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Fischer • Susan Fisher • Claude Fléouter • David Florence • Jai Enoch Flynt • Michael Fogarty • Ken Followill • Dick Fontaine • Juan Carlos Formell • Helmut Forsthoff • John Foss • Brian Foster • Michael “Mo” Foster • Curtis Fowlkes • Ken Franckling • Gerald Fried • Richie Frost • Richard Frost • Ruth Fuller • John Gant • Robert Ganz, Jr. • Wayne Garabedian • Carlos Garnett • Roger Garrood • Ernie Garside • Charles Gayle • Jost Gebers • Dietrich Geldern • İlham Gencer • Jean-Paul Germonville • Roy Gerson • Renée Geyer • John Giblin • Russell Gilbert • Astrud Gilberto • Louise Gilkes • Arthur Gillies • Stanton Gilliland • Stephen Gilmore • Marc Giordano • Marcus Girvan • Rocco Giustino • Gary Gladstone • Lee Glasel • Marc Glomeau • François Glorieux • Steve Gnitka • Brian Godding • Duško Gojković • Carin Goldberg • Jorge Gonzalez • Fred Goodnight • Alain Goraguer • Duane Gordon • Jim Gordon • John Gosden • Robert Gottlieb • John Goulart • Linsey Anne Govoni • Bill Grahn • Mickey Gravine • Ernest Gregory • William Gregory • Scott Grewell • Richard Griffin • Margaret Davis Grimes • Joseph Guastafeste • Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou • Francis Guillon • Joaquim “Lucky” Guri • Linda Gurney • Bob Gusch • John Gutierrez • Martin Guy • Pablo Guzman • Gene Haas • Jukka Haavisto • Jim Hacker • Kenny Hadley • Cary J. Hahn • Dawit Firew Hailu • Jan Halsema • Saundra Hamilton • Al Hamme • Les Handscombe • Paul Hanna • Freddy Hansson • Toni Harper • Brett Harrell • Don Harris • Tommy Harris • Sammy Hartman • George Heid, Sr. • John Heiss • Mark Hennen • Gaby Kleinschmidt Hennessey • Werner Herbers • Terrence Herd • George Hewitt • Jeffrey Hills, Sr. • Jürgen Hintsche • Robert Hobbs • Gary Hobish • Dieter Höfker • Luc Hoenraet • Coen Hofmann • Seanie Hogan • Jouni Hokkanen • David Holcomb • Doris Holden • Isaac “Redd” Holt • Peter Holtz • Allen Honigberg • Tristan Honsinger • Jim Hopkins • Sonny Hopson • Brad Houser • Roefie Hueting • Bert Hughes • Patrick Hughes • Lee Hulko • Ralph Humphrey • Jeff Hunt • Ian Huntley • John Huss • Bruce Hutchinson • Susi Hyldgaard • Daisaku Ikeda • Denny Ilett • Allen Imbach • Adan Infante • Dan Innaimo • Hiroshi Inuzuka • Jack Ireland • Lynette Irwin • Robert Irwin • Georgy Iskenderov • Carl Morten Iversen • Bubba Jackson • Josephine Jackson • Sam Jackson • Ruth Jacobson • Jochem Jaecks • Zbigniew Jakubek • Ahmad Jamal • Barry James • Alice Jamison • Axel Jankowski • Clifford Johnson • Jim Jones • Larry Jones • Mike Jones • Robert L. Jones • Tom Jones • Edward “Kidd” Jordan • Ralph Kaffel • Noel Kaletsky • David Kamien • Norm Karkruff • Michael Kaufman • Scott Kaufman • J. Hayes Kavanagh • Ryoichi Kawai • Carolyn Kawashima • Reggie Kelly • William Kelly • James Kelso • Don Kennedy • Richard Kent • Mike Kermisch • Petri Keskitalo • Günther Kieser • Gary Kimball • George King, Sr. • Kathryn King • Ronnie King • Sam King • Willie King • Don Kitchen • Charlie Knapp • Paul Knopf • Danny Knowles • Dick Knowles • Dave Koether • Roland H. Kohl • Larry Kopp • Teri Kopp • David Koskoski • Maj-Britt Kramer • Klaus Dieter Krawitz • Siegfried “Bibi” Kreutz • Rob Kruisman • Harry Künzel • Mncedi Kupa • Tamaz Kurashvili • Boris Kurtz • Gary Kushnir • Dennis Laak • Adolph Labbe • Pierre Lacotte • Ralph Lampkin, Jr. • Amos Landry • Norman Landsberg • Paula Langlands • Raymond Laracuenta • Jimmy LaRocca • John Larsen • Vincent Lato, Jr. • Nathaniel Lawrence • Miola Laws • Norman Lear • Jack Leatham • Pasquale Leccese • Jan Leder • Bill Lee • Jean-Claude Lefebvre • Felix “Pupi” Legarreta • Bill Leidy • Alfred Lemmon • Bob Lemnah • Pete Lengyel • Dubi Lenz • Roger Levesque • Mike Lewis • Jeanie Linders • Bob Linney • Ronald Lipka • Jack Litchfield • Willie Lofton • Frank Lorango • Dennis Lotis • Claude Loxhay • Esdras Ben Lubin • Helmut Lücke • Joachim Luhrmann • Robin Lumley • Víctor Luque • Steve Lynnworth • Charles Lyon • Ida McBeth • Tim McCarver • Bill McFadden • Ronald McFadden • Larry McKenna • Bruce McKenzie • Donnie McKethan • Mary McMahon • Pat McNulty • Norberto Machline • Wayne Maddalena • Pete Magadini • Maurizio Majorana • Joseph Makwela • Gunnar Malmgren • Horacio Malvicino • Karaikudi Mani • Flip Manne • Musa Manzini • Joseph Marciano • Orlando Marin • Sebastian Marino • Pete Marr • Marty Marshack • John Marshall • Dave Martell • Bob Martin • Ernest “Curly” Martin • Terry Martin • Barry “Kid” Martyn • Quique Massara • Danny Matson • Koichi Matsukaze • Lincoln Mayorga • Hugh Mayronne • Adriano Mazzoletti • Spencer Mbadu • Sylvia Mdunyelwa • David Meeker • Martin Melgarejo • Joseph Meo • Giorgio Merighi • Van Merritt • Bill Miele • George C. Miladin • Jim Milan • Butch Miles • Greg Miles • Creighton Miller • Jon Miller • Lawrence Miller • Michael Miller • Jack Millie • John Mills • Dom Minasi • Bobby Minicucci • John Minnion • Helene Mirich • Connie Mitchell • Lynn Mitchell • Donald Moely • Udo Moll • Jens Arne Molvær • Dominick “Meco” Monardo • Grachan Moncur IV • Piero Montanari • John Moore • Kenneth Moore • Peter Moore • Jerry Moors • Max Morath • Frank Moser • Clifford Moses • Jerry Moss • Allan Mueller • Emy Munji • Tulio Murillo • Allen Murphy • Mick Murphy • Ferus Mustafov • Klaus Nagel • Nobuko "Cobi" Narita • John Nasshan • Sebastian Nay • Mike Naylor • Al Needham • Cecilio Negrón, Jr. • Robert Nelson • Peter Nero • Harald Neuwirth • George Newell • Eunice Newkirk • Tom Nicholas • Stefan Nilsson • Joyce Wilson Nixon • Andreas Nothiger • Gary Nuñez • Mike O'Connor • Mike O'Friel • Bryan O'Neill • Scott Oakley • Gboyega Odubanjo • Charly Opriel • Martin Ort • Richard Österreicher • Ruth Ottenheimer • Mike Otto • Frank Owens • Aishi Oyauchi • Marcel Pacowski • Jeff Palmer • John Paluch • Chris Panackia • Wren Panzella • Janine Paquet • Jann Parker • Ron Parker • Tony Parker • Michael Parkinson • Victor Parra • Rodger Parrett • Steve Patton • Bill Pearce • Simon Pearson • Maggie Pelleyá • Ojeda Penn • Bobby Perazzo • Mike Peters • Greg Petras • Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky • Robert Pettinelli • Martin Petzold • Richard Phelps • Dino Piana • Raymond Pilon • Michel Pilz • Charles Pio • George Pitbladdo • Bruce Pitts • Bruce Pope • Harry Porterfield • Morgan Powell • Danny Prado • Al Presutti • Geneva Price • George Price • Vernon Price • Chris Qua • Lee Quick • Johnny Quigley • Don Rader • Umar Raheem • Larry Ramirez • Reynier Silegas Ramirez • Toninho Ramos • Francisco "Kico" Rangel • Ed Ransford • Pertti Rasilainen • Dave Rasmussen • Graham Read • Wallace Redd • TR Reed • Alan Reid • Yves Renard • Florence Rice • Alan Rigg • Knut Riisnæs • Lars Rikberg • Paul Roberts • Alain Rochette • Richard Rock • Martín Rojas • Larry Roland • Leon Rollerson • Richard Rollo • Karim Rome • Armando de Sequeira Romeu • Chuck Romine • Christian Rose • Niels Rosendahl • Bernt Rosengren • Tolton Rosser • Richard Roundtree • Michael Royal • Kelly Rusike • Ed Russell • Josette Sainte Marie-Bortot • Ryuichi Sakamoto • Gino Sambuco • Gordon Sams • Rick Sanchez • Rodolfo Sanchez • Carl Sandberg • Don Sands • Michel Sardaby • Ranel Sarmiento • Carl Saunders • Richard Saunders • Federico Savina • Rick Saylor • Earl Scheelar • Hermann Scheidler • Kip Scholl • Colette Schryburt • Ken Schubert • Mike Schwartz • Pat Schwent • George Scott • Don Sebesky • Michel Séguin • Paul Seitz • Manfred Selchow • Libra Sene • Mick Sexton • Dick Shallberg • Richard Shanley • Howie Shear • William Shepherd, Jr. • Dick Sheridan • Agonafer Shiferaw • Don Shinn • Junichi Shiomi • Wayne Shorter • Rasul Siddik • Bernard Siffert • Catt Sirten • Frans Sjöström • Carol Sloane • Don Smartt • Keith L. Smith • Larry Smith • Peter Smith • Bill Snodgrass • Michael Snow • Mary Solsbak • Bruce Somers • Suzanne Somers • Ben Soriano • Ken Squier • Rosemary Squires • Mario Stanchev • Charles Starzynski • Pat Steel • V.J. Stegall • Lisl Steiner • Paula Stephens • Joseph Stern • Greg Stetzel • Joseph Stevenson • Jackson Stock • Burchard Stocks • Carolyn Stockwell Tangeman • Forrest Stoll • Norman R. Stone, Jr. • June Stoskopf • Roxann Stout • Chris Strachwitz • Al Stricker • Arnold Strickland • Harvey Strum • Georges Suchod • Julie Sudiro • Phil Sunkel • Tom Swift • Mátyás Szandai • David Tamura • David Tatham • Gloria Taylor • Art Terrero • Lillian Terry • SveziaDane Terry • Jean-Paul Thiland • John D. Thomas • Larry Reni Thomas • Leonard M. Thomas • Paul D. Thomas • Ed Thompson • Evans Thompson • Kevin W. Thorbourne • Brynmor Timms • Vera Tisheff • Barry Titone • Penelope Tobin • Dave Todd • Joyce Todd • Paul Tolosko • Frank Toohey • Lauri Tornivuori • Ádám Török • Steve Trainor • Maria Traversa • Mike Travis • Gus Tripilas • Glenn Trombly • Bob Troxell • Buddy Trumbo • Marshall Turkin • Valery Tyrin • Christiane Ufholz • Lázaro Valdés • Oscar Valdés • Roger van Dijk • Dirk Van Tellingen • Norman Vickers • Helmut Viertl • Orazio Villaboni • Rafael Viñoly • Dragan Vitkovic • Steve Voce • Daniel Vojtíšek • Victor Vroom • Brenda Vulgamore • Gary Walford • Denise Jordan Walker • Jessica Waterhouse • Klaus-Jürgen Weber • Maurice Weiss • Dave Weisser • Ronald Wesley • Christopher Porché West • Dwight West • Lars Westin • Jay Weston • Pete Whelan • David Whitehurst • Gordon Whitworth • Carl Wickstrom • Craig Wigton • Joe Wilford • Jack Wilkins • Gary Wilkinson • Ross Willby • Jackie Williams • Mars Williams • Maurice Williams • Tim Williams • Tom Williams • Tony Williams • Antoine Williamson • Wallace Wills • Calvin Wilson • Jen Wilson • John "Doc" Wilson • Reuben Wilson • Jay Wimmer • Edmund Winston • George Winston • Rupert Winter • Charles Wizen • Walter Wolff • Richard B. Woodward • Jim Wray • Darryl "D-Man" Wright • Gerry Wright • John Wurr • Masahiko Yuh • Natalie Yokley • Vyacheslav Zaitsev • Marcel Zanini • Daniela Zedda • Pete Zeldman • Alfons Zschockelt
Michel Sardaby (September 4th, 1935 - December 6th, 2023) The Martinican pianist, long based in Paris, had early credits with Hazel Scott and Sonny Grey and his own albums on Disques Debs, Président, Harmonic, DIW, Mantra, Sound Hills and Universal Music. Sardaby died December 6th at 88.
