 24th at 73.

Harald Neuwirth (February 2nd, 1939 - March 23rd, 1939) The Austrian pianist/composer was active since the ‘60s leading groups and working with Janez Gregorc, Tone Janša, Erich Kleinschuster, Aladár Pege and others and was a longtime professor at Graz Jazz Academy. Neuwirth died March 23rd at 84.

Günther Kieser (March 24th, 1930 - March 22nd, 2023) The German graphic designer, best known for an iconic 1969 Jimi Hendrix concert poster, designed album covers for ACT, Atlantic, BE! Jazz, CBS, L+R, MPS, Scout, Verve and other labels, most notably several for albums by Albert Mangelsdorff. Kieser died March 22nd at 92.

Tony Coe (November 29th, 1934 - March 16th, 20230 The British saxophonist/clarinetist and 1995 Jazzpar Prize winner was a mainstay since the mid ‘50s with albums on Philips, Columbia, 77, EMI, Lee Lambert, Nato, Chabada, Hot House, Zah Zah and Zephyr; collaborations with Robert Farnon, Derek Bailey, Al Grey, Tony Oxley, Tony Hymas, Chris Laurence, John Horler, Bob Brookmeyer, Malcolm Creese, Tina May, Warren Vaché, Alan Hacker and Roger Kellaway for Chapter One, Incus, Pizza Express, hatART, ab, Storyville, Between The Lines, 33, Doz and Gearbox; membership in The Lansdowne Jazz Group, CCS and The Melody Four; and work under Humphrey Lyttelton, Al Fairweather, Nat Gonella, Lennie Felix, Monty Sunshine, John Dankworth, Michael Garrick, Sandy Brown, George Chisholm, Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland, Stan Tracey, John Mayer, Ben Webster, Phil Seamen, Ian Carr, Benny Bailey, Mike Gibbs, Nucleus, Neil Ardley, Caravan, Clark Terrry, Peter Herbolzheimer, Lol Coxhill, London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Didier Levallet, Bob Moses, Peter Brötzmann, Norma Winstone, Steve Beresford, Tony Hymas, Franz Koglmann, Alan Barnes, Benoît Delbecq and others. Coe died March 16th at 88.

Théo De Barros (March 10th, 1943 - March 15th, 2023) The Brazilian bassist/guitarist was a co-founder of Trio Novo with Airto Moreira and Heraldo Do Monte, which became Quarteto Novo with the addition of Hermeto Pascoal and made a single eponymous album for Odean in 1967, and played on Duke Pearson’s 1970 Blue Note album It Could Only Happen With You alongside his many credits as a performer and songwriter in MPB. De Barros died March 15th at 80.

Gloria Bosman (1973 - March 14th, 2023) The South African singer worked with Jonas Gwangwa, Hugh Masekela, Sibongile Khumalo and others and received both wins and nominations from the South African Music Awards for her six albums from 1999-2010. Bosman died March 14th at 50.

Bobby Caldwell (August 15th, 1951 - March 14th, 2023) The R&B, pop and smooth jazz singer’s ‘90s albums featured many a jazz player such as Dennis Budimir, Dave Koz, John Patitucci, John Guerin, Emil Richards, Gene Cipriano, Terry Harrington, Chuck Berghofer, John Chiodini, Alan Ferber, Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb and others. Caldwell died March 14th at 71.

Simon Booth (March 12th, 1956 - March 13th, 2023) The guitarist (né Simon Emmerson) was a founding member of acid jazz group Working Week alongside Larry Stabbins and Julie Roberts (predated by the loungy Weekend), which was active in the second half of the ‘80s (its albums on Virgin and 10 Records having appearances by Mike Carr, Annie Whitehead, Harry Beckett, Julie Tippetts, Ernest Mothle, Frank Ricotti, Jeff Clyne, Keith Tippett, Guy Barker and others) and worked with James Taylor, Manu Dibango, Robert Wyatt and others. Booth died March 13th at 67.

Jim Gordon (July 14th, 1945 - March 13th, 2023) The drummer had a jazz-rock album on Flying Dutchman (which included George Bohanon, Victor Feldman and Dennis Budimir) and, among his many rock and pop credits, sessions under Gabor Szabo, Oliver Nelson, Steve Allen, Bob Thiele, Larry Carlton, James Last and The Manhattan Transfer in a career cut short by his 1984 conviction for murder. Gordon died March 13th at 77.

