The Final Soundcheck-Jazz/Blues Music Deaths in 2009

Here's the full list of jazz, blues and related music industry creative talents that passed in 2009 (ordered by instrument or creative talent)...

(photo of Louis Armstrong with the late trumpeteer Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy)

Accordionist:
Mat Mathews (a.k.a. Mathieu Schwartz).

Banjoist:
Albert Leet (a.k.a. Buddy Lee).

Bassists:
Leanne Butts, Jeff Clyne, Leopoldo Fleming Sr., Leonard Gaskin, Hugh Hopper, Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez, Sirone (Norris Jones), Fred Williams; bassist and writer Whitey Mitchell; bass guitarist and former NBA star Wayman Tisdale; bassist and singer Joe LaCaria.

Clarinetists:
Charly Hallering and Nick Jerret.

Cornetists:
Jim Goodwin and Harry Roland.

Drummers:
Rashied Ali , Vince Bilardo, Louie Bellson, James Bochetta, Buddy Christian, Antonio Luis Alves de Souza, Wilby Fletcher Jr., Tony Hannan, Ricardo "Papin" Abreu Hernandez, Billy James, Eddie Locke, Craig Oakley, Lothar Scharf, John Thomas Smith and Klaus Weiss; drummer and author Jim Chapin; drummer, trumpeter and jazz promoter Bob Anderson.

Guitarists:
Victor Lewis, Lawrence Lucie, Andy Masters, Coleman Mellett, Fred Rundquist; guitarist and inventor Les Paul; guitarist and cuatrista Edgardo Miranda; guitarist, singer and composer Kenny Rankin; guitarist and singers Snooks Eaglin, Huey Long, John Martyn; guitarist, banjoist and composer Robert Degen.

Organist:
Lyman Woodard.

Percussionists:
(and bandleaders) Gilberto Miguel Calderon ("Joe Cuba") and Manny Oquendo; percussionist, composer and educator Falleció Jesús Alfonso Miró; percussionist and singer Frank "Pavo" Valerino-Hernandes.

Pianists:
Eddie Bo, Geoff Clarkson, Muriel Havenstein, Gugge Hedrenius, Eddie Higgins, Artie Jenkins, Hans Otto Jung, Dick Katz, Mike Mancini, Morris Nanton, David Hill Phelps, Terry Jean Pollard, Jarmo Savolainen and Earma Thompson; pianist and vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery; pianist and educator Günter Hörig; pianist, writer, and broadcaster Steve Race; pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger Ed Metz Sr.; pianist and arranger Torrie Zito; pianist and conductor Shep Meyers; pianist, bandleader, composer arranger, educator, editor and consultant Hale Smith; pianist and trumpeter Billy Hall Jr., pianist, composer, author and educator Charlie Banacos.

Saxophonists:
Ray Beckenstein, Leroy Cooper, Hank Crawford, Jean-Claude Fohrenbach, Carmen Leggio, Joe Maneri, Charlie Mariano, Pee Wee Moore, David "Fathead" Newman, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Gerry Niewood, Jack Nimitz, Sam (Leroy) Parkins, Bud Shank, Aubrey Simani, Willie "Face" Smith, Ron Stallings, Luther Thomas and Bob Thulman; saxophonist and big band leader Charlie Kennedy; saxophonist, singer, arranger and bandleader Sam Butera; saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer Gianni Basso; saxophonist and flutist Hart McNee; saxophonist and educator Larry McCrorey.

Singers:
Julio Barreto Bringas, Juanita Brooks, Chris Connor, Genie Grant, Caridad Hierrezuelo, Judy Kreston, Jillian Omsberry, Nancy Overton and Greta Woodson; singer and saxophonist Henry Butch Stone; singer-songwriter and pianist Blossom Dearie; singer, composer and guitarist Luis "El Terror" Dias; singer and actor Pat Martino; singer and actress Beverly Roberts; singer, actress and educator Anne Brown; singer, actress, songwriter, jazz author and manager Julie Coryell; singer, bandleader and composer Tina Marsh.

Trombonists:
Joel Helleny, Arch Martin, Bobby Pring and Randy Purcell.

