Obituary News

Don Suhor: Veteran New Orleans jazzman (1932-2003)

Source: All About Jazz
January 29, 2003

By Charles Suhor Don Suhor, a clarinetist and alto saxophonist who spanned many styles and eras on the New Orleans jazz scene, died of cancer on January 27. He was 70 years old. Suhor's 55-year career “epitomized the life of the working New Orleans jazz musician," Keith Spera wrote in a Times-Picayune article. “Rarely a headliner, Mr. Suhor worked 'the grind,' playing jazz brunches, hotels and so-called tourist clubs, the bread-and-butter gigs that didn't lead to fame or recording contracts ...

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Bill Russo: Ground-breaking Composer and Arranger

Source: All About Jazz
January 23, 2003

Composer, arranger, conductor, trombone, teacher Born: June 25, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois Died: January 11, 2003 in Chicago, Illinois

Bill Russo was one of the most important composers and arrangers in jazz history. He contributed some of the most innovative orchestral scores ever written in a jazz idiom to the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the Fifties, and later founded important jazz orchestras in London and Chicago.

He was born William Joseph Russo, and attended the same ...

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Denise Jokinen Passed Away On Christmas Eve

Source: All About Jazz
December 30, 2002

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Bob Berg: Saxophonist Killed in Automobile Accident

Source: All About Jazz
December 6, 2002

From Newsday.com

Acclaimed tenor saxophonist Robert Berg was killed yesterday morning in Amagansett when a cement truck skidded across a snow-slicked road and rammed into his sport utility vehicle, East Hampton police said.

Berg, whose career encompassed free jazz, soul jazz, jazz rock and straight- ahead playing, was driving east on Route 27 with his wife about 10:45 a.m. when the cement truck approached from the opposite direction, Police Chief Todd Sarris said yesterday.

The driver of the truck, Dennis ...

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Mal Waldron: Expatriate Piano Great Dies in Brussels

Source: All About Jazz
December 6, 2002

Mal Waldron made his mark as a sympathetic accompanist for Billie Holiday in the last years of her career in 1957-9. The pianist went on to forge a reputation as an uncompromising creative musician in his own right, initially in his native New York and later in Europe, where he lived from 1965, firstly in Paris, and later in Munich and Brussels. He was a prolific composer in several genres as well as a pianist. His ...

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Mal Waldron Dies 77

Source: All About Jazz
December 3, 2002

Born: August 16, 1925 in New York City, New York Died: December 2, 2002 in Brussels, Belgium

Pianist Mal Waldron has died after short illness. His agent in Belgium issued the following statement:

Dear friends,

With great sadness I have to inform you of the passing of Mal Waldron, this December 2 at 9:15 pm local time in Brussels, Belgium. He slipped away, quietly and without pain, after a very brief illness.

Any messages for Mal's family are ...

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Remo Palmieri: Swinging and Inventive Jazz Guitarist

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2002

Guitarist Remo Palmier played with Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker in the early part of his career, and established his own reputation as a swinging and inventive guitarist. He was known to a wider television audience as the guitarist on The Arthur Godfrey Show, a position he held for 27 years from 1945. He was born Remo Paul Palmieri, but later dropped the final 'i' from his name. He was self-taught on guitar, and began his ...

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Details Bobby Forrester Funeral Update

Source: All About Jazz
November 26, 2002

Jazz Organist Bobby Forrester who played for such great vocalists as blues Singer Ruth Brown, and Irene Reid died. Funeral and body viewing is at:

Leo F. Kearns Funeral Home 6140 Woodhaven Blvd. Rego Park, N.Y. 11374 Their phone: (718) 441-3300

Internment on Wednesday at St. Ramous Cemetary in Bronx, New York on 11/27/02

Body may still be viewed today on Tuesday, November 26th, 2002 2-4 and 7 - 9 P.M. Bobby (Robert) Forrester ...

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