Ernest “Curly” Martin (1950 - March 13th, 2023) The drummer worked with Calvin Keys, Johnny Hammond Smith, Bobby Lyle, Sonny Smith and his multi-instrumentalist/producer son Terrace Martin. Martin died March 13th at ~73.

David Kamien (July 22nd, 1928 - March 11th, 2023) The pianist/pedagogue had a long career in Germany, putting together a student group at Essen’s Folkwang Musikhochschule, which released a 1977 album on HÖR ZU (with a young Markus Stockhausen on trumpet), crafting a television course on jazz for TV (Let's Swing: Jazz Zum Mitmachen, the accompanying album for which included Wilton Gaynair, Slide Hampton and Carmell Jones) and conducting an album of the music of Moondog (Moondog – Instrumental Music By Louis Hardin, Musical Heritage Society, 1978). Kamien died March 11th at 94.

Bebeto Castilho (April 13th, 1939 - March, 10th, 2023) The Brazilian saxophonist/bassist/flutist/percussionist/singer, active since the mid ‘50s, was part of Conjunto Bossa Nova, then both Tamba Trio and Tamba 4, the latter two groups with numerous albums on Philips, Elenco, Forma, RCA Victor, A&M, CTI and Orfeon, worked with Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Jonas Silva, Carlos Lyra, Ana Margarida, Luiz Eça, Quarteto Em Cy, Chico Buarque, Eumir Deodato, João Bosco, Arnoldo Medeiros, Edson Frederico, Sebastião Tapajos, Mário Negrão and others and had a couple of albums as a leader in 1975 and 2005. Castilho died March 10th at 83.

Robin Lumley (January 17th, 1948 - March 9th, 2023) The British keyboard player co-founded jazz-fusion band Brand X, intermittently active since the mid ‘70s and with albums on Charisma, Vertigo, Ozone and other labels, had two co-led releases with Jack Lancaster and guest credits with Gary Boyle, Curved Air and Wilding / Bonus. Lumley died March 9th at 75.

Carlos Garnett (December 1st, 1938 - March 3rd, 2023) The Panamanian-born saxophonist had two runs of albums as a leader, in the ‘70s for Muse and then again in the late ‘90s-early ‘00s for HighNote/Savant (leaving music for over a decade), with work before the former period under Freddie Hubbard, Andrew Hill, Roy Brooks, Woody Shaw, Pharoah Sanders, Mtume, Norman Connors, Miles Davis and Robin Kenyatta and during the latter with Charles Earland. Garnett died March 3rd at 84.

Wayne Shorter (August 25th, 1933 – March 2nd, 2023) The tenor/soprano saxophonist, among the most consequential jazz musicians of the last 60+ years, made his earliest recordings with Wynton Kelly in 1959, then, later that year, had two significant events: his first sessions as a leader (Introducing Wayne Shorter, Vee-Jay) and joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, with whom he would stay until 1964, appearing on such Blue Note and Riverside albums as A Night in Tunisia and Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World (1960), Buhaina's Delight and The Freedom Rider (1961), Caravan (1962), Ugetsu (1963) and Kyoto (1964), during which time would make further albums for Vee-Jay, following that with an even more important era, his period from 1964-70, both with various Miles Davis bands and Columbia albums like E.S.P. (1965), Miles Smiles (1966), Nerfertiti (1967), Filles de Kilimanjaro (1968) and In a Silent Way (1969) and his seminal run for Blue Note with such classics as Night Dreamer and Speak No Evil (1964), The Soothsayer and The All Seeing Eye (1965, which included his trumpeter brother Alan), Schizophrenia (1967), Super Nova (1969) and Odyssey of Iska (1970). This was followed by his co-founding of the fusion giant Weather Report with Joe Zawinul and Miroslav Vitous and 16 albums for Columbia between 1971-85, such as Live in Tokyo (1972), Mysterious Traveller (1973-74), Heavy Weather (1976-77), 8:30 (1978-79), Domino Theory (1983) and This Is This! (1985), during which time he also released albums for the label, later going on to put out records for Verve, Blue Note once more and, most recently, a revived Candid, Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award. The new millennium saw him convene another highly regarded group, a quartet with Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci and Brian Blake, active for almost 20 years and with records on Verve and Blue Note. During his career, Shorter also worked with his fellow Davis alum Herbie Hancock (including the 1997 Verve duo date 1+1), Weather Report bandmate Jaco Pastorius, Lee Morgan, Joni Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Grachan Moncur III, Michel Petrucciani, Masahiko Satoh, Esperanza Spalding and others. He was also known as a composer from almost the beginning of his career, many of his tunes going on to become jazz standards recorded by hundreds of artists. Shorter won numerous awards and critics’ polls and was named an NEA Jazz Master in 1998. Shorter died March 2nd at 89.

