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 Bolling | piano, composer, arranger, actor | Apr 10, 1930 | 12-29 |
| Frank Kimbrough | piano | Nov 2, 1956 | 12-30 |
| Eugene Wright | bass | May 29, 1953 | 12-30 |