Here is a list of jazz and jazz-related music figures that have passed on in this year of 2008 (chronological order):
Bob Popescu, 77; co-owner of Catalina Bar & Grill, turned the Los Angeles club into one of the top jazz venues in the country (Jan. 5)
Lew Spence, 87; composed "Nice 'n' Easy," the Grammy-nominated Frank Sinatra song (Jan. 9)
Pete Candoli , 84; leading high-register jazz trumpet player (Jan. 11)
Teo Macero , 82; a producer of jazz albums for Miles Davis and other leading artists in the 1960s and '70s (Feb. 19)
Israel "Cachao" Lopez , 89; Cuban bassist and composer credited with pioneering the mambo style of music (March 22)
William F. Ludwig II , 91; son of the founder of Ludwig Drum Co. who built a special kit for the Beatles' Ringo Starr (March 22)
Ozzie Cadena , 83; record producer recorded jazz giants for the Savoy label (April 9)
George T. Butler Jr. , 76; influential jazz A & R man and record producer (April 9)
Jimmy Giuffre , 86; saxophonist, clarinetist and composer whose career included big bands and minimalist trios (April 24)
Humphrey Lyttelton , 86; jazz trumpeter who hosted the BBC radio game show "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" (April 25)
Bill Finegan , 91; an architect of the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller who later traded in commercial success to co-create the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (June 4)
Esbjorn Svensson , 44; Swedish jazz pianist whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz (June 14)
Bobby Durham , 71; a jazz drummer who teamed with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald (July 7)
Gerald Wiggins , 86; jazz pianist played with his trio and accompanied many great singers (July 13)
Jo Stafford , 90; a singer who was a favorite of soldiers during World War II and whose recordings made the pop music charts dozens of times in the 1950s (July 16)
Joe Beck , 62; jazz guitarist who played with Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and James Brown (July 22)
Johnny Griffin , 80; a jazz musician who was once billed as the "world's fastest saxophonist" (July 25)
Keith Shadwick , early 20s; British jazz sax player turned journalist, of mesothelioma (July 28)
Lee Young , 94; jazz drummer who played with Nat King Cole and was one of the first African Americans to integrate a studio orchestra (July 31)
Jerry Wexler , 91; who coined the term "rhythm and blues," discovered Aretha Franklin and helped bring African American music to a wide audience as a key executive of Atlantic Records (Aug. 15)
Connie Haines , 87; big band singer who performed with Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the 1940s (Sept. 22)
Neal Hefti , 85; a former big band trumpeter, arranger and composer who wrote the memorable themes for "The Odd Couple" and " Batman" (Oct. 11)
Dave McKenna , 78; a master jazz pianist who embraced the music of the Great American Songbook (Oct. 18)
Lawrence Wheatley, 73; enigmatic Washington, DC jazz pianist and composer led jam sessions for 40 years but would not allow his music to be recorded...of vascular disease (Oct. 19)
Rosetta Reitz , 84; ardent feminist started record label for women in jazz and blues (Nov. 1)
Roberta Zito , 65; former backup singer with Nat King Cole and mother of San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito (Nov. 13)
Charles Ottaviano , 66; his intimate Van Nuys nightclub Charlie O's developed a loyal following of jazz enthusiasts (Nov. 17)
Buddy Charles, 81; Chicago area Great American Songbook and jazz pianist (Dec. 18)
Page Cavanaugh , 86; a pianist-singer whose trio was a popular nightclub and recording group (Dec. 19)
Eartha Kitt, 81; the vocalist with the "seductive purr" went on to fame with hits like "C'est Si Bon", "Love For Sale" and "Santa Baby" (Dec. 25) Here is a session of hers from YouTube.Com from the live broadcast Swedish TV show "Kaskad" in 1962:
Pete Candoli , 84; leading high-register jazz trumpet player (Jan. 11)
Teo Macero , 82; a producer of jazz albums for Miles Davis and other leading artists in the 1960s and '70s (Feb. 19)
Israel "Cachao" Lopez , 89; Cuban bassist and composer credited with pioneering the mambo style of music (March 22)
William F. Ludwig II , 91; son of the founder of Ludwig Drum Co. who built a special kit for the Beatles' Ringo Starr (March 22)
Ozzie Cadena , 83; record producer recorded jazz giants for the Savoy label (April 9)
George T. Butler Jr. , 76; influential jazz A & R man and record producer (April 9)
Jimmy Giuffre , 86; saxophonist, clarinetist and composer whose career included big bands and minimalist trios (April 24)
Humphrey Lyttelton , 86; jazz trumpeter who hosted the BBC radio game show "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" (April 25)
Bill Finegan , 91; an architect of the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller who later traded in commercial success to co-create the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (June 4)
Esbjorn Svensson , 44; Swedish jazz pianist whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz (June 14)
Bobby Durham , 71; a jazz drummer who teamed with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald (July 7)
Gerald Wiggins , 86; jazz pianist played with his trio and accompanied many great singers (July 13)
Jo Stafford , 90; a singer who was a favorite of soldiers during World War II and whose recordings made the pop music charts dozens of times in the 1950s (July 16)
Joe Beck , 62; jazz guitarist who played with Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and James Brown (July 22)
Johnny Griffin , 80; a jazz musician who was once billed as the "world's fastest saxophonist" (July 25)
Keith Shadwick , early 20s; British jazz sax player turned journalist, of mesothelioma (July 28)
Lee Young , 94; jazz drummer who played with Nat King Cole and was one of the first African Americans to integrate a studio orchestra (July 31)
Jerry Wexler , 91; who coined the term "rhythm and blues," discovered Aretha Franklin and helped bring African American music to a wide audience as a key executive of Atlantic Records (Aug. 15)
Connie Haines , 87; big band singer who performed with Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the 1940s (Sept. 22)
Neal Hefti , 85; a former big band trumpeter, arranger and composer who wrote the memorable themes for "The Odd Couple" and " Batman" (Oct. 11)
Dave McKenna , 78; a master jazz pianist who embraced the music of the Great American Songbook (Oct. 18)
Lawrence Wheatley, 73; enigmatic Washington, DC jazz pianist and composer led jam sessions for 40 years but would not allow his music to be recorded...of vascular disease (Oct. 19)
Rosetta Reitz , 84; ardent feminist started record label for women in jazz and blues (Nov. 1)
Roberta Zito , 65; former backup singer with Nat King Cole and mother of San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito (Nov. 13)
Charles Ottaviano , 66; his intimate Van Nuys nightclub Charlie O's developed a loyal following of jazz enthusiasts (Nov. 17)
Buddy Charles, 81; Chicago area Great American Songbook and jazz pianist (Dec. 18)
Page Cavanaugh , 86; a pianist-singer whose trio was a popular nightclub and recording group (Dec. 19)
Eartha Kitt, 81; the vocalist with the "seductive purr" went on to fame with hits like "C'est Si Bon", "Love For Sale" and "Santa Baby" (Dec. 25) Here is a session of hers from YouTube.Com from the live broadcast Swedish TV show "Kaskad" in 1962:
Freddie Hubbard , 70; trumpet 1972 Grammy Award Winner for best jazz group for his "First Light" album (Dec. 29)