Roy Gerson (1959 - December 2nd, 2023) The pianist released two albums since 1991, worked with the Widespread Jazz Orchestra, Bob Kindred and others and had several film appearances, including The Cotton Club, Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Mirror Has Two Faces and The Associate. Gerson died December 2nd at 64.
John Colianni (January 7th, 1962 - November 28th, 2023) The pianist had albums since the mid ‘80s on Concord Jazz, Amosaya and Patuxent and credits with Lionel Hampton, Mel Tormé, Harry Allen, Spider Saloff, Scott Whitfield, Toni Ballard, Larry Coryell, Ruby Alexander, Lizzie Thomas and others. Colianni died November 28th at 61.
Brian Godding (August 19th, 1945 - November 26th, 2023) The Welsh guitarist, alongside his rock and pop work, had credits with Centipede, Solid Gold Cadillac, Mike Westbrook, Julie Tippetts, Bob Downes and Annette Peacock. Godding died November 25th at 78.
Jukka Haavisto (June 5th, 1930 - November 24th, 2023) The Finnish vibraphonist worked with Combo 50, Happy Swing Band, Jazz Society Big Band, Thor Forsskåhl, DDT Jazzband, Jaakko Harjula, Andalusian Swing Band and others and released a 2010 leader album. Haavisto died November 24th at 93.
Steve Voce (1933 - November 23rd, 2023) The British writer was a decades-long contributor to Jazz Journal and also penned liner notes for albums on Pye Nixa, Riverside, Polydor, Verve, Spotlite, Affinity, Black Lion, Roulette, Jazzology, Storyville, Hep, Candid, Arbors and other labels. Voce died November 23rd at 89.
Maurizio Majorana (September 22nd, 1938 - November 22nd, 2023) The Italian bassist was one-fourth of thr group I Marc 4 and worked with the Roman New Orleans Jazz Band, René Thomas/Bobby Jaspar, Franco Cerri, Gino Marinacci and Piero Umiliani. Majorano died November 22nd at 85.
Horacio Malvicino (October 20th, 1929 - November 21st, 2023) The Argentine guitarist was part of his country’s nascent jazz scene in the late ‘40s with Lalo Schifrin, going on to a long association with Astor Piazzolla, leading his own groups for albums on Sonus, Microfon, Melopea Discos and composing for film. Malvicino died November 21st at 94.
Mars Williams (May 29th, 1955 - November 20th, 2023) The stalwart Chicagoan saxophonist, along with his numerous rock and pop credits, most notably The Waitresses and The Psychedelic Furs, worked with Fred Frith, Hal Russell, Ken Vandermark, Peter Brötzmann, Harrison Bankhead, Raoul Björkenheim, Keefe Jackson, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Paul Giallorenzo, Michael Zerang, Tim Daisy and othjers, was a member of Audio One, Boneshaker, Chicago Edge Ensemble, Chicago Reed Quartet, Liquid Soul and Switchback and had his own or collaborative albums on Okka Disk, Trost, Idyllic Noise, Soul What, The Bridge Sessions, Not Two and Aerophonic, including the five volumes of An Ayler Xmas. Williams died November 20th at 68.
Larry McKenna (July 21st, 1937 - November 19th, 2023) The saxophonist was briefly a member of Woody Herman’s The New Swingin' Herman Herd in the early ‘60s but then would opt to stay in his native Philadelphia, recording with Al Raymond, Suzanne Cloud, John Swana, David Leonhardt, Orrin Evans, Fred Wackenhut, Michelle Lordi, Sam Taylor, Bootsie Barnes, releasing late ‘90s-new millennium albums on Alanna, Dreambox Media and Consolidated Artists Productions and mentoring local players. McKenna died November 19th at 86.
Larry Ramirez (December 29th, 1938 - November 14th, 2023) The trumpeter and instrument engineer had as clients Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Arturo Sandoval and others. Ramirez died November 14th at 84.
Tony Williams (1931 - November 11th, 2023) The stalwart Philadelphia saxophonist worked with many of that city’s stars, released two of his own albums since the ‘90s, was a member of the band on the Bill Cosby Show and founded the Tony Williams Scholarship Jazz Festival and the Mt. Airy Cultural Center, the latter providing music instruction for many of today’s stars. Williams died November 11th at 92.
Nobuko "Cobi" Narita (March 3rd, 1926 - November 8th, 2023) The jazz advocate was a volunteer at Jazz Interactions, Executive Director of Collective Black Artists, created the Universal Jazz Coalition and The New York Women's Jazz Festival, established the Jazz Center of New York, founded International Women in Jazz and ran a longtime concert series under the banner Cobi’s Place. Narita died November 8th at 97.
Thomas Fink (May 26th, 1935 - November 6th, 2023) The German pianist had albums since the ‘80s on Workshop, R&M Digital Music and Atelier Sawano and credits with Ed Sperber and Noris Swingtett. Fink died November 6th at 88.
John Bany (1941 - November 5th, 2023) The stalwart Chicagoan bassist/singer had credits with Bob Perna, Eddie Higgins, Joe Venuti, The Swinget, Bud Freeman, Jim Beebe, Paul Asaro and others and had a pair of self-released albums since the ‘80s. Bany died November 5th at 81.
Dino Piana (August 3rd, 1930 - November 5th, 2023) The Italian trombonist worked with Giorgio Azzolini, Armando Trovaioli, Helen Merrill, Buddy Collette, Quintetto Di Torino, Gianni Basso/Oscar Valdambrini, Jacques Pelzer, Romano Mussolini, Franco Cerri, Giorgio Gaslini, Eraldo Volonté, Piero Umiliani, Pedro Iturralde, Angel "Pocho" Gatti, Gil Cuppini, Amedeo Tommasi, Franco Tonani, Giorgio Buratti, Orchestra Sinfonica Di Roma Della RAI, Marcello Rosa, Charles Mingus, Kai Winding, RAI Big Band, Gianni Coscia, Gianluca Petrella and others and had his own or collaborative albums since 1960 on Cetra, Globe, Horo, Vedette, Penta Flowers, Philology, Casa Del Jazz and Alfa Music. Piana died November 5th at 93.
Manfred Selchow (October 2nd, 1936 - November 5th, 2023) The jazz enthusiast booked tours in his native Germany and Switzerland, authored books on Edmond Hall and Vic Dickenson and wrote liner notes for archival releases on Mosaic, Timeless and Nagel Heyer. Selchow died November 5th at 87.
Michel Pilz (October 28th, 1945 - November 2nd, 2023) The German-born Luxembourg-raised bass clarinetist was aong the few to concentrate solely on the instrument, whether as a member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, German All Stars or various Manfred Schoof ensembles, with Alexander von Schlippenbach, Guru Guru, V.V. Systém, Klaus König, Itaru Oki and others and his own or collaborative albums since the ‘70s on FMP, Trion, DROPS, Adda, Bimbo Tower, Creative Works, shaa-music, Konnex, Jazz Haus Musik, Badass Yogi Productions and Nemu. Pilz died November 2nd at 78.
Pierre Dutour (November 10th, 1931 - November 1st, 2023) The French trumpeter worked with Jacques Denjean, Claude Bolling, Jean-Claude Naude, Michel Sardaby, Marcel Zanini, François Guin, Magma and Manu Dibango among his other credits in the pop and soundtrack fields and also led an orchestra for albums on Chappell in the ‘60s. Dutour died November 1st at 91.
Patrick Hughes (October 14th, 1977 - November 1st, 2023) The trumpeter worked with Bobby Zankel, Melody Gardot, Jordan Berger and others and released one album in 2009. Hughes died November 1st at 46.
Ernest Gregory (December 9th, 1950 - October 30th, 2023) The photographer worked at Jazz at Lincoln Center, was MC for the Atlanta Jazz Festival and had his images used for albums on Concord Jazz, WJR, Stretch, Elm and other labels. Gregory died October 30th at 72.
Dick Fontaine (1939 - October 28th, 2023) Among the British filmmaker’s projects were documentaries on Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and Ornette Coleman. Fontaine died October 28th at 84.
