On July 29, 2014, Leo Morris aka Idris Muhammad died aged 73. He was musician (drums, percussion), whose drumming crossed over several musical styles including funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues and has performed and recorded extensively with number of musicians, including Pharoah Sanders, Gene Ammons, Fats Domino, Roberta Flack, Grover Washington, Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Lou Donaldson, Bob James, Randy Weston, Bobbi Humphrey, Andrew Hill, Bob Stewart, Sonny Stitt, Ahmad Jamal, John Scofield, George Coleman, Paul Desmond, Grant Green, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Lovano, Tisziji Munoz, Roots, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Reuben Wilson and Leon Spencer.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
J. J. Cale
On July 26, 2015, John Weldon Cale aka J.J. Cale, died aged 74. He was musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, regarded as one of the originators of the “Tulsa Sound”, a style based on blues, country, rockabilly, and jazz. His unique singing and guitar playing style influenced big number of music artists including Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton who described him as “one of the most important artists in the history of rock”. Songs composed by Cale have been recorded by many famous artists including Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Bobby Bare, Jerry Garcia, Waylon Jennings, Dr. Hook, Captain Beefheart, Freddie King, Beck, Lucinda Williams, Iron and Wine, Ben Bridwell, and Asha Puthli.
Long John Baldry
On July 21, 2005, John William “Long John” Baldry, died aged 64. He was singer and a voice actor, worked with many musicians, including Kathi McDonald, Rod Stewart and Elton John.
Jerry Goldsmith
On July 21, 2004, Jerrald King “Jerry” Goldsmith died aged 75. He was composer and orchestra conductor, best known for his movie and television work. Goldsmith composed scores for big number of movies including Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, Patton, Chinatown, The Wind and the Lion, The Omen, The Boys from Brazil, Night Crossing, Alien, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, Gremlins, Hoosiers,Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Rudy, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, The Mummy, the three Rambo and five Star Trek movies. In his career, Goldsmith collaborated with some of world best known movie directors, including Robert Wise, Howard Hawks, Otto Preminger, Joe Dante, Roman Polanski , Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Paul Verhoeven and Franklin J. Schaffner. In 1976, Goldsmith was awarded with “Oscar” for the movie The Omen.
Gus Dudgeon
On July 21, 2002, Angus Boyd Dudgeon aka Gus Dudgeon, died aged 59. As a record producer he has worked with The Artwoods, Bruce Channel, Davy Graham, Shirley Collins, The Zombies, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers (with Eric Clapton), Ten Years After, Bonzo Dog Band, Michael Chapman, Elkie Brooks and David Bowie.
Nico
On July 18, 1988, Christa Päffgen aka Nico died aged 49. She was musician (keyboards, harmonium, tambourine), singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, fashion model and actress, promoted in the 60’s by Andy Warhol and had few roles in movies including Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” (1960) and Andy Warhol’s “Chelsea Girls” (1966), but she is best known by her vocals on the Velvet Underground’s album from 1967 “The Velvet Underground & Nico”.
John Coltrane
On July 17, 1967,John William Coltrane, died aged 40. He was musician (saxophones) and composer, played key role in the process of modernizing of jazz music. With the spiritual dimension in his music and superb technique as saxophonist, he influenced innumerable musicians from various music genres. Coltrane has worked with some of the most important musicians in the jazz history including Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Johnny Hartman, Pharaoh Sanders and Dizzy Gillespie. His 1965 album “A Love Supreme” is regarded as one of the best and most important jazz album of all times.
Billie Holiday
On July 17, 1959, Eleonora Fagan aka Billie Holiday, died aged 44. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday is one of the true jazz icons and one of the most influential singers of all time. Famous jazz critics Leonard Feather, said about her: “Billie Holiday’s voice was the living intensity of soul in the true sense of that greatly abused word. As a human being, she was sweet, sour, kind, mean, generous, profane, lovable and impossible, and nobody who knew her expects to see anyone quite like her again.”
Johnny Winter
On July 16, 2014, John Dawson Winter III aka Johnny Winter, died aged 60. He was musician (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), singer, and producer, best known for his unique guitar style and explosive live performances. Winter was producer of three Muddy Waters “Grammy Award” winning albums. In 1988, he was inducted into the “Blues Foundation Hall of Fame” and in 2003, he was ranked 63rd in “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
Jon Lord
On July 16, 2012, John Douglas “Jon” Lord, died aged 71. He was musician (piano, keyboard, Hammond organ) and composer, best known as member of Deep Purple. Lord also performed with Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, The Artwoods, and The Flower Pot Men. On November 11, 2010, he was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of “Stevenson College” in Edinburgh, and on July 15, 2011, Lord was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree at “De Montfort Hall” by the University of Leicester.
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