Below this post is a list of musicians and others who made a mark in jazz or blues, and who died in 2014, as forwarded by radio host George Klein.
I’ve posted at length on some of these deaths (Roy Campbell, Amiri Baraka, Fred Ho).
The one that hit me hardest was Charlie Haden. As I wrote here:
In conversation as on the bandstand, where he played his bass with graceful authority and achieved great renown, Charlie Haden was both soft-spoken and outspoken. In his life and his music, he was exceedingly gentle, drawn to simple beauty yet also at home within wild complexity and unafraid of controversial ideas and hard truths.
Haden was a towering figure of American music. His influence and appeal reached into all quarters of jazz, and well beyond that genre. His ability to innovate helped sparked at least one musical revolution, as a member of the Ornette Coleman Quartet. His unerring sense of time and love of melody anchored and focused many distinguished bands, some of which he led. His radiant humanity and stalwart voice for social justice was both rare and powerful in any field.
Those who doubt that jazz still has a community, one that shares a singular bond and a common purpose, don’t grasp the essence of Haden’s career and probably never attended a memorial for a fallen jazz hero.
I’ll be there—and you should be too—when musicians, other colleagues and fans gather in Haden’s honor in Manhattan for a memorial organized by his widow, singer Ruth Cameron Haden.
CELEBRATING CHARLIE HADEN 1937-2014
a memorial and celebration of his life
Tuesday, Jan.13, 2015 at 7:00 PM
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street NYC 10036
for more information, go here
http://thetownhall.org/event/624-celebrating-charlie-haden-19372014
THIS EVENT IS FREE! General Admission. Doors open at 6 pm.
Tax deductible donations to benefit the Charlie Haden CalArts Scholarship Fund to assist jazz students in need can be made at the venue or sent to: P.O. Box 520, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.
Among the many scheduled performers: Geri Allen, Kenny Barron, Carla Bley, Jack DeJohnette, Denardo Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Bill Frisell, Ethan Iverson, Josh Haden and the Haden Triplets, Ruth Cameron-Haden, Dr, Maurice Jackson, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Josh Redman, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brandee Younger, as well as Quartet West with Alan Broadbent, Ernie Watts, Rodney Green, with Scott Colley on bass, and Liberation Music Orchestra with Carla Bley, Tony Malaby, Chris Cheek, Loren Stillman, Michael Rodriguez, Seneca Black, Curtis Fowlkes, Vincent Chancey, Joe Daley, Steve Cardenas, Matt Wilson, with Steve Swallow on bass.
What follows is Klein’s roll call (annotations are his). I welcome your additions for overlooked names. And I hope to see you at Town Hall.
Tabby Thomas 1/1 Louisiana bluesman & club owner; 84
Phil Everly 1/3 Half of early rock duo the Everly Brothers; 74
Saul Zaentz 1/3 Film and record producer for Verve & Fantasy; 92
Amiri Baraka 1/9 Writer, activist, author of ³Blues People²; 79
Roy Campbell Jr. 1/9 Trumpeter, composer, bandleader; 61
Stephen Kenyatta Simon 1/9 New Orleans based drummer, percussionist; 56
Bud Spangler 1/16 Drummer, bandleader, educator, broadcaster; 76