Rafael Viñoly (June 1st, 1944 - March 2nd, 2023) Among his many projects since the ‘60s, the Uruguay-born, Argentina-raised, New York-based architect designed the Jazz at Lincoln Center Frederick P. Rose Hall complex at New York City’s Time Warner Center, which is comprised of the Rose Theater concert hall, The Appel Room ampitheater and Dizzy’s Club nightspot. Viñoly died March 2nd at 78.

Wally Fawkes (June 21st, 1924 - March 1st, 2023) The Canada-born, Britain-based clarinetist was part of his adopted home’s trad-jazz scene from the ‘40s onward with George Webb, Carlo Krahmer and, most prolifically, Humphrey Lyttelton, co-led a band with Sandy Brown and had his own group, The Troglodytes, in the late ‘50s, the latter for which he drew the covers, part of a decades-long parallel career as a cartoonist/illustrator (under the pen name Trog) for The Daily Mail and other outlets, later worked with Art Hodes, John Petters, Johnny Parker and others and made late-period albums for Stomp Off and P.E.K. Sound. Fawkes died March 1st at 98.

Scott Feiner (March 5th, 1968 - March 1st, 2023) The guitarist was a fixture of the ‘90s NYC jazz scene then, after a trip to Brazil, focused his attention on that country’s pandeiro (a type of tambourine), going on to release four albums between 2006-14 for Delira Música, Biscoito Fino, Zoho Music and his own label, exploring what he called “Pandeiro Jazz”, the instrument taking the place of the customary drum kit in jazz groups. Feiner died March 1st at 55.

February 2023

Tamaz Kurashvili (August 25th, 1947 - February 28th, 2023) The Georgian bassist worked with Vagif Mustafa Zadeh, Georgian State Television And Radio Orchestra Soloists Ensemble, Mikhail Okun, Leonid Chizhik and others and co-led an 1990 Melodiya album, Classical Jazz Ballades, with Sergei Gurbeloshvili and Nikolai Levinovsky. Kurashvili died February 28th at 75.

Toninho Ramos (March 6th, 1942 - February 28th, 2023) The Brazilian guitarist/composer, active since the ‘70s, put out album on Cezame, ‎Stockfisch, Matthoeus and Studio Bleu and worked with Vinicius de Moraes, Airto Moreira, Nana Vasconcelos, Hermeto Pascoal, Baden Powell, Cesarius Alvim, Luiz Gonzaga, Tania MariaMarcel Zanini, Marlene Do Brasil and others. Ramos died February 28th at 80.

Jay Weston (March 9th, 1929 - February 28th, 2023) The publicist-turned-film producer, among his other credits, parlayed a meeting with Billie Holiday at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival (less than a year before her death) into the 1972 film Lady Sings The Blues, based on the 1956 book of the same name by William Duffy, with Diana Ross (in her film debut) playing Holiday. Weston died February 28th at 93.

Phil Sunkel (November 26th, 1925 - February 27th, 2023) The trumpeter worked with Al Cohn, Urbie Green, Lawrence Brown, Don Stratton, Hal Mckusick, Ted Macero, Aaron Sachs, Jimmy Guiffre, Peggy Lee, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Gil Evans, Billy VerPlanck, Dick Meldonian-Sonny Igoe, Lee Konitz and others and had a couple of ‘50s albums on ABC-Paramount. Sunkel died February 27th at 97.

