On March 2, 2023, Wayne Shorter died aged 89. He was musician (saxophone) and composer. He was member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, and then co-founded the band Weather Report. Many of the Shorter’s compositions have become jazz standards and his work earned critical praise worldwide. In 1970, he won “Down Beat’s” annual poll-winner, winning the critics’ poll for 10 consecutive years and the readers’ poll for 18 consecutive years. Shorter recorded and performed with Donald Byrd, Billy Childs, Pino Daniele, Lou Donaldson, Benny Golson, Gil Evans, Toninho Horta, Norah Jones, J. J. Johnson, Don Henley, Wynton Kelly, Michael Landau, Lionel Loueke, Grachan Moncur III, Milton Nascimento, Michel Petrucciani, The Rolling Stones, Masahiko Satoh, John Scofield, Esperanza Spalding, Steely Dan, Bobby Timmons, Kazumi Watanabe, Buster Williams, Herbie Hacock, Tony Williams, Joe Zawinul, Freddie Hubbard, Joni Mitchell, Lee Morgan, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana and McCoy Tyner. In 2008, “The New York Times” described Shorter as “probably jazz’s greatest living small-group composer and a contender for greatest living improviser”. In 2017, he was awarded the “Polar Music Prize”. As leader, Shorter released 28 albums.
Tag Archives: Saxophone
Nik Turner
On November 10, 2022, Nicholas Robert Turner died aged 82. He was musician (saxophone, flute), vocalist and composer, member of the bands Sphynx, Inner City Unit and Space Ritual, recorded with Robert Calvert, Michael Moorcock, Mother Gong, Sham 69, Catherine Andrews, Underground Zero, Psychic TV, Helios Creed, The Stranglers, Sting, Blue Horses, Muzak, Space Mirrors, Dodson and Fogg, Paradise 9, Sendelica and Flame Tree, but was best known as member of Hawkwind.
Alto Reed
On December 30, 2020, Thomas Neal Cartmell aka Alto Reed, died aged 72. He was musician (saxophone), recorded and performed with Grand Funk Railroad, Dave Mason, Foghat, Spencer Davis, Little Feat, Otis Rush, Enchantment, Jamie Oldaker, George Terry, Tico Torres, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, George Thorogood, Robin Gibb, Holograf and The Ventures, but was best known as member of the Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band.
Eddie Money
On September 13, 2019, Edward Joseph Mahoney aka Eddie Money died aged 70. He was musician (keyboards, saxophone, harmonica), singer and songwriter, with more than three decades long career. Money had biggest success in the second half of the seventies and in through the eighties, with songs like “Baby Hold On”, “Two Tickets to Paradise”, “Think I’m in Love”, “Shakin'”, “Take Me Home Tonight”, “I Wanna Go Back”, “Walk on Water”, and “The Love in Your Eyes”. As leader he released eleventh albums.
Steve Douglas
On April 19, 1993, Steve Douglas died aged 54. He was musician (saxophone, flute), recorded and performed with Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Phil Spector, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Duane Eddy, Sammy Hagar, Mink DeVille, The Ramones and Leonard Cohen. As leader, Douglas released eight albums.
Harold McNair
On March 7, 1971, Harold McNair died aged 39. He was musician (saxophone, flute), recorded and performed with many artists including Quincy Jones, Tony Crombie, Jack Costanzo,Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Philly Joe Jones, John Cameron, Blossom Dearie, Jon Hendricks, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Ginger Baker’s Air Force (Polydor, 1970), with Steve Winwood, Phil Seamen, Johnny Harris, Donovan, The Picadilly Line, Lionel Bart, Steamhammer, Davy Graham, John Martyn, Don Partridge, Syd Dale, Brian Bennett, Kathe Green, Alun Ashworth Jones, Magna Carta, Marc Brierley, Nick Drake – Bryter Layter, CCS, Peter Collins, Peter Collins, Rosetta Hightower, Cressida, Caetano Veloso, Alexis Korner, Seven Ages of Man and Tim Hollier. As band leader he released ten albums.
Molly Duncan
On October 7, 2019, Malcolm “Molly” Duncan died aged 74. He was a musician (saxophone), recorded and performed with Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Tom Petty, Buddy Guy, Ben E. King, Dire Straits, Bryan Ferry, Chaka Khan, and Eric Clapton, but was best known as a founding member of Average White Band.
Richie Cole
On May 2, 2020, Richie Cole died aged 72. He was composer, arranger and musician (saxophone), began to play alto saxophone when he was ten years old, encouraged by his father, who owned a jazz club in New Jersey. In the 70’ he created his own “alto madness” bebop style. In the 90’s he formed The Alto Madness Orchestra. Cole recorded and performed with many musicians such as Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Doc Severinsen, Eddie Jefferson, Nancy Wilson, Tom Waits, The Manhattan Transfer, Hank Crawford, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Kloss, Bobby Enriquez, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Greg Abate, Les DeMerle, Allan Harris, Jim Holman, Vic Juris, Peter Lauffer, Oliver Nelson, Anita O’Day, Red Rodney, Janine Santana, Mark Murphy, Sonny Stitt and Boots Randolph. In 2005, Cole was awarded the “State of California Congressional Certificate of Lifetime Achievement in Jazz” on behalf of the “Temecula Jazz Society”.
Manu Dibango
On March 24, 2020, Emmanuel N’Djoké Dibango aka Manu Dibango died aged 86. He was musician (saxophone and vibraphone), developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group, African Jazz, and has collaborated with many musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, King Sunny Adé, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. He was best known for his 1972 single “Soul Makossa”.
Jaki Liebezeit
On January 22, 2017, Jaki Liebezeit died aged 78. He was musician (drums, percussion, double bass, saxophone, piano), best known as co-founder and drummer of the band Can. Liebezeit recorded and performed with many musician and bands including Manfred Schoof, Brian Eno, Phantomband, Jah Wobble, Phew, Philip Jeck, Depeche Mode,Eurythmics, Cyclopean and Bernd Friedmann.