The Capital Region’s Tim Coakley has died.

Tim Coakley, a Capital Region jazz drummer, broadcaster, organizer, and longtime newspaper man, died in July 2026. He was 88.

Born in Utica, New York, Coakley came up listening to local players such as J.R. Montrose, Sal Amico, Sam Mancuso, and Ronnie Zito, and was largely self-taught as a drummer. His first job came on a borrowed set of drums at Utica College, and he soon began working with musicians around the Mohawk Valley, including tenor saxophonist Chick Esposito.

After moving to Schenectady in 1974, he quickly found himself in stronger company. Promoter Bob Rosenblum brought him into the rhythm section for Doc Cheatham, and he went on to work other jobs with Cheatham as well as Buddy Tate, Dill Jones, Vic Dickenson, Herb Ellis, and Benny Harris. In the later 1970s he joined Skip Parsons’ Riverboat Jazz Band, remaining a valued substitute even after his regular stint ended.

In the early 1990s, Coakley formed a trio with Skip Parsons and Rennie Crain, playing clubs and venues around Schenectady, Albany, and Saratoga Springs, along with appearances for Jazz on Jay Street. The repertoire centered on classic jazz and swing, from prewar material to Goodman, Ellington, and Fats Waller, and that grounding in melody and rhythm also shaped his work as a radio host.

Coakley began hosting the WAMC Jazz Show in 1987 and remained on the air for more than 35 years, becoming one of the Capital Region’s best-known jazz voices. He also served as president of A Place for Jazz, helping sustain the local scene through concerts and educational programming, while spending many years at the copy desk of the Daily Gazette.