Obituary News

Jazz Trumpeter Herb Pomeroy Dies After Battle with Cancer

Source: All About Jazz
August 15, 2007

BOSTON --Jazz trumpeter Herb Pomeroy, who played with Charlie Parker, backed up Frank Sinatra, and influenced generations of musicians in four decades as a teacher at Berklee College of Music and MIT, has died. Pomeroy died at his Gloucester home on Saturday after a long struggle with cancer, his daughter said. He was 77. Pomeroy played at times with Parker, Charlie Mariano, Stan Kenton, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins and others. In addition to Sinatra, he backed Tony Bennett and Sarah ...

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Jazz Bassist Art Davis, 73; Later Became Psychologist

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2007

Art Davis, a virtuoso bassist who excelled in classical music and jazz, and who became a clinical psychologist later in life, died July 29 of a heart attack at his home in Long Beach, Calif. He was 73. Trained as a classical musician at leading conservatories, Dr. Davis won early renown in the 1950s working with celebrated jazz musicians Max Roach and Dizzy Gillespie. In the 1960s, he was one of saxophonist John Coltrane's favorite bassists and appeared on several ...

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Art Davis, Jazz Bassist, Activist Against Racism

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Art Davis, 73, the renowned double bassist who played with John Coltrane and other jazz greats, was blacklisted in the 1970s for speaking up about racism in the music industry, then later in life earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and balanced performance dates with appointments to see patients, has died. Dr. Davis, a player whom jazz critic Nat Hentoff once described as astonishing and “beyond category," died last Sunday of heart failure at his home in ...

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Double Bassist Art Davis, Who Played with Jazz Greats Such as Coltrane, Dies at 73

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2007

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Art Davis, the renowned double bassist who played with John Coltrane and other jazz greats, has died. He was 73. Davis died of a heart attack Sunday at his home in Long Beach, his son Kimaili Davis told the Los Angeles Times for a story in Saturday's editions. Davis was blacklisted in the 1970s for speaking up about racism in the music industry, then later earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and balanced performance dates with ...

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Art Davis Passed Away

Source: All About Jazz
August 8, 2007

The great jazz bassist Art Davis died in his Long Beach home on Sunday July 29 after suffering a heart attack. According to Nat Hentoff , Davis was the favorite bassist of John Coltrane. Davis played on Coltrane's Ole as well as Ascension and Africa/Brass Sessions, Vol. 1 and 2.

Mr. Davis' career suffered after he unsuccessfully sued the New York Philharmonic over what he contended were its racist hiring prctices. As the calls stopped coming for jazz gigs, Davis ...

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Snug Harbor Owner George Brumat Dead at 63

Source: All About Jazz
July 9, 2007

George Brumat, who founded Port of Call, owned jazz bistro Snug Harbor and dedicated his life to nurturing the New Orleans modern jazz community, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack. He was 63. Mr. Brumat was not married and had no children. His existence revolved around jazz music in general, and Snug Harbor in particular, where he could be found most nights. He opened the venue in 1983 on Frenchmen Street, long before the area had developed into the ...

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Jazz Bassist Morris Edwards Dead at 81

Source: All About Jazz
July 7, 2007

Jazz bassist Morris Edwards died at 81 years old from a stroke in Manhattan on Sunday, May 27th, 2007. Morris Edwards played with many jazz greats like Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and Illinois Jacquet. Morris was born in Curwensville, Pennsylvania on June 10th, 1925. He attended the United States Air Force, where he received an honorable discharge. Morris also played tuba as a second instrument. Morris worked at the Village Door in Jamaica Queens, New York, ...

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Johnny Frigo 1916 - 2007

Source: All About Jazz
July 5, 2007

Jazz legend switched from bass to violin Chicago musician also played background for commercials, co-wrote songs and penned 'Hey, Hey, Holy Mackerel' in honor of '69 Cubs Johnny Frigo, 90, a musician whose skill, encyclopedic song recall and late career switch from bass to violin made him a legend in jazz joints from Chicago to Europe, died Wednesday, July 4, of complications related to a fall, his family said. Born on Chicago's South Side, Mr. Frigo took up the violin ...

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