Gary Hobish (March 31st, 1953 - October 29th, 2023) The one-time engineer at Fantasy Studios worked on reissues from labels like Prestige, Riverside, New Jazz, Jazzland, Milestone, Debut, Fantasy, Contemporary, Pablo, Victor and Vortex and new albums on Galaxy. Hobish died October 29th at 70.
Robert Irwin (September 12th, 1928 - October 25th, 2023) The artist’s early paintings were used on several 1950s Pacific Jazz album covers. Irwin died October 25th at 95.
Richard Roundtree (July 9th, 1942 - October 24th, 2023) The actor, in his persona from the Shaft films, had a 1972 album as a singer, The Man From Shaft, composed for and led by Eugene McDaniels and including such players as Ray Brown, Richard Davis, Jerry Dodgion, Pepper Adams, Joe Farrell, Thad Jones, Hubert Laws, Jim Buffington, Billy Harper, Sonny Fortune, Garnett Brown, Joe Gardner and Howard Johnson. Roundtree died October 24th at 81.
Lee Berk (1942 - October 22nd, 2023) The administrator was namesake for Berklee College of Music, founded by his father, and was its president from 1979-2004, overseeing its expansion in curriculum, Boston footprint, international collaborations and online presence. Berk died October 22nd at 81.
Arni Cheatham (1944 - October 22nd, 2023) The saxophonist, born in Chicago but a Boston mainstay, had a handful of albums since the ‘70s and was an original member of the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. Cheatham died October 22nd at ~79.
Robert Bush (October 7th, 1958 - October 19th, 2023) The critic contributed regularly to KSDS Jazz San Diego, San Diego Reader, San Diego Troubadour, The New York City Jazz Record, Just Jazz Guitar and other publications. Bush died October 19th at 65.
Carl Morten Iversen (May 1st, 1948 - October 19th, 2023) The Norwegian bassist was a member of Oslo 13 and worked with Per Husby, Guttorm Guttormsen, Eivin One Pedersen, Bjørn Johansen, Armen Donelian, Rob Waring, Jon Eberson, Magni Wentzel and others. Iversen died October 19th at 75.
Oscar Valdés (1937 - October 19th, 2023) The Cuban percussionist, part of a famed musical family, with father Oscar, brother Lázaro (who died in January) and nephew Lázaro, was a longtime member of Irakere, worked with Julio Gutierrez, Don Mario Antobal, Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, David Amram, Arturo Sandoval, Cuban Big Band Sound, Pucho Escalante and others and had a pair of new millennium albums as a leader. Valdés died October 19th at 85.
Lars Westin (October 15th, 1948 - October 18th, 2023) The Swedish critic and producer co-founded Dragon Records with Leif Collin, which put out albums by Per Wallin, Bernt Rosengren, Ulf Wakenius, Anders Jormin, Tommy Koverlhult, Bertil Lövgren, Eje Thelin, Bobo Stenson, Christer Bothén, Brus Trio, Per Henrik Wallin, Gush, Arne Domnérus, Esbjörn Svensson and others, helmed and/or wrote liner notes for albums on Caprice, DIW, Gazell, Metronome, pb7, Phono Suecia, Sittel and Sonet, was editor of Orkesterjournalen magazine and co-authored the book Jazz - musik, människor, miljöer with Jan Bruérs among his other published works. Westin died October 18th at 75.
Carla Bley (May 11th, 1936 - October 17th, 2023) The pianist (née Lovella Borg), whose compositions are among the most significant and enduring in the jazz world, was encouraged to begin writing by her husband, felllow pianist Paul Bley, and had her first work recorded by George Russell in 1960, to be followed by Jimmy Giuffre (with his trio with Paul Bley), Don Ellis, Art Farmer, Steve Lacy, Steve Kuhn, the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra (of which she was a founding member), Gary Burton, Tony Williams, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra (of which she was also a founding member and arranger) and dozens of other artists through the decades, as well as on her own large discography for Fontana, the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra house label JCOA, Mercury, ECM and, most extensively her WATT label, including collaborations with later husbands trumpeter Mike Mantler and bassist Steve Swallow and ranging from trios to big bands, to go along with recording credits with Burton, Mantler, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, Nick Mason, The Golden Palominos, Wolfgang Puschnig, daughter Karen Mantler, Espoo Big Band and others and establishment of the New Music Distribution Service for independent artists. Bley died October 17th at 87.
Jimmy LaRocca (October 27th, 1939 - October 15th, 2023) The trumpeter continued the legacy of his father Nick LaRocca, leading his Original Dixieland Jazz Band and releasing several albums. LaRocca died October 16th at 83.
Philippe Carles (March 2nd, 1941 - October 14th, 2023) The French journalist was a contributor to and then editor of Jazz Magazine, co-authored Free Jazz, Black Power and Dictionnaire du jazz, was a producer for French public radio and wrote liner notes for albums released by Barclay, Atlantic, BYG, Black Saint, Horo, Center of the World, hatART, Verve, Owl, Soul Note, America, RogueArt and many other labels. Carles died October 14th at 82.
Masahiko Yuh (November 1st, 1937 - October 14th, 2023) The Japanese producer and writer founded the Whynot label, which released albums by Muhal Richard Abrams, AIR, Kenny Barron, Joseph Bonner, George Cables, Ted Curson, Andrew Cyrille, Walt Dickerson, Sonny Fortune, Chico Freeman, Fumio Karashima, Donald Smith, Charles Sullivan and others, produced albums for Atlantic, Baybridge, MPS, Paddle Wheel and Storyville, wrote liner notes for albums on BYG, Baystate, CBS/Sony, Columbia, DIW, Denon, Globe, Philips, RCA, Trio, Venus and Victor and founded the web magazine Jazz Tokyo. Yuh died October 17th at 85.
John D. Thomas (February 25th, 1954 - October 12th, 2023) The guitarist and longtime educator worked with Jimmy McGriff, Joe Henderson, Return To Forever, Theo Jörgensmann, Malachi Thompson and others, col-led International Jazz Consensus and had four ‘80s albums on NABEL. Thomas died October 12th at 69.
Mike Denny (February 1st, 1959 - October 11th, 2023) The guitarist worked with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Jim Pepper, Nancy King, Dick Hyman, Michael Moore, Kenny Davern, Joe Magnarelli, Paul Bollenback, Larry Goldings and others and had a pair of late ‘90s albums on Origin. Denny died October 11th at 64.
Jens Arne Molvær (December 16th, 1940 - October 10th, 2023) The Norwegian saxophonist/clarinetist (and father to trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær) was a longtime member of the Ytre Suløens Jass-Ensemble and had a 1999 album on Hot Club and 2016 shared release with Lena Nymark on New Field Music. Molvær died October 10th at 82.
Julian Bahula (March 13th, 1938 - October 1st, 2023) The South African drummer was a founding member of Malombo then, after moving to England in 1973, established his Jabula and Jazz Afrika bands and also worked with compatriot Dudu Pukwana, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Mike Oldfield, Chris Joris and others. Bahula died October 1st at 85.
Jon Fausty (February 20th, 1949 - September 29th, 2023) The engineer worked on hundreds of albums since the ‘60s, including ones released by Fania, Vaya, Enja, Inca, Atlantic, Tico, American Clavé, Red, Passport Jazz, Bola Press, Montuno, Intuition, Elektra Nonesuch, Milestone, MoJazz, TropiJazz, RMM, Concord Picante and Picaro. Fausty died September 29th at 74.
Alison Bentley (December 16th, 1957 - September 22nd, 2023) The British singer had several leader and collaborative credits on SLAM Productions and was a regular contributor of reviews to London Jazz News. Bentley died September 22nd at 65.
Les Handscombe (1936 - September 22nd, 2023) The British trombonist was a member London’s West End Stompers, led his own Tailgate Jazz Band and worked with Ken Colyer, Louis Lince, Hugh Rainey and others. Handscombe died September 22nd at ~87.
Mike Travis (December 2nd, 1944 - September 22nd, 2023) The Scottish drummer was a member of the London Jazz 4, Atlantic Bridge and Gilgamesh and worked with Henry Lowther, Stomu Yamash'ta, Hugh Hopper and The Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. Travis died September 22nd at 78.
Norberto Machline (September 11th, 1943 - September 20th, 2023) The Argentine pianist/vibraphonist released five albums as a leader and worked with Horacio "Chivo" Borraro, Roberto Fats Fernandez, Rubén "Gato" Barbieri, Javier Malosetti and others. Machline died September 21st at 80.
Joseph Marciano (May 8th, 1954 - September 18th, 2023) The recording engineer founded Systems Two in 1975, site of well over 1,000 jazz albums from the early ‘80s until its closure in 2018. Marciano died September 18th at 69.
Artie Cabral (February 25th, 1940 - September 17th, 2023) The drummer worked with Mike Renzi, Ben Webster, Art Pelosi, Rob McConnell, Herb Pomeroy, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Clark Terry, Dakota Staton, Sarah Vaughan, Greg Abate, George Masso and others. Cabral died September 17th at 83.
Wolfgang Engstfeld (December 9th, 1950 - September 17th, 2023) The German saxophonist had co-led records on B.Sharp, Mood, Nabel, DROPS, Acoustic Music, Artists Own and Jazzsick, was a member of Cyklop, Jazztrack and Changes and had credits with Klaus Weiss, Csaba Deseő, Volker Kriegel, Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Axel Fischbacher, Michael Kersting and others. Engstfeld died September 17th at 72.
John Marshall (August 28th, 1941 - September 16th, 2023) The British drummer first worked with Graham Collier in the late ‘60s, going on to credits with Mike Garrick, Mike Westbrook, Jack Bruce, Michael Gibbs, Neil Ardley, The Chitinous Ensemble, John Surman, Barney Kessel, Keith Tippett, Chris Spedding, Karl Jenkins, Volker Kriegel, Hugh Hopper, Jasper Van't Hof, Charlie Mariano, Elton Dean, Alan Skidmore, Eberhard Weber, John Stevens, Ian Carr, Uli Beckerhoff, John Warren, Theo Travis, Gil Evans, Arild Andersen, John Etheridge, Joe Sachse and others and was a longtime member of Nucleus, Soft Machine, Soft Works and Soft Machine Legacy, Marshall died September 16th at 82.
Jost Gebers (1940 - September 15th, 2023) The German producer was a co-founder (and later sole proprietor) in 1969 of Free Music Productions (FMP), one of the most significant labels for European free and avant garde jazz, releasing over 200 albums by a roster reading like a Who’s Who of the continent and beyond’s seminal players, and also worked on albums released by Vertigo, Incus, Po Torch, Vinyl, Uhlklang, Black Saint, Soul Note, a/l/l, West Wind, Konnex, Sound Aspects, ITM, Intakt, Smalltown Superjazzz and Trost. Gebers died in September at 82.
