The Final Chorus October 2017
Lew Shaw
October 1, 2017
RICHARD FAZIO, 77, on June 12 in Boulder City, NV. A master pianist and vocalist, he performed with several U.S. Navy bands and the Sea
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RICHARD FAZIO, 77, on June 12 in Boulder City, NV. A master pianist and vocalist, he performed with several U.S. Navy bands and the Sea
In 2011, Attorney Herb Ely had the vision of opening an inclusive jazz venue in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona that would give budding jazz
It’s Trivia Night down at the local pub, and the question is: “Who was the official banjoist for the New York Yankees?” Or the question
FRANK CAPP, 86, on September 12 in Studio City, Calif. A swinging drummer who found his initial fame playing with Stan Kenton’s Orchestra at the
Growing up in Davenport, Iowa, Brendan Wolfe could not help but be familiar with the name Bix Beiderbecke. He was aware of this Davenport native
The Scene of the crime? The new tenant had only recently taken up residence at 43-30 46th Street in the Borough of Queens, New York.
Hal Smith, whose prolific writings over the years have qualified him as a jazz historian in my book, has long admired trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory
JOE THOMAS, 84, on July 26. As a child, he learned to play alto and soprano saxophone, trombone, flute and piano, and taught himself to
Versatility and innovation are two terms that most appropriately can be applied to trumpeter Randy Sandke, although he considers himself more of a survivor who
PAUL OLIVER, 90, on August 15 in Oxfordshire, England. A British academician who wrote some of the first scholarly studies of the blues in the
GLEN CAMPBELL, 81, on August 8 in Nashville, TN after a lengthy and public battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Originally from Delight, Arkansas, he was a
BARBARA COOK, 89, from respiratory failure on August 8 in New York City. A singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s
CHUCK LOEB, 61, on July 31 after suffering from cancer for several years. A versatile guitarist, composer and producer, he was best known for his
JOE THOMAS, 84, on July 26. As a child, he learned to play alto and soprano saxophone, trombone, flute and piano, and taught himself to
Traveling the Clarinet Road Evan Christopher is passionate about two things: the style in which he plays his musical instrument, and the adopted city which
WILLIAM MITCHELL, 94, on June 29 in Placenta, California after suffering multiple injuries from a recent fall. A stellar ragtime pianist since 1950, he had
KAREN MELTON, 73, on June 29 in St, Louis, MO following a series of debilitating strokes. A diploma graduate of the Research Hospital School of
BIRCHALL SMITH, 90, on June 28 in Morgan Hill, Californa. While an undergraduate at Purdue University in 1947, was co-founder and the cornetist of the
GERI ALLEN, 60, on June 27 from cancer in Philadelphia. A pianist/composer/educator, she was a Guggenheim Fellow and Director of Jazz Studies at the University
MICHAEL REILLY, 67, from cancer on May 26 in Danville, Calif. Originally from Chicago, he had a long and varied career that took him from
RICHARD HAWK, 82, on March 4 from a heart attack in Overland Park, Kansas. A successful entrepreneur who headed numerous ventures in the fields of
On July 17, groundbreaking was held for an Educational and Visitors Center across the street from the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens, New
The Campaign There is a GoFundMe fundraising campaign currently underway that hopefully would facilitate purchase of the building that has housed Hermann’s Jazz Club in
What a Wonderful World August 16 will mark the 50th anniversary of Louis Armstrong recording “What a Wonderful World,” which became his best-loved song. The
