RIP, Arni May
Vancouver drummer and restauranteur Arni May, originally from Ottawa, passed away on December 13, 2011. May was better know locally as a restauranteur than musician, having owned Rossini’s in Kitsalano for 18 years till it closed in August 2010. Rossini’s featured jazz nightly, mostly resident musicians but also presented internationally known players regularly. Linton Garner had a regular [...]
Rob McConnell has died
Legendary Canadian trombonist, bandleader, composer, and arranger Rob McConnell passed away yesterday in hospital after a period of failing health due to liver cancer. He was 75. McConnell had assembled some of Canada’s top jazz musicians for the groups for which he was best known, the 22-piece Boss Brass, and the Rob McConnell Tentet. Rob McConnell [...]
Len Dobbin passes
Len Dobbin, best friend of jazz in Montreal and the world, died last night after suffering a stroke while sitting at a table at the Upstairs jazz club in Montreal waiting for Ray Anderson to perform. He was 74. Dobbin was a passionate advocate for the music, having spent his entire adult life writing and [...]
Memorial Service for Jack Velker
Dear friends, Certainly most of you have all heard the sad news of Jack Velker’s passing by now. His memorial service will be on Easter Sunday, April 12th, at the Unitarian Church at 49th & Oak (949 W. 49th Ave), 4 pm – 6 pm. Certainly Jack’s circle of friends was far, far bigger than [...]
David “Fathead” Newman passes
It is with great sadness that I let you all know that David ‘Fathead’ Newman succumbed to pancreatic cancer yesterday. He was diagnosed last year and has been battling hard ever since. Born in Texas in 1933, he would have been 76 on February 24. Over the 8 years I have had the Cellar I [...]
Arnie Chycoski Memorial Tribute by Ian McDougall
When Arnie Chycoski passed away in September we lost one of our greatest musicians and human beings, whom many considered one of the best lead trumpet players in the world. Some of us in Vancouver were unable to attend Arnie’s memorial as it was held in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. One of those, aside [...]
RIP, Arnie Chycoski
Phil Dwyer has reported in the Jazz Forum the sad news that Arnie Chycoski passed away this morning in Olympia, Washington. He was 72. Rob McConnell called him “one of the top three lead trumpet players on the planet”. Chycoski played lead trumpet for the Boss Brass for many years. “An unusually sweet-natured and easygoing [...]
Johnny Griffin R.I.P.
I like to play fast. I get excited, and I have to sort of control myself, restrain myself. But when the rhythm section gets cooking, I want to explode. – Johnny Griffin The couple of times I heard tenor saxophonist Johhny Griffin in live performance were without question among the most exciting musical experiences of [...]
Oscar Peterson has died
Oscar Peterson, Canada’s most renowned and probably greatest jazz musician has died. For the last day or two I’ve received emails informing of Oscar’s death, followed by emails reporting that these were unconfirmed rumours. This morning CBC News confirmed the worst. Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies Post comments in the Jazz Forum Oscar Peterson [...]
Jeani Read has died
Jeani Read, a Vancouver Province columnist for many years, died of cancer on Friday. She was 60. Read was the Province’s first rock critic and over the years covered different beats – movies, “lifestyles”, etc., but was never known, principally as a jazz writer. However, in the mid-seventies when we founded the Vancouver Jazz Society [...]
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