The Final Chorus

Donald M. Marquis passed away on July 29th, he was 88. Like so many in his generation he caught the jazz bug after hearing Louis

Bob Ringwald, the Sacramento based musician, known to the world as the actress Molly Ringwald’s father, and to many of our readers as a friend

John was born in Elmira, NY on December 21, 1937. His father was a general manager for the W.T. Grant Company and traveled a bit

Elliot Lawrence, one of the last-living bandleaders of the Big Band Era, died on July 2, 2021. He was 96. Lawrence was born Elliot Lawrence

James Donald Jones, Jr., age 89, of Apple Valley, California passed away on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. “Don” was born January 20, 1932 in Oakland,

David Mallette, energetic advocate for Texarkana (Arkansas and Texas) and director of the Regional Music Heritage Center there, died On Saturday June 5, 2021, at

Trombonist Sonny Helmer died on May 25th, he was 90 years old. Helmer was a veteran of the Korean War, a member of the 392nd

Bandleader, songwriter and cellist Leo Crandall died suddenly on May 29, in Syracuse, N.Y. He was 67 years old. Born in Detroit, he moved to

Jazz drummer Al Hartland died May 23 of heart disease, in Ithaca, N.Y. He was 71. Born Alexander S. Micucci in Philadelphia, Pa., Al grew

Clarinetist and vocalist Bob Schroeder passed away April 27th at age 92.  Bob played professionally for 75 years, beginning in his hometown of St. Louis,

Veteran trumpet tester Jim Anastasi passed away on April 13. He was 95 years old. Jim served as the trumpet tester for the King Band Instrument

Stan McDonald, best known globally as a traditional jazz musician for his soaring and passionate soprano saxophone and clarinet inspired by Sidney Bechet, died on

Band leader Tim Gill, and his wife Joylani were killed on April 18th when their small plane crashed in Arizona. Tim was 37 years old

Edward J “Jazzman Joe” Lynch, Jr., died on May 13, 2021 due to complications following Covid. Joe was born September 18, 1934 in Passaic, NJ.

Jazz critic W. Royal Stokes passed away on May 1, 2021, he was 90 years old.  He was a boogie woogie fan as a teenager

Bob Koester, founder of Chicago’s Delmark Records and operator of one of the most beloved record stores in the world died on May 12th, he

Andrew “Jazzman” Smith of White Bluff, TN passed on March 28, he was 83. He served his country honorably for 20 years in the US

Marek Boym passed March 31, a few days after his 80th birthday. I’ve been a lifelong Jazz enthusiast and, at age 76, considered myself fairly

Jack Bradley died on March 21, he was 87. He discovered Louis Armstrong recordings as a child in the 30s and 40s and would go

George Segal died March 23. 2021 near his Santa Rosa, California home. He was perhaps best known for the broad scope of his television and

Richard Karner, drummer for the Salty Dogs Jazz Band in the mid 1950’s, passed away at home, March 12. He was 85.   A native of Lafayette,

Chris Barber, one of the most important figures in the history of British jazz, and a pioneer of both the Trad Jazz and Skiffle crazes, 

A little over 30 years ago, Ted Huff and I met as a result of our mutual interest in jazz, both playing it as a

Well known sheet music collector and music aficionados Janice Cleary died February 8, 2021 in Omaha, Nebraska, she was 96. She had recently donated her