Helmut Forsthoff (November 29th, 1944 - February 26th, 2023) The German saxophonist was active since the ‘70s, working with Klaus Lenz, Jazz-Werkstatt-Orchester, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Ulrich Gumpert, Hannes Zerbe, Bajazzo, Dieter Keitel, Jazzorchester der DDR, Joe Sachse, Manfred Schulze and others, along with a 1992 leader date for AHO Recording. Forsthoff died February 26th at 78.

Larry Roland (July 13th, 1949 - February 25th, 2023) The bassist/percussionist and poet worked with World's Experience Orchestra, Full Metal Revolutionary Jazz Ensemble, Raphé Malik, Urge Four Tet, Raqib Hassan, Gunter Hampel, Giuseppi Logan, William Hooker, Michael Moss, Charles Gayle, Jemeel Moondoc, Steve Cohn, JD Parran, Ras Moshe and others, led or co-led releases for his Boston Composer Group label, pfMENTUM and Tube Room and published a book of his verse in 2019. Roland died February 25th at 73.

Carl Saunders (August 2nd, 1942 - February 25th, 2023) The trumpeter was a member of Stan Kenton’s bands in the ‘60s and also worked with Harry James, Bill Holman, Jim Muildore, Chiz Harris, Horace Silver, Las Vegas Jazz Orchestra, Gordon Brisker, Charlie Shoemake, Mark Master, Bob Florence, Vic Lewis, Anthony Wilson, Frank Capp, Phil Norman, Gerald Wilson, Louie Bellson, Dave Pike, Joey DeFrancesco, Shirley Horn, Gary Urwin, Pat Longo, Cheryl Bentyne, Dave Pell, Bud Shank, Denise Donatelli, Mike Vax and others and had albums on his own SNL imprint, Woofy, Sea Breeze Jazz, BluePort, Jazzed Media, ItsusJazz, MAMA and Summit. Saunders died February 25th at 80.

Michael Blackwood (July 15th, 1934 - February 24th, 2023) The German-born filmmaker (né Michael Schwarzwald) had, among his over 150 films, the documentaries: Monk In Europe (about Thelonious Monk’s 1968 European tour); All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story; Hans Werner Henze: Summer of 1966; African American Musicians and Composers (including Kermit Moore, Leroy Jenkins, Wayne Shorter and Roland Kirk); and The Sensual Nature of Sound: 4 Composers (about Laurie Anderson, Tania Leon, Meredith Monk and Pauline Oliveros). Blackwood died February 24th at 88

Tommy “Slim” Borgudd (November 25th, 1946 - February 23rd, 2023). Prior and the concurrent with a career as a racecar driver, including 10 starts in Formula 1, the Swedish drummer was part of native jazz-rock groups Made In Sweden and Solar Plexus, with albums on Sonet and SR (the former) and Odeon and Harvest (the latter), plus the aptly titled 1976 leader date Funky Formula. Borgudd died February 23rd at 76.

Daniel Bourquin (August 13th, 1945 - February 21st, 2023) The Swiss saxophonist was a longtime collaborator of compatriot bassist Léon Francioli as part of BBFC (Bovard/Bourquin/Francioli/Clerc, with several albums from 1982-90 on Plainisphare), in trios with Fredy Studer, Alex Theus or François Lindemann or in duo as New Monsters since the ‘90s alongside credits with Joe McPhee, Society For Future Research, Bazillus, No Square Trio and others. Bourquin died February 21st at 77.

Richie Frost (July 25th, 1927 - February 21st, 2023) The drummer, before returning to the States where he would do session work for various pop acts, was based in Paris, where he recorded with James Moody, Don Byas, Jack Dieval, Hubert Fol and André Hodeir. Frost died February 21st at 95.

