Tag Archives: Dizzy Gillespie

Eric Gale

On May 25, 1984, Eric J. Gale died aged 55. He was musician (guitar) and composer,  as session guitarist has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names of the music scene, including Clark Terry, Oliver Nelson, Jimmy McGriff, Benny Golson, Van Morrison, Bernard Purdie, Herbie Mann, Yusuf Lateef, Chico Hamilton, Sonny Stitt, Quincy Jones, Al Kooper, Lena Horn, Gabor Szabo, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Esther Philips, Chuck Rainey, Johnny Hammond, Stanley Turrentine,  David Newman, Hank Crawford, Grover Washington, Jr., Roberta Flack, Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, Bob James, Joe Higgs, Van McCoy, Ron Carter, George Benson, Phil Upchurch, Tom Scott, Idris Muhammad, Ashford & Simpson, Cedar Walton, Stanley Turrentine, Blood, Sweat & Tears,  Paul Butterfield, Joe Cocker and David Ruffin. As leader he released twelve albums.

Mongo Santamaria

On February 1, 2003, Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez died aged 85. He was musician (congas, bongos), performed and recorded with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Lalo Schifrin and Paul Horn. His 1977 album “Amanecer” won a “Grammy” award, and his hit rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame” in 1998. He is composer of the jazz standard “Afro Blue”, recorded by John Coltrane among others.

Phill Woods

On September 29, 2015, Philip Wells Woods died aged 83. He was a musician (alto saxophone, clarinet) composer, bandleader,  in his almost 60 years long career, he has performed with some of the biggest names of jazz and popular music, including Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Donald Byrd, Gene Quill, Hal Stein, Sahib Shihab, Michel Legrand, Lew Tabackin, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Gordon Beck, Benjamin Koppel, Alex Riel, Grace Kelly, Monty Alexander, Evan Gregor, Bill Goodwin, and Jordan Perlson.

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.

Benny Carter

On July 12, 2003, Bennett Lester “Benny” Carter, died aged 96. He was musician (alto saxophone, clarinet, trumpet), composer, arranger, and bandleader,  regarded a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s. In his career the “King” performed with Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Coleman Hawkins, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Miles Davis,  Django Reinhardt, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Phil Woods, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Hines, Ben Webster, Billy Eckstine, Pearl Bailey, Lou Rawls, Louis Armstrong, Freddie Slack and Mel Torme.

For his work Benny Carter received big number of awards including: “The NEA Jazz Masters Award by The National Endowment for the Arts”, “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” , “Grammy Award” for his solo “Prelude to a Kiss”, “A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame”, “National Endowment for the Arts”, “National Medal of Arts”.

Tito Puente

On June 1, 2000, Ernesto Antonio “Tito” Puente died aged 77.  He was musician (timbales, vibraphone, drums, sax, piano, bass, bongos, congas) and composer, Puente is credited as “The Musical Pope”, “The King of the timbales” and “The King of Latin music”. In his 50-year career he has performed with many famous musicians, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Cella Cruze and Eddie Palmieri and has recorded as a leader more than forty albums. Puente is author of big number of Latin standards, including the world famous “Oye Como Va”.

Buddy Rich

On April 2, 1987, Bernard “Buddy” Rich died aged 69. He was musician (drums) and bandleader, known for his virtuoso technique, power, groove, and speed. In his career Rich performed with some of the biggest names of the modern music including, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Lester Young, Max Roach, Alla Rakha, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa and Dizzy Gillespie.