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Obituary

Gerald Wilson dies at 96; multifaceted jazz musician

Source: Michael Ricci
September 9, 2014

Gerald Wilson, a bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator whose multifaceted career reached from the swing era of the 1930s to the diverse jazz sounds of the 21st century, has died. He was 96. Wilson, who had been in declining health, died Monday at his home in Los Angeles, two weeks after contracting pneumonia, said his son, jazz guitarist Anthony Wilson. In a lifetime that spanned a substantial portion of the history of jazz, Wilson's combination of articulate composition skills ...

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Obituary

Gerald Wilson, 1918-2014

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 9, 2014

Word has come that Gerald Wilson died today in Los Angeles. A swing eratrumpeter, he became the pioneering leader, composer and arranger of a modern big band that was a significant presence for more than sixty years. Wilson enriched the language of large ensembles by employing expanded harmonic structures. He was noted for, among other things, his colorful music inspired by Mexican bull fighting. For an obituary, see Don Heckman’s article in today’s Los Angeles Times. In a post to ...

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Obituary

Jazz This Week: Trebor Tichenor Memorial Concert, Dave Dickey Big Band, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
August 22, 2014

With tensions easing somewhat even as protest demonstrations continue in Ferguson, and hot, steamy weather settling in for a few days, it's starting to seem a bit more like a typical late August in St. Louis. And while the weather forecast has prompted cancellations of a couple of outdoor shows, there's still jazz happening around town during these “dog days." Let's go to the highlights... On Friday, singer Anita Rosamond will be performing a free outdoor concert at Ferguson CityWalk, ...

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Obituary

John Blake, Jr., RIP

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
August 20, 2014

From Philadelphia comes news of the death of John Blake, Jr., a violinist who combined his classical training, love for the African-American musical tradition and sense of adventure to become prominent on the forward edge of jazz in the 1970s. Blake was 67. He made his mark recording with tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp and soon won the Violinist Deserving Wider Recognition category in the Down Beat Critics Poll. His fame widened when he toured with Grover Washington, Jr’s band and ...

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Obituary

Kenny Drew Jr. (1958-2014)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 7, 2014

Kenny Drew Jr., son of hard bop pianist Kenny Drew and an impeccable jazz pianist in his own right who could play with dashing swing, breathtaking control and lush romanticism, died on August 3. He was 56. Drew, whose very name placed him in the shadow of his father and who died one day before his father passed away in August 1993, focused initially on classical and then pop before he began recording jazz in the late 1980s. Sitting at ...

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Obituary

Idris Muhammad, legendary New Orleans drummer, is dead at 74

Source: Michael Ricci
August 6, 2014

Idris Muhammad, whose drumming crossed over several musical styles including funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues, died Tuesday (July 29). He was 74. Muhammad's death was confirmed by close friend Dan Williams, who got to know Muhammad through Williams' Jazz Journey concert series sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Williams learned of Muhammad's death through family members in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A converted Muslim, Muhammad was immediately buried in accordance with the traditions of Islam, Williams said. ...

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Obituary

Pete Douglas, Founder of Half Moon Bay’s Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society Dies at 85

Source: Michael Ricci
July 19, 2014

Legendary Impresario was Inspiration to Local and National Musicians, and Presenters Half Moon Bay, CA: Pete Douglas, founder of the world-renowned music and jazz club, the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society in Half Moon Bay, Calif., died peacefully in Miramar Beach on July 12, 2014 at age 85. Pete Douglas was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1929. He and his family moved to the Los Angeles area in the 1940s after his father died, and his teenage years were spent ...

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Obituary

Blues legend Johnny Winter dies in Switzerland

Source: Michael Ricci
July 17, 2014

Guitarist, singer and music producer Johnny Winter has died at age 70. Winter rose to fame in the late 1960s and '70s with his performances and recordings that included producing his childhood hero Muddy Waters. “I love blues. I don't mind a little rock and roll, too, as long as it's blues-based rock and roll," he told Guitar World in 2010. He was the older brother of Edgar Winter — also a music legend. Winter's representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday ...

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