Tag Archives: Gene Ammons

Donald Byrd

On February 4, 2013, Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture “Donald” Byrd II died aged 80. He was trumpeter, best known as founder and leader the band The Blackbyrds, and regarded as one of the pioneeres of the fusion of funk and soul genres with jazz music. He had successful solo career, and has recorded and performed with big number of famous musicians including Herbie Hancock, Pepper Adams, Gigi Gryce, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, George Wallington, Kenny Clarke, Cannonball Adderley, Oscar Pettiford, Hank Jones, Ernie Wilkins, Art Blakey, Rita Reys, Elmo Hope, Phil Woods, Gene Ammons, Art Farmer, Paul Chambers, Doug Watkins, Sonny Rollins, Kenny Burrell, Gigi Gryce, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Art Taylor, Kenny Drew, Sonny Clark, John Jenkins, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Pepper Adams, Michel Legrand, Dizzy Reece, Mundell Lowe, Thelonious Monk, Chris Connor, Eric Dolphy, Cal Tjader, Sam Rivers, Wes Monthomery, Stanley Turrentine, Guru and Ahmad Jamal.

Cannonball Adderley

On August 8, 1975, Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley died aged 46. He was musician (alto saxophonist), active at the hard bop era of the 50s and 60s, has performed and recorded with some of the most important names of jazz music, including: Kenny Clarke, Nat Adderley, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Louis Smith, Gil Evans, John Benson Brooks, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Heath. Sam Jones, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, Joe Williams, Gene Ammons, David Axelrod and Raul de Souza. Adderley achieved success with 1966 single “Mercy Mercy Mercy”, a crossover hit on the pop charts and was member of the “dream team” on the Miles Davis essential album Kind of Blue.

Idris Muhammad

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.