Jerry Dodgion (August 29th, 1932 - February 17th, 2023) The alto saxophonist/flutist only had a couple releases as a leader in the second half of the ‘50s, very early in his career, spending the next decades accruing hundreds of sideman credits with Benny Goodman, Billy Byers, Ella Fitzgerald, Red Norvo, Oliver Nelson, Tadd Dameron, Jimmy Smith, Michel Legrand, Cal Tajder, J.J. Johnson, Stanley Turrentine, Chico O’Farrill, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Gary McFarland, Wes Montgomery, Oscar Peterson, Shirley Scott, Sonny Stitt, Blue Mitchell, Jazz Interactions Orchestra, Count Basie, Duke Pearson, Kai Winding, Marvin Stamm, Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, George Benson, Nat Adderley, Hermeto Pascoal, Richard Davis, Phil Woods, Randy Brecker, David Amram, Ruby Braff, Dakota Staton, Eric Gale, Don Sebesky, Deodato, George Gruntz, Dom Um Romao, Bill Evans, Hank Crawford, Frank Foster, Klaus Weiss, Grover Washington, Jr., The Manhattan Transfer, Buddy Rich, Bob James, Lalo Schifrin, Jimmy Owens, Idris Muhammed, McCoy Tyner, Yusef Lateef, Ron Carter, David “Fathead” Newman, Lou Donaldson, Terumasa Hino, Bengt Hallberg, Anita O’Day, Peggy King, Eddie Bert, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, Terence Blanchard, American Jazz Orchestra, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Benny Green, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, James Moody, Buck Clayton, Daryl Sherman, Dave Grusin, Jack Sheldon, Gerald Wilson, Frank Perowsky and others. Dodgion died February 17th at 90.

Gerald Fried (February 13th, 1928 - February 17th, 2023) The composer, best known for his music for the TV series Roots, wrote the jazz theme to ‘50s TV show Shotgun Slade and for numerous episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as well as the score (which featured Frank Rosolino and Maynard Ferguson as soloists) for the 1957 film Dino, and had his songs covered by Eartha Kitt, Hank Crawford/Jimmy McGriff, Stanley Wilson, Clark Terry, Skitch Henderson, Joe Williams, Andrew Allen, Summit Six Sextet and others. Fried died February 17th at 95.

Tim McCarver (October 16th, 1941 - February 16th, 2023) After a 21-year Major League Baseball career for five teams, which included two World Series championships and two all-star team selections, and during a lengthy second career as a color commentator for various networks, the athlete self-released the album Sings Selections From The Great American Songbook, which aptly included the Joe Raposo tune “There Used To Be A Ballpark”. McCarver died February 16th at 81.

Guido Basso (September 27th, 1937 - February 13th, 2023) The Canadian trumpeter was active since the late ‘50s, recording with Louie Bellson, Ron Collier, Lucio Agostini, Jack Kane, Jimmy Dale, Peter Appleyard, Moe Koffman, Gene Lees, Paul Zaza, David Clayton-Thomas, Glen Rutledge, Sammy Nestico, Lenny Solomon, Renee Lee, Michael Kaeshammer, Chase Sanborn, Vito Rezza, Chantal Chamberland, Diana Panton, Laila Biali and others, was a longtime member of Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass and released his own albums for RCA Camden, Canadian Broadcastint Corporation, Canadian Talent Library, Jazz Portraits, Justin Time and Alma. Basso died February 13th at 85.

Gary Walford (??? - February 13th, 2023) The Australian pianist was active since the ‘60s with Geoff Bull, Yarra Yarra New Orleans Jazz Band, Roger Janes and others and had what was dubbed the world’s longest jazz residency at the Unity Hall pub since 1972. Walford died February 13th at 75.

Roger Bobo (June 8th, 1938 - February 12th, 2023) The brass player had, in addition to his esteemed classical career, credits with Don Ellis, Lalo Schifrin, Gerry Mulligan, Dom Minasi, Quincy Jones and Jaco Pastorius. Bobo died February 12th at 84.

Toni Harper (June 8th, 1937 - February 10th, 2023) The singer, who began her career as a child, made singles in the late ‘40s-50s backed by Eddie Beal, Herb Jeffries, Manny Klein, Harry James, Buddy Cole, Paul Weston, Buddy Bregman, Bob Florence and others, made three full-length albums with the Oscar Peterson Trio (Toni, Verve, 1955-56) and Marty Paich Orchestra (Lady Lonely, RCA Victor, 1959; Night Mood, RCA Victor, 1960), worked with Dizzy Gillespie and Cannonball Adderley and had a few film appearances before retiring in 1966. Harper died February 10th at 85.