Frank Owens (~1933 - September 15th, 2023) The pianist, among his work as a composer, arranger and music director, had a pair of late ‘60s-early ‘70s albums on Columbia and Encounter and credits with Astrud Gilberto, Brooks Arthur, Clifford Jordan, Louis Armstrong, Ernie Wilkins, Seldon Powell, Bobbi Humphrey, Sonny Stitt, Bucky Pizzarelli, Joe Bataan, Lena Horne and Ruth Brown. Owens died February 15th at 90.
Peter Holtz (October 5th, 1976 - September 12th, 2023) The German reedplayer was a member of Hot Lips Big Band, Das Gehirn, Selig Free Jazz Trio and Dufay Ensemble Nürnberg. Holtz died September 12th at 46.
Al Hamme (January 6th, 1939 - September 11th, 2023) The saxophonist established the jazz department at Binghampton University, founded the booking agency Music Unlimited and had recording/production credits with Mansfield State College Jazz Ensemble, Slam Stewart and Bill Carter. Hamme died September 11th at 84.
Richard Davis (April 15th, 1930 - September 6th, 2023) The bassist and NEA Jazz Master, whose initial aspirations for an orchestral position were stymied by the institutional prejudice of his youth, instead went on to have one of the most impressive careers of anyone on his instrument, not only as a leader for Impulse, MPS, Flying Dutchman, Cobblestone, Muse, Galaxy, Corvo, Hep, Bellaphon, DIW, Seven Seas, Marge and other labels but as a highly valued sideman from the mid ‘50s onwards, first with Don Shirley then Charlie Ventura, Sarah Vaughan, Ronnell Bright, Paul Knopf, Kenny Burrell, Eric Dolphy, Guy Warren, Roland Kirk, Nancy Harrow, Ben Webster, Joe Zawinul, Chris Connor, J.J. Johnson, Gart McFarland, Jack McDuff, Kenny Dorham, Johnny Hartman, Tony Williams, Andrew Hill, Sonny Stitt, Gil Evans, Booker Ervin, Carmen McRae, Charles Lloyd, Maynard Ferguson, John Lewis, Oliver Nelson, Hubert Laws, Andy Bey, Budd Johnson, Cal Tjader, Johnny Hodges, Will Bill Davis, Clifford Jordan, Lucky Thompson, Shirley Scott, Lawrence Brown, Evlin Jones, Dorothy Ashby, Bobby Hutcherson, Jimmy Smith, Willie Bobo, Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, Jaki Byard, Earl Hines, Frank Foster, Kai Winding, Lalo Schifrin, Manny Albam, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, Ray Bryant, Clark Terry, Chico Hamilton, Don Friedman, Attila Zoller, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Wes Montgomery, Gabor Szabo, Eddie Daniels, Eric Kloss, Mal Waldron, Jimmy Witherspoon, Herbie Mann, Junior Mance, Cedar Walton, David “Fathead” Newman, Cedar Walton, Dizzy Gillespie, Gary Bartz, Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, Helen Merrill, Pat Martino, Tony Scott, George Benson, Luis Gasca, Eddie Harris, Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas, Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley, Terumasa Hino, Freddie Hubbard, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Reuben Wilson, Sonny Simmons, Candido, Nathan Davis, Michel Sardaby, Bobby Jones, Errol Parker, Charles Mingus, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Grover Washington, Jr., Roy Ayers, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Harold Alexander, Jayne Cortez, Joe Chambers, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Sam Rivers, Jimmy Raney, Creative Construction Company, Roy Haynes, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Cobham, Heiner Stadler, Barbara Carroll, Hank Jones, Ben Sidran, Ted Curson, Bucky Pizzarelli, Walt Dickerson, Red Garland, Don Sebesky, Sun Ra, The Manhattan Transfer, John Carter, Lew Soloff, David Murray, Joel Futterman, Archie Shepp, Ken McIntyre, Roscoe Mitchell and others, pop and rock credits with an array of stars like Van Morrison, The Rascals, Laura Nyro, Richard Roundtree, Loudon Wainwright III, Bo Diddley, Donny Hathaway, Jan Akkerman, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bonnie Raitt, John Tropea, Tony Orlando, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Bernadette Peters and Rickie Lee Jones and, righting an old wrong, symphonic work with George Szell, Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez, Gunther Schuller and Leonard Bernstein, all this leading to decades as a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and the establishment of the Richard Davis Foundation for Young Bassists, Inc. in 1993. Davis died September 6th at 93.
Spencer Mbadu (January 1955 - September 6th, 2023) The South African bass guitarist had credits with Skyf, Hotep Idris Galeta, Abdullah Ibrahim, Sylvia Mdunyelwa, Winston Ngozi, The African Mamas and others. Mbadu died September 6th at 68.
Charles Gayle (February 28th, 1939 - September 5th, 2023) The saxophonist, who spent much of his middle age homeless in New York as a busking musician, had his first recordings in the late ’80s for Silkheart (though a 1965 session surfaced in 2015), going on to make numerous albums for Knitting Factory, FMP, Black Saint, ESP-Disk, Victo, Clean Feed, Tompkins Square, Ayler, Not Two, NoBusiness, Northern Spy, For Tune, Otoroku and El Negocito as well as collaborating with Blue Humans, Henry Rollins, Sunny Murray, Cecil Taylor, Sirone, Billy Bang, William Parker, Rashied Ali and others. Gayle died September 5th at 84.
Maj-Britt Kramer (September 30th, 1963 - September 4th, 2023) The Danish pianist had albums on Dansk Musiker Forbunds Plademærke, Olufsen, Stunt and Calibrated and was a member of Amazing Amazons. Kramer died September 4th at 59.
Simon Pearson (August 26th, 1969 - September 3rd, 2023) The British drummer worked with Mike and Kate Westbrook, Trevor Lines, Mick Foster, Dave Jones and Rick Laughlin among his classical, pop and rock credits. Pearson died September 3rd at 54.
Jerry Coleman (November 25th, 1936 - September 1st, 2023) The drummer was a member of The Forefront, with mid ‘70s albums on AFI, and credits with The Singers Unlimited, Cy Touff, Buddy DeFranco, The Jazz Psalms and others. Coleman died September 1st at 86.
Curtis Fowlkes (March 19th, 1950 - September 1st, 2023) The trombonist/vocalist, best known as co-founder of The Jazz Passengers with Roy Nathanson and a member of John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards, had a 1999 leader date for Knitting Factory Records and credits with Gunter Hampel, Marc Ribot, Henry Threadgill, Thomas Chapin, Bill Frisell, Kazutoki Umezu, John Zorn, Steven Bernstein, Don Byron, Brad Jones, Andy Summers, Eric Mingus, Charlie Hunter, Bobby Previte, Charlie Haden, Elliott Sharp, Reggie Nicholson, Oran Etkin, Billy Martin, Joel Harrison, Marty Ehrlich and others alongside numerous rock and pop credits. Fowlkes died September 1st at 73.
Lee Evans (January 7th, 1933 - August 29th, 2023) The pianist had albums in the ‘60s on Capitol, Command and MGM, led a longtime trio and orchestra and wrote over a hundred music instruction books. Evans died August 29th at 90.
William Shepherd, Jr. (October 30th, 1933 - August 29th, 2023) The trombonist spent 1958-59 on the road with the Tommy Dorsey/Warren Covington Orchestra then settled into pedagogy, teaching at Ohio and Iowa colleges from 1969-2010, during which time he led a big band, small group and Dixieland band, self-releasing several albums. Shepherd died August 29th at 89.
Mátyás Szandai (July 1st, 1977 - August 29th, 2023) The Hungarian bassist appeared on numerous collective albums released by BMC Records and also had credits with Ivan Grencsó, Herbie Mann, Mihály Dresch, Gábor Gadó, Tűzkő Csaba, Dés László, Elemér Balázs, Elsa Wallén, Tom Walsh, Ferenc Kovács, Viktor Tóth, Dániel Szabó, Mathias Lévy, Thierry Maillard, Ichiro Onoe, Sergio Gruz, Didier Ithursarry, Naïssam Jalal, David Garlitz, Gilles Barikosky, Xavier Thollard, Fabrice Moreau, Thomas Grimmonprez and others. Szandai died in August at 46.
Bosse Broberg (September 6th, 1937 - August 26th, 2023) The Swedish trumpeter founded the Sveriges Radios Jazzgrupp in 1967, which made close to two dozen albums and had collaborations with Jan Johansson, Georg Riedel, Steve Kuhn, Bengt Hallberg, Eje Thelin and others, had his own releases for Dragon, Phontastic, Phono Suecia, Music Mecca, Sittel and Caprice and credits with Johansson, Reidel, Idrees Sulieman, Arne Domnérus, Rune Gustafsson, Red Mitchell, Christer Boustedt, Lennart Åberg and others. Broberg died August 26th at 85.
Sylvia Mdunyelwa (1948 - August 25th, 2023) The South African vocalist came up in the ‘70s with Victor Ntoni, worked with Ezra and Duke Ngucakana, Winston Mankunku, Nick Carter and Merton Barrow, had late ‘90s-early ‘00s albums on Giraffe Music Company and Blue Note and hosted the radio program "Voice of Jazz". Mdunyelwa died August 25th at ~75.
Billy Brooks (May 25th, 1943 - August 21st, 2023) The drummer/flutist, whose earliest credits were with Eddie Harris, was a founder of El Babaku, with one 1971 album on MPS, made after he had moved to Europe several years earlier, where he would work extensively with Tete Montoliu as well as Eric Dolphy, Larry Young, Nathan Davis, Eje Thelin, Novi Quartet, Fritz Pauer, Miriam Klein, Václav Zahradník, Slide Hampton/Joe Haider, Sal Nistico, Heinz Bigler, Duško Gojković, Bill Ramsey, Lou Bennett, Horace Parlan, Paris Reunion Band and others. Brooks died August 21st at 80.
Morgan Powell (January 7th, 1938 - August 20th, 2023) The trombonist/composer/educator had albums on Einstein, University Brass Recordings Series and Opus One and performing and/or writing credits with Ed Summerlin, North Texas Lab Band, Univertsity of Illinois Jazz Band, Tone Road Ramblers and Medicare 7, 8, or 9 Dixieland Jazz Band. Powell died August 20th at 85.
Frans Sjöström (August 24th, 1944 - August 19th, 2023) The Swedish saxophonist had co-led albums on SR and Sonet, credits with Paul Strandberg, Swedish Jazz Kings, Jens "Jesse" Lindgren, Tom Pletcher, Leif Blunck and Tom Langham and was a member of Hot Jazz Trio and Blue Rhythmakers. Sjöström died August 19th at 78.
