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Betty Bennett (1921-2020)
Betty Bennett, who in the 1940s sang with bands led by Alvino Rey, Claude Thornhill and Charlie Ventura before moving to Los Angeles and recording vocal albums for Trend, Atlantic, United Artists and Kapp, died April 7. She was 98. Betty was married to bassist Iggy Shevak, pianist Andre Previn and guitarist Mundell Lowe. Betty left ...
Ellis Marsalis Is Gone
The death this week of Ellis Marsalis recalls dozens of enounters with him when he was one of New Orleans’ premier jazz musicians. Long before Ellis became famous as the father of Wynton, Branford, Jason and Delfeo, he established himself as a nonpareil pianist and educator. I remember hearing the the young Marsalis when he was ...
Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020)
Ellis Marsalis, an elegant jazz pianist who chose to remain in his native New Orleans for much of his career while raising a family that included musician sons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason, died on April 1. He was 85. Marsalis wasn't widely known among jazz fans outside of New Orleans for many years, largely because ...
Prolific Austin composer, first call pianist Rich Harney dies suddenly at 66
Austin is mourning the loss of one of its finest and most beloved musicians, pianist Rich Harney. Harney passed away on January 5, 2020, just before a Sunday night trio gig at The Elephant Room. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Harney was a prolific composer first inspired by the recordings of Oscar Peterson. Influences include Thelonious Monk, ...
McCoy Tyner (1938-2020)
McCoy Tyner, whose hypnotically churning and thunderous piano behind John Coltrane's saxophone in the 1960s, starting with My Favorite Things in 1961, altered the evolution of the jazz keyboard, died on March 6. He was 81. Tyner's stampede-like approach and vast use of modal scales created a new approach on the jazz piano, breaking with the ...
Jimmy Heath And Claudio Roditi Are Gone
The last thing any of us at Rifftides wants is for our endeavor to become an obituary service. Life goes on, however, as does its opposite. So we continue to note the passing of musicians who have enriched listeners around the world. Recently, we lost American saxophonist, bandleader and composer Jimmy Heath and Brazil’s Claudio Roditi, ...
Jimmy Heath (1926-2020)
Jimmy Heath, a tenor saxophonist with exceptional gifts as a composer, arranger and player who spent critical years of the 1950s in prison for the sale of drugs but rebuilt his career in the 1960s and beyond, died on January 19. He was 93. Nicknamed “Little Bird" for his Parker-like fluidity when he played alto saxophone ...
Jack Sheldon (1931-2019)
Jack Sheldon, a West Coast jazz trumpeter who, in the 1960s, as jazz recording opportunities dried up, began to diversify into film studio work, TV acting, comedy, singing and a regular vocal part on the children's animated series School of Rock, died on December 27. He was 88. Sheldon was most notable for his clean, round ...
Jack Sheldon, 1931-2019
It is sad to report that the great trumpeter Jack Sheldon has died at the age of 88. Sheldon sang with spirit, style, phrasing and good humor that paralleled his trumpet playing. This video is from his 1984 appearance at Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall in the New Orleans French Quarter. The other members of his band ...
In Memoriam: Jazz Musicians Who Passed in 2019
by Maxim Micheliov
In Memoriam: Jazz Musicians Who Passed in 2019 As 2019 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to remember the extraordinarily gifted musicians who made an indelible mark on jazz. With sadness, we bid farewell to Joao Gilberto, Doris Day, Andre Previn, Michel Legrand, Ginger Baker, Steve Dalachinsky, Jacques Loussier, Joseph ...
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