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2020 Was a Rough Year for Jazz

December 23, 2020 By Noal Cohen

2020 was certainly a challenging year, one that brought destructive weather, wildfires, acrimonious politics and a deadly pandemic that is not only killing hundreds of thousands worldwide but also causing vast economic dislocations. Many in the arts have suffered as venues have been forced to close temporarily or permanently and jazz musicians are among those who have struggled to earn a livelihood and remain relevant.

Mainly because of COVID-19, this year is expected to be the deadliest in U.S. history with deaths exceeding 3 million. The jazz community lost many significant members, not just performers but composers, producers, club owners, broadcasters, writers and photographers as well. Several notable deaths due to the coronavirus include pianist and patriarch Ellis Marsalis, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, trumpeter Wallace Roney and saxophonist Lee Konitz.

The following table represents an attempt to list most of the jazz-related losses that occurred in 2020. It is arranged chronologically by date of death and includes people from all over the world. In many cases, clicking on the death date takes the reader to the individual’s obituary. Confirmed coronavirus-related fatalities (27 out of 180) are indicated with an asterisk (*).

While the carnage wrought by COVID-19 has been devastating, it should be noted that not all the deaths listed below resulted from the virus. In many instances the cause of death was indicated to be from “natural causes” or not specified. Nonetheless, 2020 has been a difficult year, to say the least.

This table was compiled using the Jazz Birthday spreadsheet maintained by Nou Dadoun. I am grateful to Nou for letting me use his data.

Let’s remember with admiration and gratitude those we lost in 2020 and hope that 2021 brings a return to something resembling normalcy.