Trumpeters:
Sonny Bradshaw, Irving Bush, Nicholas Capezuto, Agustin Caraballoso, Steve Hawdon, Edie Preston. Mike Serpas, Teddy Washington and Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy; trumpeter, flugelhorn player and singer Stacy Rowles; trumpeter and author Ian Carr; trumpeter, arranger and bandleader Jerry van Rooyen.
Vibraphonist Fats Sadi; Vibraphonist, keyboardist and singer Edward Burn.

Composers:
Jack Lawrence, Vic Mizzy and Aaron Schroeder; composer, theoretician, educator, pianist and bandleader George Russell; composer, arranger, producer, conductor and trombonist Billy VerPlanck.

Singer-songwriter:
Michael Jackson.

Blues, R&B, Soul, Zydeco, Gospel, etc. performers:
Barry Beckett, John E. Carter, John Cephas, Willy DeVille, Jim Dickinson, Rev. Claude Jeter, Wyclife Johnson, Uriel Jones, Willie King, Marie Knight, John "Crawlin' Snake" Mac, Haydain Neale, Fayette Pinkney, Jack Rose, Eugene Smith, Koko Taylor, David "Pop" Winans and Rev. Timothy D. Wright; artist manager Allen Klein; gospel, R&B and soul producer and broadcaster Ted Jarrett.

Artist:
Ali Kurt Baumgarten.

Dancers:
Ernest Brown and Frankie Manning; Dancer, choreographer and educator Pedro "Cuban Pete" Aguilar; Storyteller, improviser and performer Hugh Morgan Hill (a.k.a. "Brother Blue").

Arts presenter:
Suzanne Fiol.

Producers, promoters and recording executives:
Alan W. Livingston, Ralph Mercado, Skip Miller, Richard Nader, Shelby Singleton and Jackie Tracey; impresario, manager and author Werner "Josh" Sellhorn; producer, songwriter, clarinetist and big band leader Bob Keane; record producer and writer John Storm Roberts, Hal Gaba.

Broadcasters:
Sam Jackson and William C. Lunt Jr; broadcaster and educator Harrison Ridley.

Club owner:
Art D'Lugoff.

Photographers:
Roy DeCarava and Ted Williams.

Poet and saxophonist:
Raymond Federman.

Writers:
Vasily Aksyonov, Alfred Appel Jr., Joe Goldberg and Konrad Heidkamp; editor and writer Janet Cook; publisher, editor, and writer Leslie Carole Johnson; writer, educator, and jazz institute president Susan Meyer Markle; writer, broadcaster and photographer Len Dobbin; writer, editor, broadcaster and jazz society executive Don Farwell; writer and filmmaker Robert Hilferty; broadcaster, producer, club founder and writer Jacques Braunstein.

Patron of composers:
Betty Freeman.

(source: allaboutjazz.com)

Freddie Hubbard Jazz Trumpet Great Dead At 70

Grammy-winning jazz musician Freddie Hubbard, whose style influenced a generation of trumpet players, has died at age 70. Hubbard's manager, David Weiss, says the musician died Monday at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles. He had been hospitalized since suffering a heart attack last month. Although he had been in declining health in recent years, Hubbard continued to perform until just a few months ago. Known for both the intensity of his playing, as well as his melodic style, Hubbard's last concert was in June in New York at a party celebrating the release of his final album. He won a Grammy in 1972 for best jazz performance by a group for the album "First Light." (source: Chicago Tribune) When my first child was born I remember celebrating her birth by going out and buying Freddie Hubbard's new album at the time (1977) entitled "Bundle Of Joy". The title track was a big hit for him at the time. This album was his commercial entrance into the realm of the jazz fusion music trend (fusion of rock and jazz) and it still sounds great today. Having been a trumpet player under his influence and long time jazz fan myself, he will be missed. R.I.P. Freddie...sign the memorial guest book by clicking this link

The Final Soundcheck-Jazz Music Deaths In 2008

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:

Freddie Hubbard , 70; trumpet 1972 Grammy Award Winner for best jazz group for his "First Light" album (Dec. 29)