Ryoichi Kawai (1940 - August 2023) The Japanese clarinetist founded The New Orleans Rascals in 1961, which had albums on Philips, Victor, O.D.J.C. and other labels and collaborations with Don Ewell, Alton Purnell, Tom Sharpsteen, Geoff Bull and others. Kawai died in August at ~83.
Howard Becker (April 18th, 1928 - August 16th, 2023) The sociologist and pianist authored the book Do You Know .... ? The Jazz Repertoire in Action and the articles "The Jazz Repertoire" and ”Jazz Places”. Becker died August 16th at 95.
Jerry Moss (May 8th, 1935 - August 16th, 2023) The producer, alongside co-founder Herb Alpert, was the “M” in A&M Records, which, among its many artists, released albums (many through its Horizon subsidiary) by Nat Adderley, Peter Appleyard, Chet Baker, Gato Barbieri, George Benson, Art Blakey, Willie Bobo, Dave Brubeck, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, Paul Desmond, Gil Evans, Sonny Fortune, Stan Getz, Charlie Haden, Jim Hall, Billy Hart, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Pete Jolly, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Roger Kellaway, Peggy Lee, Mel Lewis, Dave Liebman, Charles Lloyd, Les McCann, Chuck and Gap Mangione, Herbie Mann, Hugh Masekela, Wes Montgomery, Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Owens, John Pisano and Willie Ruff, The Revolutionary Ensemble, Ben Sidran, Sun Ra, Tamba 4, Cecil Taylor, Tuck & Patti, Walter Wanderley, Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson and Paul Winter. Moss died August 16th at 88.
Robert L. Jones (May 11th, 1937 - August 14th, 2023) The longtime Vice President of Festival Productions Inc. helped produce the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, Freihofer Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Essence Music Festival and Kool Jazz Festival and also managed tours by the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious Monk and others. Jones died August 14th at 86.
Pete Magadini (January 24th, 1942 - August 14th, 2023) The drummer led or co-led albums since the ‘70s for Briko, Timeless, Sackville and Justin Time to go along with credits under Jay Migliori, Peter Appleyard, Buddy DeFranco, Buddy Tate Joe Sealy, Eugene Amaro, Bob Ravenscroft, Dave Turner and others and also authored several notable instructional books. Magadini died August 14th at 81.
Clarence Avant (February 25th, 1931 - August 13th, 2023) Among his many varied roles in an array of genres, the music business executive managed Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Smith, Lalo Schifrin, Freddie Hubbard, Creed Taylor and others. Avant died August 13th at 92.
Tom Jones (February 17th, 1928 - August 11th, 2023) The lyricist had his songs recorded by Harry Belafonte, Laurindo Almeida, Tony Bennett, Eddie Higgins, Louis Prima, Blossom Dearie, Charlie Byrd, Julie London, Gene Bertoncini, Rita Reys, Billy Eckstine, Art Van Damme, Anita O’Day, George Shearing, Helen Merrill, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Jean-Michel Pilc and others. Jones died August 11th at 95.
Tom Williams (December 4th, 1962 - August 7th, 2023) The trumpeter (also drummer) and 2nd place winner in the 1990 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Trumpet Competition was a member of the Towson State University Jazz Ensemble and went on to work with Jimmy Heath, Antonio Hart, Steve Wilson, Donald Brown, Larry Willis, Rob Bargad, Gary Bartz, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Ron Holloway, Marty Nau, Don Junker and others as well as leading a pair of early '90s albums for Criss Cross . Williams died August 7th at 61.
Tristan Honsinger (October 23rd, 1949 - August 5th, 2023) The American cellist spent his career within Europe’s avant garde jazz circles, debuting on record with Derek Bailey in 1976, then going on to participate in Bailey’s Company in 1977, the same year of his first affiliation with the Instant Composers Pool (which would continue to the present day with work with its co-founder Misha Mengelberg and later his membership in the ICP Orchestra) and collaborations through the decades with Alexander von Schlippenbach, Günter Christmann, William Parker, Laboratorio Della Quercia, Toshinori Kondo, Steve Beresford, Sean Bergin, Borbetomagus, Daunik Lazro, Toshiyuki Honda, Sven-Åke Johansson, Cecil Taylor, The Ex, Butch Morris, Curtis Clark, Ig Henneman, Tobias Delius, Michael Moore, Aki Takase, Bologna Improvisers Orchestra, Isao Suzuki and others alongside his own or partnered dates for FMP, DATA, Eastworld, I Dischi Di Angelica, Instant Composers Pool, Studio Ken, Audiosemantics, Rudi, Dobialabel, Relative Pitch, Creative Sources, Setola Di Maiale and Umlaut. Honsinger died August 5th at 73.
Ernie Garside (~1932 - August 1st, 2023) The British trumpeter/manager/producer co-ran Manchester’s Club 43 and worked with Maynard Ferguson, Kenny Ball, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Shew, Jessica Williams, Lasse Lindgren and others. Garside died August 1st at 91.
Dom Minasi (March 6th, 1943 - August 1st, 2023) The guitarist came on the scene with a pair of Blue Note albums in the mid ‘70s then left music for two decades, returning in the late ‘90s with leader and co-led dates for CIMP, his own CDM, Konnex, Re:konstruKt, Nacht, Unseen Rain and Cirko and credits with Michael Jefry Stevens/Dominic Duval, Blaise Siwula, Ron Smith, Stan Edwards, Dennis Moorman, Ernie Andrews, Joe Giardullo, Jason Kao Hwang, Ron Aprea, Remi Alvarez, Carol Mennie and others. Minasi died August 1st at 80.
Jack Litchfield (October 31st, 1929 - July 31st, 2023) The Canadian jazz discographer authored several books, including The Canadian Jazz Discography 1916-1980, Toronto Jazz 1948-1950 and Willie Eckstein Harry Thomas Vera Guilaroff: Three Montreal Pianists from the Jazz Age. Litchfield died July 31st at 93.
Gaby Kleinschmidt Hennessey (~1929 - July 30th, 2023) The German jazz concert producer (wife to late jazz critic Mike Hennessey and mother to the In+Out label founder Frank Kleinschmidt) founded her company GKP in 1974 and organized hundreds of European tours for a wide array of international musicians. Kleinschmidt Hennessey died July 30th at 84.
Gary Gladstone (July 8th, 1935 - July 29th, 2023) In addition to his newspaper, magazine and later corporate work, the photographer had his images on albums released by Columbia, Epic, Jazz Line, Prestige and Jazztime, the latter a short-lived label (three sessions between March 13-15th, 1961) he co-founded with drummer Dave Bailey. Gladstone died July 29th at 88.
Earl Scheelar (July 29th, 1929 - July 28th, 2023) The clarinetist and cornet player led numerous bands from the mid ‘60s onwards and also worked with the ensembles of Frank Goulette, P.T. Stanton, Sam Charters, Ted Shafer and others. Scheeler died July 28th at 93.
Tom Artin (November 12th, 1938 - July 25th, 2023) The trombonist was active since the ‘50s, leading several bands, working with the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble, Louis Armstrong Alumni All-Stars, World of Jelly Roll Morton, World’s Greatest Jazz Band, Wild Bill Davison and as the house trombonist at Eddie Condon’s for several years and recording with Mel Tormé, Ed Polcer, Bob Wilber, Dick Sudhalter, Dick Voigt and others. Artin died July 27th at 84.
Leny Andrade (January 25th, 1943 - July 24th, 2023) The Brazilian singer released albums on RCA, Polydor, Odeon, RVV, CBS, Estúdio Eldorado, Timeless, Velas, Perfil Musical, Chesky, Lumiar, Albatroz, Obi Music, Zico, Biscoito Fino, Motéma Music and other labels since the early ‘60s. Andrade died July 24th at 80.
Denis Badault (May 24th, 1958 - July 24th, 2023) The French pianist was a member of the L'Orchestre National De Jazz in the ‘80s, then took over its direction from 1991-94, releasing several albums on Label Bleu, and also had his own or co-led albums for Flat & Sharp, Blue Line Productions, Label Bleu, Yolk, Abalone Productions, Les Productions Du Vendredi and Le Passage as well as credits with Xavier Cobo, Philippe Sellam/Gilles Renne, Alain Brunet and Anakronic Electro Orkestra. Badault died July 24th at 65.
Roman Dyląg (February 22nd, 1938 - July 24th, 2023) The Polish bassist worked with compatriots Andrzej Kurylewicz, Andrzej Trzaskowski, Jerzy Matuszkiewicz, Jancy Körössy, Krzysztof Komeda, Wojciech Karolak, NOVI Quartet and Michał Urbaniak and international artists like Stan Getz, Louis Hjulmand, Don Ellis, Eje Thelin, Jan Johansson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Benny Golson, Börje Fredriksson, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Kjell Öhman, Monica Zetterlund, George Russell, Jean-Luc Ponty, Rolf Ericson, Rolf Billberg, Alice Babs, Jan Allen, Rune Gustafsson, Nils Lindberg, Putte Wickman, Toots Thielemans, Bruno Spoerri, Remo Rau, Budd Johnson, Renato Anselmi, Milcho Leviev, Jürg Morgenthaler and others. Dyląg died July 24th at 85.
Knut Riisnæs (November 13th, 1945 - July 22nd, 2023) The Norwegian saxophonist came up in the mid ‘60s, working with Karin Krog, Terje Rydal, Egil Kapstad, Ketil Bjørnstad, Arild Andersen, Nordic Jazz Quintet, Per Husby, Edward Vesala, Egil Johansen, Radka Toneff, Kjell Karlsen, Norwegian Radio Big Band, Sigurd Ulveseth, Staffan William-Olsson, Tore Johansen, Håvard Stubø, Jacob Young and others among many pop, rock and folk credits and led or co-led albums for Odin, Gemini, Resonant Music and Losen. Riisnæs died July 22nd at 77.
Tony Bennett (August 3rd, 1926 - July 21st, 2023) The singer (né Anthony Benedetto), in a career devoted to the Great American Songbook beginning in 1949 and continuing until his final concert in 2021, yielding numerous Grammy Awards and an NEA Jazz Mastership, had collaborations with Chuck Wayne, Ray Conniff, Ralph Sharon, Chico Hamilton, Art Blakey, Jo Jones, Candido, Sabu Martinez, Ralph Burns, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, Dick Hyman, Ted Heath, Skitch Henderson, Bill Evans, Jimmy and Marian McPartland and Bill Charlap. Bennett died July 21st at 96.
Frank Cody (June 13th, 1948 - July 19th, 2023) The originator of the New Adult Contemporary format while an executive at Los Angeles’ KMET went on to co-found smooth jazz label Rendezvous Entertainment, whose roster included Marc Antoine, Jonathan Butler, Wayman Tisdale and Kirk Whalum. Cody died July 19th at 75.