Mark Hennen (June 15th, 1951 - February 10th, 2023) The pianist was a mainstay on the New York avant garde scene as part of Jemeel Moondoc’s Ensemble Muntu, various William Hooker groups, the Collective 4tet, Earth People, Alan Silva’s Sound Visions Orchestra and other ensembles plus co-led releases with Toby Kasavan, Jackson Krall, Daniel Carter and others. Hennen died February 10th at 71.

Burt Bacharach (May 12th, 1928 - February 8th, 2023) The Hall of Fame songwriter had his tunes recorded by Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Etta James, Cleo Laine, Dick Hyman, Ernestine Anderson, Red Holloway, Peter Nero, Glenn Miller, Toots Thielemans, Wes Montgomery, Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Grant Green, Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland, Eddie Higgins, Stanley Turrentine, Dieter Reith, Herb Alpert, Cal Tjader (1968's Cal Tjader Sounds Out Burt Bacharach), The Jazz Crusaders, Doc Severinsen, Ramsey Lewis, George Benson, Roland Kirk, Dizzy Gillespie, Barney Kessel, Ray Warleigh, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Quincy Jones, Jimmy Smith, Rita Reys, Roy Ayers, Horst Jankowski, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Houston Person, Monty Alexander, Ernie Wilkins, Rolf Kühn, Raymond Fol, Bengt Hallberg, Don Shirley, Buddy Rich, Toshiyuki Miyama, Boots Randolph, Georges Arvanitas, Johnny Hartman, Oscar Peterson, Acker Bilk, Nina Simone, Hampton Hawes, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Earl Klugh, Don Friedman, Michael Henderson, Milt Jackson, Bill Evans, Charlie Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith, Stanley Jordan, Kevin Eubanks, Bill Easley, Eugene Chadbourne, Grover Washington, Jr., Mulgrew Miller, Jackie McLean, Frank Wess, Clifford Jordan/Ran Blake, Fontella Bass, Either/Orchestra, Diane Schuur, Guy Klucevsek, Kenny Barron, McCoy Tyner (1996's What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach), Bill Frisell, Joe Locke, Till Brönner, Karin Krog/Steve Kuhn, David Hazeltine, Ryo Kawasaki/Chin Suzuki, Jack Wilkins, Youn Sun Nah, John Hébert, Carmen Staaf, Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previte and many others. Bacharach died February 8th at 94.

Ulf Andersson (July 16th, 1940 - February 2nd, 2023) The Swedish saxophonist/clarinetist/flutist was part of Eje Thelin’s band in the early ‘60s, recorded with Monica Zetterlund, Bengt-Arne Wallin, Sveriges Radios Jazzgrupp, Jan Johansson, Arne Domnérus, Terje Rypdal Lennart Åberg, Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Kjell Öhman, Rune Carlsson and others and had records for Voice of Scandinavia and Four Leaf Clover. Andersson died February 2nd at 83.

Butch Miles (July 4th, 1944 - February 2nd, 2023) The drummer (né Charles J. Thornton, Jr.) was in Count Basie’s bands in the late ‘70s, later took part in versions of the pianist’s ghost band and fêted his old boss with a 1982 Famous Door album, one of several leader dates for that label, Dreamstreet and Nagel Heyer to go along with credits under Scott Hamilton, Marlene VerPlanck, Warren Vaché, Carmen Leggio, George Masso, Danny Stiles, Dave Brubeck, Dave McKenna, Flip Phillips, Phil Bodner, Gerry Mulligan, Sal Salvador, Bob Wilber, John Pizzarelli, Wild Bill Davison, Dick Hyman, Peanuts Hucko, Peter Appleyard, John Bunch, Harry Allen, Dan Barrett, Ronny Whyte and others. Miles died February 2nd at 78.

John Wurr (July 24th, 1940 - February 2nd, 2023) The British reedplayer was part of his country’s trad-jazz scene since the ‘60s, working with Steve Lane, Ken Colyer, Rusty Taylor, Ken Sims, Norman Thatcher, Des Bacon, Roger Marks, Steve Graham, John Shillito, John Petters and others. Wurr died February 2nd at 82.

