Obituary News

Purvis Young, Folk Artist Who Peppered Miami with Images, Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
April 26, 2010

Purvis Young, a self-taught painter who emerged from prison as a young man and by dint of his striking, expressionist vision of urban life and mammoth output over more than three decades transformed a forgotten Miami neighborhood into a destination for contemporary art aficionados, died on Tuesday in Miami. He was 67. An untitled painting on paper and mounted on cardboard by Mr. Young. Many of his works were made on found materials. The cause was cardiac arrest and pulmonary ...

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Gene Lees Jazz Historian and Critic Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
April 26, 2010

A Canadian by birth who moved to Ojai more than 30 years ago, he wrote highly personal essays and biographies of such jazz greats as Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman and Johnny Mercer.

Gene Lees, a jazz historian and critic known for his pugnacious, highly personal essays and biographies of such jazz greats as Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman and Johnny Mercer, died Thursday at his home in Ojai. He was 82. Lees had struggled for many years with heart disease, said ...

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Gene Lees, 1928-2010

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
April 23, 2010

Gene Lees died today. We lost a writer unsurpassed at illuminating music and the world that musicians inhabit. I lost a cherished colleague whose work inspired me, a dear friend whose companionship brightened my existence. For a formal biography, see his entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia. My remarks are more personal.

Gene's books about Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer and Lerner and Lowe are among the finest biographies of our time, regardless of category. He was completing ...

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Remembering Guru with Gang Starr's Defining Cut "Jazz Thing"

Source: All About Jazz
April 21, 2010

Acclaimed rapper Guru, best known as one-half of jazzy-rap duo Gang Starr, has died, according to a statement released from his most recent collaborator, producer Solar. Solar's statement contains a note purportedly written by Guru, who died at the age of 43 after a battle with cancer. The statement reads: I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. ...

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Famed Rapper Guru Dies at 43

Source: JamBase
April 21, 2010

GANG STARR RAPPER PASSES AWAY AFTER BATTLING CANCER

Guru Famed rapper Guru, one half of the seminal hip hop duo Gang Starr along with DJ Premier, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. He was 43 years old.

Originally born Keith Elam, Guru achieved notoriety as a member of Gang Starr, appearing on classic albums No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step in the Arena, Daily Operation, Hard to Earn, Moment of Truth, and The Ownerz. He was also ...

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Rapper Guru Attained Fame with Gang Starr, Jazzmatazz Dies

Source: All About Jazz
April 20, 2010

Rapper Guru, who attained fame with his conscious, jazz-inflected brand of hip-hop in the groups Gang Starr and Jazzmatazz, died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 43.

The rap performer had been hospitalized in February after suffering cardiac arrest and falling into a coma. Born Keith Elam and raised in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, he founded Gang Starr in the '90s in New York; his professional handle was an acronym for “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal." Working in tandem ...

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Celebration of Jake Hanna's Life

Source: Michael Ricci
April 20, 2010

Celebration of Jake Hanna's life Sunday

A celebration of Jake Hanna's life was held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday April 17th at Catalina Bar and Grill, 6725 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Hanna, known for his unerring sense of time, was at home playing with big bands and small groups. He performed with Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and Duke Ellington, among others. Jake Hanna, a versatile drummer who played with such jazz figures as Woody Herman and was ...

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Dede Allen Editor Revolutionized Imagery, Sound and Pace in U.S. Films

Source: Michael Ricci
April 18, 2010

Dede Allen, the film editor whose seminal work on Robert Rossen's “The Hustler" in 1961 and especially on Arthur Penn's “Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967 brought a startling new approach to imagery, sound and pace in American movies, died Saturday. She was 86. Allen, who was nominated for Academy Awards for “Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), “Reds" (1981) and “Wonder Boys" (2000), died at her Los Angeles home days after having a stroke, said her son, Tom Fleischman. Allen was the ...

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