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Obituary

Grosse Pointe resident Bess Bonnier, 83, died Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011.

Source: JazzStage Productions
November 22, 2011

Bess Bonnier began playing piano at an early age, taking her first professional job with a big band at 13. She joined the Detroit Federation of Musicians in 1946. Her career spanned more than six decades and included regular appearances with Jack Brokensha at his club in Detroit's New Center area, and at countless other clubs and hotels, concert and festival venues, private parties, events and local resorts. Highlights of her stage career include a performance in 1981 at the ...

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Obituary

Two Losses to Detroit Jazz: Bess Bonnier and Brad Felt

Source: JazzStage Productions
November 22, 2011

One of the great and unusual combinations of jazz voices hereabouts was the big-horn/little- horn thing that Steve Wood|| and {{Brad Felt had going at least since the '80s, with Steve on sax (especially the relatively small soprano) and Brad on tuba or euphonium, romping through tunes like “Second Balcony Jump," a Jerry Valentine composition from the Billy Eckstine band. (Steve and Brad liked to give credit where it was due like that.) Steve sent out an e-mail Thursday afternoon ...

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