João Donato (August 17th, 1934 - July 17th, 2023) The Brazilian pianist was an architect of both Latin jazz and Bossa Nova through collaborations with Luiz Bonfá, Jonas Silva, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Bud Shank, Astrud Gilberto, Cal Tjader, Sergio Mendes, Deodato, Dom Um Romao, Nana Caymii, Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento, João Bosco, Moacir Santos, Robertinho Silva, Bebel Gilberto, Jazz is Dead and others, his own albums on Polydor, RCA, Blue Thumb, Odeon, Philips, Fontana, Elektra Musician, Lumiar Discos, Elephant, Deckdisc, Dubas Música, Discobertas and other labels and numerous songs recorded by many of the aforementioned artists as well as Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Tamba Trio, Dave Pike, Max Greger, Cannonball Adderley, Vitor Assis, Brother Jack McDuff, Walter Wanderley, Claus Ogerman, Putte Wickman, Barney Kessel, Sadao Watanabe, João Gilberto, Yoshiko Goto, Gilberto Gil, Enrico Rava, Hendrik Meurkens, Rio Jazz Orchestra, Claudio Roditi, Ithamara Koorax, Nanny Assis, Toninho Horta, Till Brönner, Chico Pinheiro, Eliane Elias, Jesper Lundgaard, Richard Galliano, Ron Carter, Mark Morganelli and many others. Donato died July 17th at 88.
Barry “Kid” Martyn (February 23rd, 1941 - July 17th, 2023) The British drummer, né Barry Martyn Godfrey, was a stalwart of the New Orleans revival since the late ’50s, first accompanying visiting players like Kid Sheik Cola and locals Chris Barber, then George Lewis, Captain John Handy, Percy Humphrey, Albert Nicholas and others while visiting the Crescent City in 1966 and, after moving first to Los Angeles and then New Orleans, working with Preston Jackson, Hayes Alvis, Leonard Bechet, Barney Bigard, The Legends of Jazz, Louis Nelson, Maryland Jazz Band, Wendell Brunious, Chris Clifton, Harold Dejan, Andrew Hall and others, alongside numerous leader albums, mostly for G.H.B., also co-producing many of that label’s reissues. Martyn died July 17th at 82.
Alain Rochette (May 24th, 1951 - July 16th, 2023) The Belgian pianist was a member of Present, worked with Albert Wastiaux and Michel Mainil and had a pair of ‘80s albums on L’Amanite and Silence. Rochette died July 16th at 72.
Angsar Ballhorn (May 25th, 1950 - July 14th, 2023) The German recording engineer worked on albums released by Jazz Haus Musik, Konnex, ITM, Enja, West Wind, hatART, Ear-Rational, Jazzline, Sound Aspects, NABEL, L+R, Tutu, Rayna, Minor Music, FMP, Moers Music, Leo, Random Acoustics, 2nd Floor Edition, Tzadik, Unit, Rastascan, Music & Arts, hatOLOGY, Babel, Nuscope, TCB, Nagel Heyer, Üton, Double Moon, Potlatch, Intakt, New Braxton House, FMR and other labels. Ballhorn died July 14th at 73.
Philippe “Doudou” Cuillerier (September 5th, 1961 - July 14th, 2023) The French guitarist was a veteran of his country’s Manouche jazz scene through his band Doudou Swing and his work with Romane, Hot Club De Norvege, New Quintet Du Hot Club De France, Angelo Debarre, the Schmitt clan, Latcho Drom, Rodolphe Raffalli, Patrick Saussois, Emy Dragoi, Florin Niculescu, Lemmy Constantine, Ludovic Beier and others. Cuillerier died in July at 62.
Mario Stanchev (1948 - July 14th, 2023) The Bulgarian pianist had albums since the ‘80s in Instant Présent, Riva Sound, Cristal and Ouch!, credits with Lyudmil Georgiev, Simeon Shterev, Michel Perez, Jean-Louis Almosnino, Jacques Helmus and others and founded the jazz department of the Conservatoire National de Région in Lyon. Stanchev died July 14th at ~75.
Harriet Choice (~1941 - July 13th, 2023) The journalist was the longtime jazz critic for the Chicago Tribute, co-founder of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, produced concerts, conducted archival oral histories and wrote liner notes for labels like Delmark and Muse. Choice died July 13th at 82.
Al Stricker (~1936 - July 13th, 2023) The banjo player and singer was a founding/five-decade-plus member of The St. Louis Ragtimers, which has had its recordings released by Audiophile, Audex, Ragophile, Stomp Off, G.H.B. and other labels and hosted the annual Goldenrod Showboat Ragtime Festival. Stricker died July 13th at 87.
Ian Huntley (1939 - July 12th, 2023) The South African archived his country’s jazz scene from 1958-74 via photographs (collected in the book Keeping Time: 1964 – 1974 The Photographs and Cape Town Jazz Recordings of Ian Bruce Huntley) and audio recordings, which are available at electricjivehuntleyarchive.org. Huntley died July 12th at 84.
Christian Rose (1946 - July 11th, 2023) The French photographer was a regular contributor to The International Herald Tribune, Jazz Magazine and numerous other publications, published five books (including Instants de Jazz, Jazz Meetings and Guitare 160 Portraits de Légende) and had his images in numerous albums released by America, BYG, Barclay, Blue Note, Blue Star, CBS, Center of the World, Dreyfus Jazz, EmArcy, Jazz Detective, Musica, Owl, Reel to Real, Resonance, Saravah, Sunnyside, Universal Music France, Verve, Vogua and other labels. Rose died in July at ~77.
Michel Séguin (??? - July 11th, 2023) The Canadian percussionist had a leader date in duo with Miroslav Vitous, was a member of Toubabou and ZAO and had credits with François Faton Cahen, Jacques Mignault and others. Séguin died July 11th at an unknown age.
Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky (December 10th, 1933 - July 10th, 2023) The German reed and wind player was a key figure in his country and Europe’s larger jazz scene from the ‘50s onwards, working with Manfred Ludwig, Modern Jazz Big Band 65, Ensemble Studio 4, Jerzy Milan, Klaus Lenz, Václav Zahradník, Jazz-Werkstatt-Orchester, Hans Rempel, Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band, NDR Jazzworkshop, Clarinet Summit, George Gruntz, Hans Reichel, Sven-Åke Johansson, Heinz Becker, Globe Unity Orchestra, Radio Big Band Berlin, Günter “Baby” Sommer, The Quartet, Tony Oxley, Peter Brötzmann, European Jazz Ensemble, Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Uschi Brüning, Mario Schiano, Günter Lenz and others, co-leading Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett, New Old Luten Trio/Quintet/Septet, Ruf Der Heimat, Synopsis and Zentralquartett and with his own leader or co-leader dates for FMP, AMIGA, Konnex, Carbon Edition, Intakt, Jazzwerkstatt and Edel. Petrowsky died July 10th at 89.
Michael Baker (October 7th, 1957 - July 9th, 2023) The drummer, alongside his work in the pop and R&B fields and long association with Whitney Houston, had credits with Jimmy Smith, Billy Childs, Diane Reeves, Bobby Lyle, Stanley Turrentine, Phil Upchurch, Gerald Veasley, Joe Zawinul, Normon Connors and Chico Freeman. Baker died July 9th at 65.
Oscar Brashear (August 18th, 1944 - July 7th, 2023) The trumpeter came up with Count Basie in the late ‘60s and went on to work with Bobby Bryant, Charles Owens, Bobby Hutcherson, Hampton Hawes, Todd Bayeté Cochran, Henry Franklin, Harold Land, Moacir Santos, Kenny Burrell, Luis Gasca, Patrice Rushen, The Blackbyrds, Gene Harris, Flora Purim, Calvin Keys, Horace Silver, Shelly Manne, Eddie Harris, Elek Bacsik, Oliver Nelson, Brass Fever, Joe Henderson, Richard Groove Holmes, Nat Adderley, Cannonball Adderley, Bobbi Humphrey, Harvey Mason, Blue Mitchell, Azar Lawrence, Sonny Rollins, Donald Byrd, Carmen McRae, Alice Coltrane, Ramsey Lewis, Earl Klugh, Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Hammond, Sonny Criss, Norman Connors, Zoot Sims, Gabor Szabo, Dizzy Gillespie, Hubert Laws, Buddy Montgomery, Wayne Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Lalo Schifrin, The Manhattan Transfer, Bill Summers, Joe Farrell, Paul Horn, Willie Bobo, Quincy Jones, Sadao Watanabe, Terry Callier, Les McCann, Billy Cobham, The Crusaders, Eddie Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Mark Soskin, Leon Ndugu Chancler, J.J. Johnson, Ahmad Jamal, Paul Humphrey, Gerald Wilson, Benny Golson, McCoy Tyner, Herb Alpert, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Richie Cole, Doc Severinsen, Diane Schuur, Miles Davis, George Duke, Teddy Edwards, Cecilia Coleman, Milt Jackson, Bob Belden, Jimmy Smith, Joe Sample, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Kyle Eastwood, Lorraine Feather and others among dozens of pop, rock, funk and soul session credits. Brashear died July 6th at 78.
Paul Knopf (February 3rd, 1927 - July 6th, 2023) The pianist, nicknamed “Outcat”, led a pair of late ‘50s 1959 session for Playback (featuring Richard Davis) and then a self-released 1977 date. Knopf died July 6th at 96.
Tom Swift (~1957 - July 6th, 2023) The recording engineer worked on albums by Terumasa Hino, Miles Davis, Anthony Davis, Michel Petrucciani, Roy Haynes, Mingus Big Band, Philip Catherine, Lenny White, Toninho Horta, Dmitri Kolesnik, The Manhattan Transfer, Nilsson Matta, Don Friedman, Kendra Shank, Chris Rogers and others. Swift died July 6th at 66.
Rob Agerbeek (September 28th, 1937 - July 5th, 2023) The Dutch pianist had albums on Polydor, Dexterity, CBS, Oldie Blues, Munich, Timeless, Jazzz '91, Venus, Blue Jazz Jazz and Solid. which included collaborations with Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, George Coleman, Harry Verbeke, Ann Burton, Mark Murphy, John Marshall and others, credits with Burton, Jan Morks and Eric Ineke and membership in The Dixieland Pipers, Deep River Quartet, The Grand Piano Boogie Train and The Dutch Swing College Band. Agerbeek died July 5th at 85.
Peter Nero (May 22nd, 1934 - July 5th, 2023) The pianist, long before his pop, orchestral and easy listening success, began his career in the late ‘50s with jazz dates for Mode (under his birthname Bernie Nerow) then a few RCA Victor sessions in the early ‘60s with accompaniment by Joe Cusatis, George Duvivier and Barre Phillips. Nero died July 5th at 89.
