Obituary News

Remembering Charlie Bourgeois: 1919-2014

Source: Carolyn McClair Public Relations
February 18, 2014

An Arbiter of Good Taste in Music, Cuisine, Fashion and People Long-time Festival Public Relations Director April 27, 1919 – January 26, 2014 New York, NY – Charles Bourgeois, who directed public relations efforts for every festival and event produced by music impresario George Wein since the early 1950s, died Sunday, January 26, from injuries suffered after a fall in his home, it was announced by Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. He was 94. Born April 27, 1919, in Island Pond, ...

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Passings: Alice Babs, Dick Berk

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
February 12, 2014

Alice Babs, the Swedish singer whom Duke Ellington once called “probably the most unique artist I know,” died today in her native Sweden. She was 90. Her breakthrough came in 1940 in the Swedishfilm Swing it magistern (Swing It, Teacher!) She went on to make her name in stage, motion picture and television work, singing in several genres and collaborating with violinist Svend Asmussen and other Scandinavian jazz artists. Her pure soprano voice and rhythmic ability brought her to Ellington’s ...

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Richard McDonnell 1946 - 2014

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
February 10, 2014

Richard “Rich" McDonnell, the former investment banker who founded and ran the independent St. Louis-based label MAXJAZZ, has died. He was 68. Several reports from friends on Facebook say that McDonnell had a stroke on Friday night while watching Houston Person and the Bill Charlap trio at Jazz at the Bistro, where he was a subscriber as well as a board member of the parent organization Jazz St. Louis. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died on ...

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Pete Seeger (1919-2014)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 30, 2014

Pete Seeger—rock and folk's oldest and most influential link to the past and whose voice and lifelong fight for social causes influenced generations of musicians and continues to do so today, whether they know it or not—died on January 27. He was 94. It's almost impossible to fully comprehend the power of Seeger's songs or his role in shaping the direction of American music without knowledge of the socio-economic environment that existed prior to World War II. The stock market ...

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Trumpeter Roy Campbell Passed Away On January 9th 2014. RIP Roy.

Source: Chris Rich
January 15, 2014

Roy Campbell left us last week. Funeral services will be today between 5 and 8pm at Granby's Funeral Home in the Bronx. He was 61 at the time. He had a bright striking life as an earnest, honest and kind contributor to his musical community. He will be deeply missed by many. “There is no one like Roy Campbell on the music scene now. I guess it’s hard to situate someone by comparing them to others, but for lack of ...

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Ronny Jordan, Jazz Guitarist, Dead at 51

Source: Michael Ricci
January 15, 2014

The musician was a leading player in the acid jazz movement

Ronny Jordan, a guitarist and leading player in the acid jazz movement of the '80s and '90s, has died. He was 51.

The guitarist's death was confirmed on Facebook today (Jan. 14) after Jordan's siblings set up a page in his honor. “We appreciate that Ronny has got many fans around the world and so we ask that you keep an eye out for further announcements in relation to ...

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Saul Zaentz

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
January 6, 2014

The passing of Saul Zaentz yesterday at 92 brings to mind the crucial part he played in expanding Fantasy Records from a vital, colorful, but minor independent label into a pop hit-maker and a major repository of jazz recordings from the late 1940s on. He is being remembered in obituaries around the world as the producer of Amadeus, The English Patient, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and other major motion pictures. For a thorough review of his life and ...

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Farewell, Al Porcino

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
January 4, 2014

Al Porcino, a powerful lead trumpeter for several big bands, died on New Years Eve in Munich, Germany. He was 88. Porcino had lived in Germany since the late 1970s, frequently augmenting American bands touring in Europe, as well as leading his own large ensemble. A family member who reported his passing offered no information about the cause of death. After debuting in 1943 with Louis Prima when he was 18, Porcino played with swing bands led by Tommy Dorsey, ...

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