Name Activity Birth Date 2020 Death Date
Jak Kilby photographer Apr 29, 1947 01-03
Wolfgang Dauner piano, keyboards, composer, vocals, percussion Dec 30, 1935 01-10
Geoff Castle piano Jun 8, 1949 01-15
Claudio Roditi trumpet May 28, 1946 01-17
Robert Parker vocals, saxophone, songwriter Oct 14, 1930 01-19
Jimmy Heath tenor & soprano saxes, flute, composer, leader Oct 25, 1926 01-19
Norm Amadio piano Apr 14, 1928 01-22
Calder Prescott piano, trumpet, broadcaster May 31, 1931 01-23
Bob Gullotti drums Nov 28, 1949 01-25
Lucien Barbarin trombone Jul 17, 1956 01-30
Laurie Morgan drums Sep 4, 1926 02-05
Lyle Mays piano, synthesizer, composer Nov 27, 1953 02-10
Joseph Shabalala singer, arranger, vocal ensemble leader Aug 28, 1940 02-11
Jon Christensen drums Mar 20, 1943 02-18
Dick Bank producer Aug 27, 1929 02-23
William O. [Bill] Smith clarinet, composer Sep-22, 1926 02-29
Ted Moses piano, composer, bandleader Oct 23, 1943 03-05
McCoy Tyner piano, composer Dec 11, 1938 03-06
Marcelo Peralta* saxophones, piano, accordion, etc. Mar 5, 1961 03-10
Mal Sharpe trombone, broadcaster, comedian Apr 2, 1936 03-10
Don Burrows clarinet, saxophone, flute Aug 8, 1928 03-12
Danny Ray Thompson saxophone, flute, bassoon Oct 1, 1947 03-13
Eva Pilarová vocals Aug 9, 1939 03-14
Barry Zweig guitar Feb 7, 1942 03-15
Wray Downes piano Jan 14, 1931 03-19
Ray Mantilla percussion Jun 22, 1934 03-20
Ronald Lewis* NOLA historian Jul 17, 1951 03-20
Karl Geier bass, cello Jan 31, 1932 03-21
Mike Longo* piano Mar 19, 1939 03-22
Manu Dibango* saxophone, vibes, composer, leader Dec 12, 1933 03-24
Freddy Rodriguez, Sr. *saxophone Feb 9, 1931 03-25
Robin Frost ragtime composer Dec 13, 1930 03-25
Bob Ojeda trumpet, arranger, piano Sep 1, 1941 03-26
Pat Longo* alto sax, clarinet, leader Sep 11, 1929 03-26
Olav [Olle] Holmquist* trombone, tuba Nov 14, 1936 03-26
Lyn Christie bass Aug 3, 1928 03-28
Claude Abadie clarinet, leader Jan 16, 1920 03-29
Krzysztof Penderecki composer Nov 23, 1933 03-29
Bill Withers vocals, composer Jul 4, 1938 03-30
Wallace Roney* trumpet May 26, 1960 03-31
Alex Layne*bass Oct 29 ?? 03-31
Bucky Pizzarelli* guitar Jan 9, 1926 04-01
Ron Gill vocals Mar-17 ?? 04-01
Harold Rubin clarinet, visual artist May 13, 1932 04-01
Ronnie Hughes trumpet, flugelhorn Jun 27, 1925 04-01
Ellis Marsalis* piano Nov 14, 1934 04-01
Lysa Dawn Robinson drums Jun 19, 1964 04-02
Onaje Allan Gumbs* [Allan Bentley] piano Sep 3, 1949 04-06
Hal Willner* producer, impresario Apr 6, 1956 04-07
Otto Wolters piano Sep 17, 1938 04-07
Eddy Davis* banjo Sep 26, 1940 04-07
Betty Bennett [Lowe] vocals Oct 23, 1921 04-07
Sanne van Hek trumpet Nov 4, 1978 04-07
Joan Wildman piano Jan 1, 1938 04-08
Peter Ecklund trumpet Sep 27, 1945 04-08
Andy Gonzalez bass, electric bass, perc, arranger Jan 1, 1951 04-09
Debo Dabney Piano, organ, vocal May 17, 1951 04-09
Richard Teitelbaum composer, electronics May 19, 1939 04-09
Sibel Thrasher vocals Dec 13, 1949 04-09
Samuel Hargress* jazz bar owner: Paris Blues Harlem Apr 9, 1936 04-10
Jymie Merritt bass May 3, 1926 04-10
Irv Rochlin piano Apr 14, 1926 04-12
John Cheesman drums, bandleader Jun 7, 1951 04-12
Louis Van Dijk piano Nov-27, 1941 04-12
Ryo Kawasaki guitar Feb 25, 1947 04-13
Professor Joe Torres, Jr. piano Nov 29, 1943 04-13
Ron Rubin piano, bass Jul 8, 1933 04-14
Lee Konitz* alto/tenor/soprano/baritone saxes, clarinet, flute, piano, vocal Oct-13, 1927 04-15
Henry Grimes* bass, violin, poet Nov 3, 1935 04-15
Giuseppi Logan* alto sax, bass clarinet, flute, piano May 22, 1935 04-17
Bob Mielke trombone Jul 12, 1926 04-17
Ian Whitcomb ukulele, vocals, piano, historian, bandleader Jul 10, 1941 04-20
Michael Cogswell saxophone, curator, historian Sep 30, 1953 04-20
Hugh O’Connor saxophone ?? 1928 04-21
Jacques Pellen* guitar Mar 1, 1957 04-21
Howard Crompton Tweddle* bass Feb-15, 1951 04-22
Robert [Bootsie] Barnes* saxophone Nov 27, 1937 04-22
Mickey Simonetta drums Aug 26, 1926 04-24
Big Al Carson vocals Oct 2, 1953 04-26
Les Tomkins journalist, author Oct-31, 1930 04-26
Philip Broadhurst broadcaster ?? 1950 04-27
Tony Allen drums Aug 12, 1940 04-30
Jürgen Wuchner bass, AD at Darmstadt Jan 22, 1948 05-01
Richie Cole alto sax Feb 29, 1948 05-01
Alfred [Uganda] Roberts drums, percussion Apr 8, 1943 05-05
Kjell Karlsen piano, organ, composer, bandleader Jul 29, 1931 05-05
Holli Ross vocal, educator Nov 16, 1956 05-09
Aldo Bassi trumpet Jan 29, 1962 05-10
Buddy Sullivan saxophone Mar 4, 1923 05-10
Joey Giambra* trumpet, piano, vocals, songwriter, author Oct 31, 1933 05-14
Donn Trenner piano, leader Mar 10, 1927 05-16