Michael “Mo” Foster (December 22nd, 1944 - July 3rd, 2023) Alongside the British bassist’s many rock and pop credits were sessions with Ray Russell, Magician, Gil Evans and Ian Carr. Foster died July 3rd at 78.
Lincoln Mayorga (March 28th, 1937 - July 3rd, 2023) In addition to the pianist’s work in classical, pop and rock were a handful of dates exploring the jazz canon and Great American Songbook as well as albums released on his TownHall Records by George Russell, Adam Makowicz, Lew Soloff and Pat Longo. Mayorga died July 3rd at 86.
Felix “Pupi” Legarreta (1940 - July 2nd, 2023) The Cuban violinist, flutist and singer, among his many traditional Latin credits, worked with Mongo Santamaria, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow and Cachao, Legarreta died July 2nd at 83.
Ruud Bos (February 8th, 1936 - June 30th, 2023) The Dutch composer worked in the ‘60s-70s as a pianist/vibraphonist and arranger with his own groups and with Cees Slinger, Herman Schoonderwalt, Toots Thielemans, Rita Reys, Joe Sands, Willem Breuker, Piet Noordijk and others. Bos died June 30th at 87.
Larry Reni Thomas (1950 - June 30th, 2023) The author/radio broadcaster wrote for Downbeat and Jazz Line and was working on a book, The Barn: Wilmington, North Carolina’s Jazz Mecca (1941—1945). Thomas died June 30th at 73.
Don Kennedy (March 2nd, 1930 - June 29th, 2023) The broadcaster, among his other radio and television credits, hosted "Big Band Jump", a syndicated show focusing on the Big Band era, from 1986-2013. Kennedy died June 29th at 93.
Lillian Terry (December 15th, 1930 - June 29th, 2023) The Maltese-Italian singer made several albums from the ‘50s-80s in collaboration with Romano Mussolini, Gianni Basso, Renato Sellani, Tommy Flanagan and Dizzy Gillespie and then another date in the new millennium, was a producer of jazz programs for Italian radio and television, presented numerous concerts throughout Italy, conducted archival interviews, co-founded the Dizzy Gillespie Popular School of Music in Italy, translated jazz biographies and essays and published Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray and Friends: On And Off The Record with Jazz Greats in 2017. Terry died June 29th at 92.
Dubi Lenz (April 20th, 1947 - June 28th, 2023) The Israeli radio broadcaster and producer was co-artistic director of the Red Sea Jazz Festival. Lenz died June 28th at 76.
Howie Shear (August 5th, 1954 - June 27th, 2023) The trumpeter worked with Woody Herman, Chuck Mangione, George Benson, Jeff Berlin and others and released a single album, Bopliography, as a leader alongside work as an educator and arranger. Shear died June 27th at 68.
Walter Wolff (May 4th, 1981 - June 25th, 2023) The Finnish pianist made albums for O.A.P. (with guest Teddy Charles), Your Favorite Jazz and Challenge. Wolff died June 25th at 42.
Roefie Hueting (December 16th, 1929 - June 24th, 2023) The Dutch pianist and economist founded The Down Town Jazzband in 1949, which had albums on RCA, Metronome, Columbia, CID, CBS, Discofoon, Omega, Bovema Negram and Timeless and collaborations with Albert Nicholas and Ann Burton. Hueting died June 24th at 93.
Dave Martell (November 3rd, 1959 - June 24th, 2023) The trombonist and educator worked with Earl Hines, Cab Calloway, Pete Escovedo, Jimmy Heath, Ray Brown, Carla Bley, Anthony Brown, Dave Eshelman, Wayne Wallace, Black Market Jazz Orchestra and others. Martell died June 24th at 63.
David Tamura (~1954 - June 24th, 2023) The saxophonist/guitarist/keyboard player ran the New York City Experimental Music Meet-Ups, was a founding member of The JazzFakers (with several albums since 2010, including three on Alrealon Musique), co-led the Chonto/Tamura Sonic Insurgency with Joe Chonto ( which had a pair of albums on somerealmusic featuring guests Sabir Mateen and Kidd Jordan and backed Dave Burrell for his 2013 somerealmusic album Conception) and also worked with Cheryl Pyle, Marc Edwards and others. Tamura died June 24th at 69.
Mickey Gravine (August 5th, 1932 - June 23rd, 2023) The trombonist worked with Wild Bill Davison, Peggy Lee, Chuck Speas, George Segal, Johnny Richards, Artie Butler, Urbie Green, Astrud Gilberto, Joe Williams, Carmen McRae, Bill Evans, Brooks Arthur, Dean Christopher, Rob Frangipane, Dick Human, The Manhattan Transfer, Anita Gravine and others. Gravine died June 23rd at 90.
Joaquim “Lucky” Guri (1950 - June 23rd, 2023) The Spanish keyboard player founded the New Jazz Trio in 1967, had a co-led album with Peter Roar in 1972 doing jazz-rock versions of tunes by The Beatles, was a member of Barcelona Traction and Música Urbana and released a solo piano album on Columna Musica in 1997. Guri died June 23rd at 73.
Peter Brötzmann (March 6th, 1941 - June 22nd, 2023) The German saxophonist, reed player and artist (and father to guitarist Caspar) was one of Europe’s most significant players of the last half-century-plus and a pioneer of a particularly European strain of free jazz since his first trios with fellow Wuppertalian Peter Kowald, being a founding member of Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra in 1965-66 and his seminal recordings For Adolphe Sax (BRÖ/FMP, 1967) and Machine Gun (BRÖ/FMP, 1968) to his trio with Fred Van Hove and Han Bennink (expanded to a quartet with Albert Mangelsdorff) and then duo with Bennink, trio with Harry Miller and Louis Moholo, Clarinet Project, Last Exit with Sonny Sharrock, Bill Laswell and Ronald Shannon Jackson, solo sessions, Die Like A Dog with Toshinori Kondo, William Parker and Hamid Drake, The Chicago Octet/Tentet, trio with Peter Friis Nielsen and Peeter Uuskyla, The Wild Mans Band with Friis Nielsen and Peter Ole Jørgensen, Sonore with Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark, Full Blast with Marino Pliakas and Michael Wertmüller, duo with Paal Nilssen-Love, Hairy Bones with Toshinori Kondo, Massimo Pupillo and Nilssen-Love, duo with Jason Adasiewicz, duo with Heather Leigh and trio with Steve Swell and Nilssen-Love with dozens of albums on Calig, FMP (which he co-founded with Jost Geabers), ICP, BlueMasterSpecial, Gua-Bunge, Enemy, Celluloid, Trost, Virgin, Okka Disk, Konnex, Patholigical Path, DIW, Music and Arts, Rastascan, Mixtery, PSF, Utech, Soul Note, Bo'Weavil, Grob, Ninth World Music, Cadence Jazz, Eremite, Double Moon, Ayler, Slask, Red Toucan, DIW, Locust, Eremite, In Tone, FMR, Botticelli, BRÖ, Black Editions Archive, Long Arms, hatOLOGY, Atavistic, Victo, ARM, Kilogram, Al Maslakh, Corbett vs. Dempsey, JazzWerkstatt, Smalltown Superjazzz, Kootown, Barefoot, IDIOLECT, Not Two, Heart Lord Studio, OTOROKU, Nero’s Neptune, Dobialabel, Monofonuspress/Astral Spirits, Clean Feed, Cubus, OnLott, Weekertoft, Euphorium, I Dischi i Angelica, Relative Pitch, Dropa Disc and other labels and decades of work internationally with Schlippenbach, Manfred Schoof, Instant Composers Pool, Derek Bailey, Don Cherry, Kees Hazevoet, Barry Guy, Sabu Toyozumi, Phil Minton, Keith Tippett, Cecil Taylor, Ginger Baker, Heiner Goebbels, Niels Jensen, Thomas Borgmann, Borah Bergman, Keiji Haino, Charles Hayward, Mahmoud Gania, Johannes Bauer, Frode Gjerstad, Walter Perkins, Milford Graves, Joe McPhee, Zlatko Kaučič, Michiyo Yagi, KonstruKt, Improvising Ensemble of Quianxingzhe, Steve Noble, ICI Ensemble, Ensemble MusikFabrik-Köln, Laboratorio Musicale Suono C, Black Bombaim and many more. Brötzmann died June 22nd at 82.
Emili Baleriola (April 4th, 1952 - June 20th, 2023) The Spanish guitarist was a 1971-72 member of Máquina, had credits with Manolo Bolao and Salvador Font and leader dates since the ‘80s on PDI and Picap. Baleriola died June 20th at 71.
Max Morath (October 1st, 1926 - June 19th, 2023) The pianist was a ragtime specialist with albums on Golden Camp, Epic, RCA Victor, Vanguard, Harmony, RCA Camden, PianoMania Music, Solo Art, Musical Heritage Society and other labels, appearances on numerous TV program as well as his National Educational Television series The Ragtime Era and the books Max Morath: The Road to Ragtime, I Love You Truly: A Biographical Novel Based on the Life of Carrie Jacobs-Bond and The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards. Morath died June 19th at 96.
Adriano Mazzoletti (June 19th, 1935 - June 18th, 2023) The Italian writer/producer/radio host/drummer/conductor curated the 1963 Ricordi compilation 40 Anni Di Jazz In Italia, produced a 1974 album by Conte Candoli and Frank Rosolino, hosted numerous jazz programs on RAi Radio, wrote liner notes for RCA Italiana, Atlantic, Omicron, Ariston, RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Music Parade Cetra, Tam, Carosello, Curcio, Musica Jazz, Verve, Riviera Jazz, CAM Jazz, Dejavu, Sonor, Soul Note and other labels, wrote the biography Eddie Lang - Stringin' The Blues, edited the Grande Enciclopedia del Jazz (published by Armando Curcio Editore) and was one-time Artistic Director of the Fano Jazz by the Sea. Mazzoletti died June 18th at 87.
Tom Nicholas (March 8th, 1938 - June 16th, 2023) The percussionist co-led Black & White Cooperation (with three new millennium albums on Christine Records) and worked with Michael Howell, Roland Prince, John Handy, Peter Giger's Family of Percussion, Lou Blackburn, Daniel Guggenheim, Jürgen Wuchner, Monty Waters and others. Nicholas died June 16th at 85.
Robert Gottlieb (April 29th, 1931 - June 14th, 2023) Among the noted editor’s work for various publishing houses and The New Yorker was the anthology Reading Jazz: A Gathering of Autobiography, Reportage, and Criticism from 1919 to Now (Pantheon, 1996) and Reading Lyrics (Pantheon, 2000, co-edited with Robert Kimball). Gottlieb died June 14th at 92.
