On August 6, 2025, Eduardo Palmieri died aged 88. He was musician (piano), composer, arranger, and bandleader, regarded as one of the main figures of the Latino music of all times. He was founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive, and created an incredible soundtrack of Latin jazz and explorations of salsa for the Puerto Rican community in New York City. Palmieri recorded and released 45 albums.
Tag Archives: bandleader
Sérgio Santos Mendes
On September 5, 2024, Sérgio Santos Mendes died aged 83. He was musician (piano), bandleader, composer and arranger, founder and leader of the bands Sexteto Bossa Rio and Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’65, known for playing bossa nova crossed with funk. He won three “Grammy Awards and as leader released 44 albums.
Aston “Family Man” Barrett
On February 3, 2024, Aston Francis Barrett aka Aston “Family Man” Barrett, died aged 77. He was musician (bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, percussion), song-writer, arranger and producer. Barrett was member of the bands The Hippy Boys, Lee Perry’s The Upsetters, but was best known as member and bandleader of The Wailers (Bob Marley and the Wailers).
Carla Bley
On October 17, 2023, Lovella May Borg, aka Carla Bley died aged 87. She was composer, musician (piano, organ) and bandleader, one of the most important figures in the free jazz movement of the 1960s. Bley started the record label “JCOA “, who recorded over two dozen important albums between 1966 and 2019, and became a pioneer in the development of independent artist-owned record labels. As leader, she released 29 albums, including her magnum opus, the jazz opera “Escalator over the Hill”.
Ahmad Jamal
On April 16, 2023, Ahmad Jamal died aged 92. He was musician (piano), composer, bandleader, and educator, one of the most successful small-group leaders and one of the most important artists in jazz history. For his work Jamal received many awards including:
- 1959: Entertainment Award, Pittsburgh Junior Chamber of Commerce
- 1980: Distinguished Service Award, City of Washington D.C., Anacostia Neighborhood Museum
- 1986: Mellon Jazz Festival Salutes Ahmad Jamal, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 1987: Honorary Membership, Philippines Jazz Foundation
- 1994: American Jazz Masters award, National Endowment for the Arts
- 2001: Arts & Culture Recognition Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women
- 2001: Kelly-Strayhorn Gallery of Stars, for Achievements as Pianist and Composer, East Liberty Quarter Chamber of Commerce
- 2003: American Jazz Hall of Fame, New Jersey Jazz Society
- 2003: Gold Medallion, Steinway & Sons 150 Years Celebration
- 2007: Living Jazz Legend, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- 2007: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, French government
- 2011: Down Beat Hall of Fame, 76th Readers Poll
- 2015: Honorary Doctorate of Music, The New England Conservatory
- 2017: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, The Recording Academy
- 2018: Leopolis Jazz Music Awards Leopolis Jazz Fest, Lviv
As leader, Jamal released 69 albums.
Donald Barber
On March 2, 2021, Donald Christopher Barber died aged 90. He was musician (trombone) and bandleader, known for his support in development of the careers of many musicians, including Ottilie Patterson, Lonnie Donegan and Alexis Korner. Barber sponsored African-American blues musicians to visit Britain, making him a significant figure in promotion and development of the British rhythm and blues and “beat boom” in the 60s.
Chick Corea
On February 9, 2020, Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea died aged 79. He was musician (piano, keyboards, percussion), composer and bandleader. He is regarded as one of the major piano players to emerge in jazz during the post-John Coltrane era. Recorded and performed with the most important Jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Stan Getz, Roy Haunes, Miroslav Vitous, Stanley Clarke, Richard Davis, Joe Farrell, Joe Henderson, Eric Kloss, Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, Blue Mitchell, John Patitucci, Wayne Shorter, Cal Tjader, Sonny Stitt, Dave Pike, Armando Peraza, Marion Brown, Sadao Watanabe, Larry Coryell, John Surman, Elvin Jones, Rolf Kühn, Airto Moreira, Antony Braxton, Pete La Roca, Al Di Meola, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Gábor Szabó, Donald Byrd, Tete Montoliu, Chaka Khan, Eddie Gomez, Wallace Rooney, Herbie Hancock, Antonio Sanches, Gary Burton and Hiromi Uehara. Corea formed and lead Return to Forever, Circle, Chick Corea Elektric Band, Chick Corea Akoustic Band and Five Peace Band. As leader he released 77 studio and 23 live albums. Corea won 23 “Grammy Awards”.
David “Fathead” Newman: I Remember Brother Ray
On January 11, 2005, “High Note” label released “I Remember Brother Ray”, the 34th David “Fathead” Newman album. It was recorded in August 2004, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by David “Fathead” Newman and Houston Person. The album was paying tribute to his bandleader and mentor Ray Charles.
Personnel:
- David “Fathead” Newman – tenor saxophone
- John Hicks – piano
- Steve Nelson – vibraphone
- John Menegon – bass
- Winard Harper – drums
Track listing:
- Hit the Road Jack – Percy Mayfield
- Georgia On My Mind – Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell
- When Your Lover Has Gone – Einar Aaron Swan
- Drown in My Tears – Henry Glover
- ‘Deed I Do – Fred Rose, Walter Hirsch
- It Had to Be You – Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
- Ruby – Mitchell Parish, Heinz Roemheld
- Them That Got (I Ain’t Got Nothing Yet) – Ray Charles, Ricci Harper
David Bartholomew
On June 23, 2019, David Louis Bartholomew died aged 100. He was a musician (trumpet), bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer, active in various musical genres, including rhythm and blues, big band, swing music, rock and roll, New Orleans jazz, and Dixieland. In his induction into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, he was cited as a key figure in the transition from jump blues and swing to R&B and as “one of the Crescent City’s greatest musicians and a true pioneer in the rock and roll revolution.” His biggest success as a composer was in the partnership with Fats Domino producing some of his greatest successes. In the mid-50s they wrote more than forty hits for “Imperial Records”, including Ain’t That a Shame. Bartholomew’s other hit songs include I Hear You Knocking, Blue Monday” I’m Walkin’, My Ding-A-Ling, and One Night. He was a member of the “Songwriters Hall of Fame”, the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and the “Louisiana Music Hall of Fame”.
McCoy Tyner
On March 6, 2020, Alfred McCoy Tyner died aged 81. He was musician (piano), composer, bandleader, one of the most recognizable and influential figures in jazz history. He has recorded and performed with many famous musicians including John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, George Benson, Art Farmer, Lou Donaldson, Benny Golson, Grant Green, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson, J.J. Jackson, Blue Mitchell, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Julian Priester, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Avery Sharpe, Woody Shaw, Jackie McLean, Cecil McBee, Jack DeJohnette, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Stitt and Stanley Turrentine, As a leader he recorded 74 albums. Tyner was a “NEA Jazz Master” and a five-time “Grammy” winner.
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