Christopher Loudon journalist Jul 17, 1957 05-17
John Cumming British Artistic Dir, promotions, management Sep 30, 1948 05-17
Lucky Peterson guitar, organ, vocal Dec 13, 1964 05-17
Grace Testani vocals, piano, composer Jun 28, 1950 05-21
Jimmy Cobb drums Jan 20, 1929 05-24
Lennie Niehaus alto sax, composer, arranger Jun 11, 1929 05-28
Don Weller tenor sax Dec 19, 1940 05-30
Robert Northern French horn May 21, 1934 05-31
Peter Crawford guitar, vocal, label, club, author, etc Dec-1, 1950 06-04
Art Hoyle trumpet, cornet, fluegelhorn Sep 9, 1929 06-05
Frank Bey vocals Jan-17, 1946 06-07
Bonnie Pointer vocals: Pointer Sisters Jul 11, 1950 06-08
Keith Tippett piano, keyboards Aug 25, 1947 06-14
Hugh Fraser trombone, piano, composer, leader Oct 26, 1958 06-17
Jerry Bruno bass Jan 10, 1920 06-22
Jacques Coursil trumpet Mar 31, 1938 06-25
Gilbert Matthews drums Sep 28, 1943 06-25
Freddy Cole piano, vocal Oct 15, 1931 06-27
Simon Fell bass, composer Jan 13, 1959 06-28
Roy Okutani* trumpet Jul 1, 1959 06-28
Johnny Mandel composer, arranger, trombone Nov 23, 1925 06-29
Tony Zamora saxophone, educator Feb 16, 1930 07-02
Nikolai Kapustin piano, composer Nov-22, 1937 07-02
Cleveland Eaton bass, producer, composer etc Aug 31, 1939 07-05
Joe Porcaro drums, percussion Apr 29, 1930 07-06
Ennio Morricone composer Nov 10, 1928 07-06
Alice Day vocals Mar 9, 1946 07-10
Eddie Gale trumpet, soprano sax, recorder, percussion Aug 15, 1941 07-10
Leonard H. Morton, Sr. piano Sep 10, 1927 07-12
Donald McCaslin piano, vibes Dec 13, 1926 07-16
Ron Roullier piano, composer, arranger Nov 9, 1927 07-20
Annie Ross vocal Jul 25, 1930 07-21
Cor Fuhler Keyboards, bandleader, composer Jul 3, 1964 07-22
Helen Jones Woods* trombone Oct 9 or Nov 14, 1923 07-25
Peter Green guitar, vocals Oct 29, 1946 07-25
Bob Neloms piano Mar 2, 1942 07-28
Terry Coen promotion, producer, songwriter Jun-10, 1947 07-28
Bent [Fabric] Fabricius-Bjerre piano, leader, arranger Dec 7, 1924 07-28
Dave MacKay piano Mar 24, 1932 07-30
Shannon Gunn vocals, trombone Oct-12, ?? 07-31
Wilford Brimley vocals Sep 27, 1934 08-01
Larry Novak piano May 18, 1933 08-02
Salome Bey vocals, composer Oct 10, 1933 08-08
Duane Tatro composer, arranger May 18, 1927 08-09
Joe Segal promoter, nightclub owner Apr 24, 1926 08-10
Steve Grossman tenor & soprano saxes Jan 18, 1951 08-12
Willie Torres vocals Oct 30, 1929 08-16
Hal Singer tenor sax, leader Oct 8, 1919 08-18
Charli[e] Persip drums Jul 26, 1929 08-23
Peter King alto sax Aug 11, 1940 08-23
Ronnie Kole piano Apr 9, 1931 08-27
Mark Colby tenor and soprano sax, vocal Apr 18, 1949 08-29
Gary Peacock bass May 12, 1935 09-04
Sterling [Satan] Magee* guitar, vocals May 20, 1936 09-06
Reggie Johnson bass Dec 13, 1940 09-11
Stanley Crouch writer, critic, drums Dec 14, 1945 09-16
Jack Simpson broadcaster: Jazz on the Beach WUCF Sep 12, 1924 09-20
Ira Sullivan alto/tenor/soprano saxes, flute, trumpet May 1, 1931 09-21
Rocco Prestia bass Mar-7, 1951 09-29
Joe Rico broadcaster Jul 9, 1924 10-10
Toshinori Kondo trumpet Dec 15, 1948 10-17
Overton Berry piano Apr-13, 1936 10-19
Angelo Di Loreto piano, composer Apr 6, 1990 10-20
Bobby Ward drums Aug-30, ?? 10-20
Al Howard clubowner: Showman’s May 1, 1927 10-21
Nadi Qamar* [Spaulding Givens] piano, mbira, percussion, composer Jul-6, 1917 10-21
Viola Smith drums Nov-29, 1912 10-21
Marc Fosset guitar May 17, 1949 10-31
Gerry Hayes vibraphone ?? 1934 11-01
Pedro Iturralde tenor, alto, soprano, baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, composer, arranger Jul 13, 1929 11-01
Cándido Camero bongos, congas Apr 22, 1921 11-07
Dave Zoller piano Mar 2, 1941 11-10
Andrew White alto, soprano, & tenor saxes, English horn, oboe, electric bass, piano Sep 6, 1942 11-12
Roger Paraboschi drums May 31, 1926 11-16
Michael Brooks archivist, historian, liner notes ?? 1935 11-20
Kali Z Fasteau Multi instrumentalist Mar 9, 1947 11-20
Bobby Cairns* guitar Aug 8, 1942 11-21
Christian Azzi piano Dec 1, 1926 11-21
Molly Hammer vocals Aug 20, 1972 11-24
Alan Botschinsky trumpet, flugelhorn, composer, arranger, producer Mar 29, 1940 11-26
Ed Xiques reeds, flute Oct 9, 1939 12-03
Joseph “Mojo” Morganfield guitar, vocals Apr 14, 1964 12-10
Stanley Cowell piano May 5, 1941 12-17
Jeff Clayton alto sax, flute Feb 16, 1954 12-17
Diane Moser piano, musical director, composer, educator Jul 29, ?? 12-17
Chris Tobin Radio engineer: WBGO Chief Technology Officer Aug 4, 1961 12-19
Claude Bollingpiano, composer, arranger, actorApr 10, 193012-29
Frank KimbroughpianoNov 2, 195612-30
Eugene WrightbassMay 29, 195312-30

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