Martín Rojas (September 9th, 1943 Havana - June 11th, 2023) The Cuban guitarist co-led a 1974 album with singer Omara Portuondo, worked with Gonzalo Rubalcaba in the ‘90s and had his song “En La Orilla Del Mundo” recorded by Charlie Haden, Robert Lakatoš, Edward Simon, Aaron Goldberg and Gabriele Mirabassi. Rojas died June 11th at 79.
Jackie Williams (January 2nd, 1933 - June 11th, 2023) The drummer was active since the late ‘50s with Eugene Smith, Buck Clayton, Red Richards, Russell “Big Chief” Moore, Erroll Garner, Billy Butler/Al Casey, Slam Stewart, Buddy Tate, Johnny Guarnieri, Jimmy Shirley, Vic Dickenson, Cliff Smalls, Doc Cheatham, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Helen Humer, Jay McShann, Maxine Sullivan, Dan Barrett/Howard Alden, Lillette Jenkins, Milt Hinton, Al Grey, Benny Waters, Junior Mance, Frank Wess, Kenny Davern/Bob Wilber, Jesse Green, Jane Jarvis, Warren Vaché, Chuck Folds, Jim Galloway/Bob Barnard, Marc Devine and others. Williams died June 11th at 90.
Ralph Kaffel (1932 - June 10th, 2023) The producer was president of Fantasy Records (and acquisitor of Prestige, Riverside, Milestone Stax, Contemporary and other imprints) from 1967 until the label was bought by Concord in 2004. Kaffel died June 10th at 91.
David Braynard (April 27th, 1951 - June 8th, 2023) The tuba player/bassist worked with Vince Mendoza, Franklin Kiermyer and Hugh Shannon as well as Sinéad O'Connor for her 1992 standards album Am I Not Your Girl? Braynard died June 8th at 72.
Dave Koether (February 26th, 1944 - June 6th, 2023) The percussionist was a founding member of the fusion band Mixed Bag, which had a 1976 album on Tribe and backed Sonny Stitt for his Jazz Masters album A Brand New Bag during the same period. Koether died June 6th at 79.
Astrud Gilberto (March 29th, 1940 - June 5th, 2023) The Brazilian singer (née Weinert) was an icon of the ‘60s Bossa Nova craze with her vocals for "The Girl from Ipanema”, recorded with Stan Getz and then-husband João Gilberto and released by Verve, which led to further collaborations with both players, albums under her name for the label and later CTI (with Stanley Turrentine), Perception, Metro, Image, Better Days (with Shigeharu Mukai), Polydor and Canyon International and guest spots with Quincy Jones, Ennio Morricone, Michael Franks and James Last. Gilberto died June 5th at 83.
George Winston (February 11th, 1949 - June 4th, 2023) The pianist debuted for Takoma in 1973 then, in 1980, began his long association with Windam Hill, which continued into the new millennium, and also released albums on his own Dancing Cat imprint and Fantasy and worked with Michael Hedges and William Ackerman. Winston died June 4th at 74.
Kim Cusack (December 27th, 1938 - June 2nd, 2023) The clarinetist/saxophonist was active on record since the ‘60s with The Salty Dogs Jazz Band, Mike Walbridge’s The Chicago Footwarmers, Will Bill Davison, Georg Brunis, Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings , Ernie Carson’s Original Cottonmouth Jazz Band and Castle Jazz Band, The Jungle Crawlers, James Dapogny’s Chicagoans, Bob Schulz’ Frisco Jazz Band, George Buck's Jazzology All Stars, Red Rose Ragtime Band, Andy's Windy City All Stars, Carl Sonny Leyland and others. Cusack died June 2nd at 84.
Bob Martin (1944 - June 1st, 2023) The alto saxophonist was a part of Buddy Rich bands in the ‘70s, then had a decades-long stint with Bob Young before moving to London in 1997 and then France in 2012, performing around Europe with his own and other’s groups and releasing his sole album as a leader in 2010 on Hard Bop Records. Martin died June 1st, 2023 at 74.
Noel Kaletsky (August 10th, 1937 - May 30th, 2023) The reed player self-released a few albums in the '90s, was an early member of The Easy Riders Jazz Band (working with guests like George Lewis and Victoria Spivey) and later the Hot Cat Jazz Band, The Rent Party Revellers, The Commonwealth Jazz Quartet and The Galvanized Jazz Band alongside credits with Cap'N John Handy, Will Bill Davison and others. Kaletsky died May 30th at 85.
Tim Williams (September 17th, 1957 - May 29th, 2023) The trombonist was a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers from 1985-86 and later worked with fellow Messenger Terence Blanchard as well as Alex Bugnon and Rodney Kendrick. Williams died May 29th at 65.
Ray Codrington (October 18th 1936 - May 28th, 2023) The trumpeter was a member of The J.F.K. Quintet, with a pair of early ‘60s albums on Riverside, and also worked with Eddie Harris, The Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Hugo Montenegro, Group Sax, Paul Tardif, Larry Price, Larry Willis, John Brown, Eve Cornelious and others. Codrington died May 28th at 86.
Dominick “Meco” Monardo (November 29th, 1939 - May 26th, 2023) The trombonist/arranger worked with Urbie Green, recorded with Joe Thomas, Lonnie Smith, Jimmy McGriff and Kenny G and included numerous jazz players on his various disco-fications of science fiction and fantasy film soundtracks. Monardo died May 26th at 83.
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.
Joachim Luhrmann (May 18th, 1952 - May 24th, 2023) The German drummer was a member of Tetragon, worked with Thilo von Westernhagen, Peter Finger and Joscho Stephan and co-founded Slow Motion Records. Luhrmann died May 24th at 71.
David Meeker (December 22nd, 1935 - May 24th, 2023) The British archivist, as part of his work at the British Film Institute National Archive, published Jazz in the Movies: A Guide to Jazz Musicians, 1917-1977 (Arlington House Pub, 1977), eventually turning it into a database available at the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov/collections/jazz-on-screen-filmography). Meeker died May 24th at 87.
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.
Allen Honigberg (October 6th, 1946 - May 23rd, 2023) The broadcaster/writer worked early on as a jazz DJ in Columbus, Ohio and co-wrote the 1989 documentary A Night in Havana: Dizzy Gillespie in Cuba. Honigberg died May 23rd at 76.
William S. Fischer (March 5th, 1935 - May 22nd, 2023) The pianist/keyboard player had a handful of albums under his name for Embryo, Arcana and Edigsa in the early ‘70s and only a few record credits as a performer under Andy Bey, David “Fathead” Newman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk but was much more active as a composer/arranger conductor for sessions by Joe Zawinul, Nat Adderley, Yusef Lateef, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, Herbie Mann, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Roy Ayers, Cannonball Adderley, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Scott, Gene Ammons, Junior Mance, Idris Muhammad, Pharoah Sanders, Jane Monheit and others. Fischer died May 22nd at 88.
J. Hayes Kavanagh (1940 - May 22nd, 2023) The lawyer had a second career as a bassist, self-releasing two albums in the ‘90s with his New York Jazz Band, which was comprised of Richard Wyands, Bob Pierson, Al Hermann, Spanky Davis and Eddie Locke. Kavanagh died May 22nd at 82.
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.
Jon Miller (May 31st, 1942 - May 20th, 2023) The owner of Foxhaven Studio and Foxhaven Records recorded sessions by Dick Morgan, Walter Salb, Gene Bertoncini, Bruce Swaim and others and released albums by Morgan, Ron Kearns, Virginia Mayhew, Eric Byrd and, most notably, his drummer daughter Allison Miller. Miller died May 20th at 80.
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.
Zbigniew Jakubek (April 18th, 1962 - May 1st, 2023) The Polish keyboard player was a founding member of fusion band Walk Away (with over a dozen albums since the ‘80s, including collaborations with Urszula Dudziak, Randy Brecker and Eric Marienthal) and worked with Lora Szafran, Jacek Niedziela, Frank Gambale, Cezary Konrad, Nippy Noya, Didier Lockwood, David Fiuczynski, Mino Cinelu, David Friesen, Bill Evans, Cindy Blackman and others. Jakubek died May 1st at 60.
Neal Bonsanti (1942 - 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 81.
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.
Terry Martin (~1942 - April 12th, 2023) The Australian academic, based in Chicago since 1966, was an early supporter of the AACM and contributed liner notes and photographs for albums on EMI-Pathé, Nessa, Delmark, Flying Fish and other labels, was board member and committee chair of the Jazz Institute of Chicago and whose archive is housed at the University of Chicago Library. Martin died April 12th at 81.
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.
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.
Koichi Matsukaze (August 6th, 1948 - March 29th, 2023) The Japanese saxophonist/flutist had albums on ALM, Aketa's Disk, Trio, Off Note, Ohrai and Studio Wee and credits with Eri Ohno, Shigeo Maruyama, Shuichi Chino, Takeo Moriyama, Yosuke Yamashita, Masahiko Togashi, P.S.M. All Stars, Itaya Hiroshi, Shigeo Maruyama, Shoji Aketagawa, Takeshi Shibuya, Phonolite Trio and others. Matsukaze died March 29th at 74.
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, 2023) 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.
Petri Keskitalo (July 8th, 1972 - February 2023) The Finnish tuba player was a member of Gourmet and had credits with Otto Donner, Espoo Big Band, Jarmo Saari, Avanti!, Mikko Inannen and others. Keskitalo died in February at 50.
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.
Aishi Oyauchi (~1946 - February 26th, 2023) The Japanese saxophonist, active since the ‘60s, had a handful of new millennium recordings on Armageddon Nova. Oyauchi died February 26th at 76.
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 (~1947 - 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.
Jeff Palmer (June 1st, 1948 - February 10th, 2023) The organ player (né Massari) came to his instrument via the accordion and had his debut album, a solo affair, produced by Paul Bley for his Improvising Artists label, going on to a long partnership with John Abercrombie (the guitarist appearing on his albums for Statiras, Soul Note, AudioQuest, Reservoir and Consolidated Artists Productions), work as an educator at Berklee College of Music and co-founding Rank Records with saxophonist Devin Garramone, releasing several albums in the new millennium. Palmer died February 10th at 74.
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.
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.
Armando de Sequeira Romeu (1937 - January 30th, 2023) The Cuban bandleader and member of the famed Romeu musical family played on Nate King Cole’s Cole Español, co-founded the Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna in 1969, which eventually led to the establishment of Irakere, and released a ‘90s album on Columbia. Romeu died January 30th at 85.
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.
Lázaro Valdés (December 17th, 1940 - January 1st, 2023) The Cuban pianist, part of a famed musical family, with father Oscar and brother Oscar (both percussionists) and son Lázaro (also a pianist), worked with various orchestras in the ‘50s-60s and led the quintet SON JAZZ in the new millennium. Valdés died January 1st at 83.
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