Dix Bruce (September 10, 1952 - February 1, 2023) The guitarist/mandolin player was a staple of the Bay Area traditional jazz scene with his own albums and a long tenure in the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra as well as numerous instructional books and a career as an esteemed educator. Bruce died February 1st at 70.

January 2023

Alan Bates (August 26th, 1925 - January 30th, 2023) The noted British producer helmed dates in the mid to late ‘60s for Fontana and Polydor then went on to found Black Lion, which released numerous albums by Americans ranging from Illinois Jacquet to Teddy Wilson and, under the Freedom sub-label, Cecil Taylor, Charles Tolliver, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Ornette Coleman and others, plus traditional British artists like Chris Barber and Humphrey Lyttelton, then, in 1989, revived the dormant Candid label, reissuing old titles and signing a new crop of artists like Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, Donald Harrison, Stacey Kent, Jamie Cullum and others. Bates died in February at 97.

Hermann Breuer (October 27th, 1942 - January 25th, 2023) The German trombonist had credits with Embryo, Out of Focus, Music Community, Mal Waldron, Charly Antolini, Boško Petrović, Munich Big Band, Jazz Workshop Ensemble, Manfred Schoof, Barbara Dennerlein, Harald Rüschenbaum, Gil Evans, Joe Nay, Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Louie Bellson, NDR Big Band, Trombonefire and others. Breuer died January 25th at 80.

Carol Sloane (March 5th, 1937 - January 23rd, 2023) The singer (né Carol Morvan) had early exposure with Larry Elgart, followed by two Columbia albums in the early ’60s, then, after a fallow period away from music, had a much longer and prolific second act starting in the late ‘70s wth albums for Trio, Honeydew, Lob, Progressive, Choice, Baybridge, LDG, Eastworld, CBS/Sony, Contemporary, Concord. DRG, HighNote and Arbors, including collaborations with Ben Webster, Roland Hanna, Joe Puma, Phil Woods Clark Terry, Ken Peplowski and others. Sloane died January 23rd at 85.

Ted Casher (1937 - January 22nd, 2023) The saxophonist/clarinetist was an alumnus of Berklee College of Music, where he took part in its Jazz In The Classroom recording series (amd would return later as a professor), going on to lead various bands, including his Jazz Stompers, and release a 1981 album, plus working with various ghost bands and performing at Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential inauguration. Casher died January 22nd at 85.

Susi Hyldgaard (June 17th, 1963 - January 21st, 2023) The Danish pianist/accordion player was active since the ‘90s with albums for Mega, Stunt, Enja and Yellowbird, winning a Danish Grammy Award in 200 for Best New Name in Jazz. Hyldgaard died January 21st at 59.

Jackson Stock (1945 - January 20th, 2023) The trombonist, part of a musical family (his father Jake led the Abalone Stompers), came up in his father’s bands, worked with the New Hot Frogs Jumping Jazz Band, Black Swan Classic Jazz Band and as a session musician and composed for the Phil Norman Tentet, Carl Saunders Be Bop Big Band and others. Stock died January 20th at 78.

Carin Goldberg (June 12th, 1953 - January 19th, 2023) In addition to her best-known work for books, magazines and pop stars, the graphic designer had credits with Atlantic, Columbia and Elektra Nonesuch for releases by Arthur Blythe, James “Blood” Ulmer, Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, World Saxophone Quartet, John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz and others. Goldberg died January 19th at 69.

Marcel Zanini (September 7th, 1923 - January 18th, 2023) The French-Turkish saxophonist/clarinetist was most famous for his 1969 chanson recording of the song "Tu veux ou tu veux pas" but also wrote for Jazz Hot in the ‘50s, had jazz recordings for Free Bird, Black and Blue (a collaboration with Milt Buckner and Sam Woodyard) and Frémeaux & Associés and guest spots with Bill Coleman, Le Grand Orchestre De Rivoire Et Combaluzier and Pierre Calligaris. Zanini died January 18th at 99.

Richard Österreicher (November 10th, 1932 - January 17th, 2023) The Austrian multi-instrumentalist led a pop-jazz group in the ‘60s then began a long collaboration with the ORF Big Band, first as a player and later as its conductor, through the ‘70s and also released albums (where he did the arrangements and played harmonica) for Columbia. Koch International, City Park, ATS and WM Produktion. Österreicher died January 17th at 90.

