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Obituary

Gerry Rafferty (1947-2011): An Appreciation

Source: Something Else!
January 8, 2011

Editor's note: Here's a repost of our review of 1978's City to City By Gerry Rafferty, who died today in London from liver failure after a lengthy battle with alcoholism. Rafferty scored Top 10 hits first with Stealers Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle") and then with his own “Baker Street" from this recording.City to City sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide, as Rafferty's sax-driven song named for a London roadway went all the way to No. 2. Last October, ...

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Obituary

Gerry Rafferty (1947-2010): An Appreciation

Source: Something Else!
January 5, 2011

Obituary

Hip Hop Legend, Artist and Jazz Saxophonist Richard Lee Sisco Jr. Passed Away at 50

Source: Andre' Jenkins
January 4, 2011

Richard Lee Sisco Jr. a jazz saxophonist, artist and hip hop legend celebrated for his early contributions to the hip hop culture since the early 70's passed away on Tuesday, December 14th 2010 at Albert Einstein Hospital in the Bronx, from colon cancer, he was 50. Known as one of the hip hop flyer kings through-out the 70's along side Phase 2 & Buddy Esquire, Richard Sisco is predominately recognized for his iconic 1984 performance as “Sisco Kid" in the ...

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Obituary

Bassist Charles Fambrough -- Rest in Peace

Source: JazzStage.net
January 4, 2011

Obituary

Lost In '10

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
January 3, 2011

One cannot acknowledge the year's creative contributions without noting its losses. This year seemed unusually disproportionate in the number of creative voices that moved onto another plane. Here, I note only those whose artistry has had particular impact on my life. I certainly recognize that many, many others have departed the Earth this year. But I hope this feeble remembrance repays a small portion of the enrichment these creative voices have provided to me. December 28: Billy Taylor, 89, American ...

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Obituary

Charles Fambrough - R.I.P.

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
January 3, 2011

After a long bout battling liver disease and many years of suffering, the great jazz bassist Charles Fambrough passed away on Saturday, January 1, 2011. Fambrough had apparently been awaiting a transplant match. Several musical tributes were held in Philadelphia over the last several years to help Fambrough and his family pay the bassist's outrageous medical expenses. Philadelphia resident Charles Fambrough was born on August 25, 1950. Fambrough studied classical piano throughout his elementary and high-school years. He gravitated to ...

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Obituary

Jazz Pianist Billy Taylor, Rest in Peace

Source: MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts
January 3, 2011

Legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor died on December 28, 2010 at age 89. He was long admired throughout his career as an innovative musician who composed over 300 tunes. Taylor had an illustrious career as a jazz pianist, getting his start with the Ben Webster Quartet in New York City, and was later the house pianist for the famous Birdland Jazz Club, sitting in Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others. Dr. Taylor has long been associated ...

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Obituary

Dr. Billy Taylor (1921-2010)

Source: Jazz Loft Project by Sam Stephenson
December 31, 2010

I had only two opportunities to chat with Dr. Billy Taylor. The first time I called him about 821 Sixth Avenue. I asked him if he knew Hall Overton and he said, “Of course." He didn't remember taking part in any jam sessions at the loft but he fondly remembered Overton as a congenial colleague and comrade. The second time I called him was in regard to my research on Thelonious Monk's background in North Carolina's coastal plains, a background ...

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