Joseph James Evans 1/17 Saxophonist with Jay McShann; 97
Larry Santiago 1/19 Versatile New Orleans guitarist; 63
Charlie Bourgeois 1/25 Publicist for George Wein¹s jazz festivals; 94
Pete Seeger 1/27 Legendary folk singer, social & political activist; 94
Johnny Allen 1/29 Detroit pianist, composer, arranger; 96
Trebor Jay Tichenor 2/22 Pianist , authority on ragtime piano; 74
Paco De Lucia 2/25 Innovative flamenco guitarist; 66
Iola Brubeck 3/12 Lyricist & widow of Dave Brubeck; 90
Med Flory 3/12 Veteran saxophonist; 87
Al Harewood 3/13 Drummer w/ Booker Ervin, Shirley Scott, many others; 90
Ralph Penland 3/14 West Coast drummer; 61
Wayne Henderson 4/5 Trombonist, founder of Jazz Crusaders; 74
Fred Ho 4/12 Adventurous saxophonist, composer, activist; 56
Armando Peraza 4/14 Afro-Cuban percussion pioneer; 89
Herb Wong 4/20 Educator, advocate, producer; 88
Joe Wilder 5/9 Trumpeter from Basie onward; 92
Herb Jeffries 5/254 The Black Singing Cowboy recorded ³Flamingo²
w/Ellington; 100
Maya Angelou 5/28 Poet, activist, inspiring presence; 86
Alan Douglas 6/7 Producer who recorded many jazz & rock artists; 81
Ernie Rodgers 6/10 Detroit saxophonist, educator, mentor; 80
Jimmy Scott 6/12 Singer with small, high voice; 88
Horace Silver 6/18 Definitive Blue Note hard bop pianist, composer; 85
Bobby Womack 6/27 Influential soul singer; 70
Paul Horn 6/29 Veteran flutist; 84
Charlie Haden 7/11 Master bassist & bandleader; 76
Johnny Winter 7/16 Versatile blues-rock guitarist; 70
Lionel Ferbos 7/19 New Orleans trumpeter; 103
Giorgio Gaslini 7/79 Italian pianist; 84
Idris Muhammad 7/29 Drummer who explored diverse styles; 74
Frankie Dunlop 7/31 Veteran drummer with Monk, others; 85
Kenny Drew Jr 8/3 Versatile pianist; 56
Joseph Loria 8/3 New Orleans trumpeter; 83
Jean-Jacques Avenel 8/11 Longtime bassist with Steve Lacy; 66
John Blake 8/15 Violinist, composer, bandleader; 67
Warren ³Porgy² Jones 8/21 New Orleans trumpeter; 75
John Ore 8/22 Bassist with Monk, others; 80
Tim Green 8/28 Eclectic New Orleans saxophonist
Gerald Wilson 9/8 Venerable bandleader. composer, trumpeter; 96
Cosimo Matassa 9/11 Legendary New Orleans producer & recording engineer;
88
Joe Sample 9/12 Pianist & co-founder of (Jazz) Crusaders; 75
Bruce Brice 9/14 First N.O. JazzFest poster artist; 72
Jackie Cain 9/15 Jazz vocalist, mostly with Roy Kral; 86
Kenny Wheeler 9/18 Veteran Canadian/British trumpeter; 84
Milton Cardona 9/19 Percussionist and conguero; 68
Rudy Richard 9/22 Louisiana blues guitarist; 75
Richard Evans 10/5 Bassist, arranger for big band sessions on Aggo-Cadet
Records; 81
Tim Hauser 10/16 Co-founder of vocal group Manhattan Transfer; 72
Leigh Kamman 10/17 Jazz radio broadcaster; 92
David Redfern 10/22 British music photographer; 78
Jack Bruce 10/25 Rock-jazz bass guitarist; 71
Ray Santisi 10/28 Pianist & educator at Berklee College of Music; 80
Acker Bilk 11/1 British clarinetist famous for “Stranger on the Shore”; 85
Chris White 11/2 Bassist, educator; 78
Buddy Catlett 11/12 Veteran bassist; 81
Bunny Briggs 11/15 Legendary tap dancer; 92
Bobby Keyes 12/1 Saxophonist with Rolling Stones; 70
Paul Ferrara 12/3 New Orleans trumpeter; 76
Phil Stern 12/13 Photographer; 95
Joe Cocker 12/22 Hyperactive British rock & soul singer; 70
Alberta Adams 12/25 Detroit-based blues singer; 97
Jim Wyse 12/26 Detroit saxophonist & clarinetist; 75