Rasul Siddik (September 20th, 1949 - January 17th, 2023) The trumpeter (né Jan Corlus Mahr) got his start in Joseph Bowie/Luther Thomas’ Saint Louis Creative Ensemble, then moved to Chicago, becoming part of the AACM and going on to work with Henry Threadgill, Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, Julius Hemphill, David Murray, Bobby Few, Idris Ackamoor, Hal Singer, Noel McGhie, Stephen McCraven and others while being part of the Nuts Quintet and releasing a couple of albums since the late ‘90s for Blue Regard and ForTune. Siddik died January 17th at 73.

Udo Moll (1966 - January 14th, 2023) The German trumpeter and synthesizer player had releases as part of Das Mollsche Gesetz and Infinite Loop and credits with the Schäl Sick Brass Band, James Choice Orchestra, Scott Fields, Matthias Schubert, Simon Rummel and Simon Nabatov. Moll died January 14th at 56.

Jeff Beck (June 24th, 1944 - January 10th, 2023) Though the seminal British guitarist was firmly in the rock world in a career that began in the mid ‘60s, he was often jazz-adjacent, whether via the musicians he used on his albums, such as Max Middleton, Jan Hammer, Narada Michael Walden, Tony Hymas, Simon Phillips and Manu Katché or guest spots with Hammer, Walden, Eddie Harris, Stanley Clarke, Will Lee, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Trombone Shorty and others. Beck died January 10th at 78.

Dennis Budimir (June 20th, 1938 - January 10th, 2023) The guitarist came up with the Harry James Orchestra and then got his big jazz break with Chico Hamilton’s quintet, going on to record with Bud Shank, Keely Smith, Clare Fischer, Gerald Wilson, Peggy Lee, Victor Feldman, Johnny Hartman, Gabo Szabo, Gary Foster, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Steve Allen, Lalo Schifrin, Gene Ammons, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Criss, Barbara Carroll, Willie Bobo, Benny Golson, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Toots Thielemans and others, plus numerous pop and rock credits, to go along with a singer leader date for Mainstream in 1965 and archival recordings from the '60s released on Revelation as well as new releases on Trio in the ‘70s and String Jazz and his own label in the new millennium. Budimir died January 10th at 84.

Margaret Davis Grimes (August 13th, 1940 - January 7th, 2023) The jazz champion was a stalwart of the New York City avant garde jazz scene as an audience member, then publisher of the Art Attack! concert listings newsletter and, finally, as wife/manager/album producer/archivist of then-recently-rediscovered bassist Henry Grimes until his 2020 death from complications of COVID-19. Davis Grimes died January 7th at 82.

Michael Snow (December 10th, 1928 - January 5th, 2023) The Canadian multi-instrumentalist, visual artist and noted experimental filmmaker had a major impact on ‘60s The New Thing when his 1964 film New York Eye and Ear Control tapped Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Gary Peacock and Sonny Murray for its soundtrack (the music released on ESP-Disk in 1966) but also had credits in the avant garde jazz realm with The Artists’ Jazz Band, Carla Bley/Paul Haines/Jazz Composers Orchestra, Canadian Creative Music Collective and Derek Bailey/Charlie Morrow and his own handful of albums since the ‘70s, some in collaboration with Alan Licht, Aki Onda, Thollem McDonas, Ken Vandermark and others. Snow died January 5th at 94.

Gabrielle Agachiko (1958 - January 3rd, 2023) The Kenyan-American Boston-based singer self-released her debut in 2005, with the follow-up on Accurate, and worked with Steve Lacy, Ken Field, Robert Merrill, New England Americana Project and Revolutionary Snake Ensemble. Agachiko died January 3rd at 64.

Chris Daniels (November 11th, 1938 - January 2nd, 2023) The British-born, Toronto-residing bassist/vocalist founded the Climax Jazz Band in 1971, Canada’s longest-running trad-jazz group with albums on Capitol, Tormax, Bowman Recording, Kiras Musical Works, United Artists and its own label. Daniels died in January at 84.