An extensive list of hundreds of international esteemed jazz, blues and “creative music” instrumentalists, singers and adherents of those arts who died in 2018. Compiled for the Jazz Journalists Association from sources including local newspapers, the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt newsletter, AllAboutJazz.com, Wikipedia, the New York Times, Legacy.com, Rolling Stone, Variety, JazzTimes.com, blogs, listserves, Facebook pages and European publications. Links to their fuller biographies or obituaries are provided where possible.
ESPECIALLY NOTABLE: CHARLES AZNAVOUR, HAMIET BLUIETT, HENRY BUTLER,NDUGU CHANCLER, BOB DOROUGH*, YVONNE ERVIN, SONNY FORTUNE, ARETHA FRANKLIN, URBIE GREEN, JERRY GONZALEZ, LORRAINE GORDON*, ROY HARGROVE, HUGH MASEKELA, BUELL NEIDLINGER, IRA SABIN, TOMASZ STANKO, CECIL TAYLOR*, MARLENE VERPLANCK, BILL WATROUS, RANDY WESTON*, PATRICK WILLIAMS, NANCY WILSON*.
*denotes NEA Jazz Masters (Bob Dorough, Lorraine Gordon, Cecil Taylor, Randy Weston, Nancy Wilson)
Accordionist Yvette Horner; accordionist and saxophonist Asmund Bjørken.
Bandleader Bob Edison; bandleader and educator Alexander Erpilev.
Banjo players Peter Bullis, Clive Grey.
Bassists Gerald Adams, Ricardo Baumgarten, Max Bennett, Paulo Cardoso, Tony DeCicco, Wayne Dockery, Norman Edge, Fedor Frešo, Roman Grinev, Bobby Haynes, Doug Kirschner, Arthur Maia, Gustavo Márquez, Wilson McKindra, Stanisław Otałęga, André Rodrigues, Peter Schneider, Joe Sydow; bassist, cellist and educator Buell Neidlinger; bassist, guitarist, singer and producer Billy Hancock; bassists and educators Charles Hoag, Lenny Pollacchi; bassist, educator, broadcaster and writer Cüneyt Sermet; bassist, producer and singer Fedor Frešo; bassist and photographer Jim Crutcher; bassist and promoter Bill Reid; bassist and co-founder of Germany’s Rheingauer Jazzclub Edu Jung; bassist and festival organizer (Germany’s Düsseldorfer Jazz Rally and International Jazz Festival Viersen) Ali Haurand.
Bassoonists and educators Gary Moody, Marvin Roth.
Cellist Hugh McDowell.
Clarinetists Perry Robinson, Eddie Wiggins; clarinetist and pianist Harry Burt.
Composers Carol Hall and Thomas Pernes; composer, arranger, record producer and pianist Heiner Stadler; composers, arrangers, big-band leaders and educators Glen Daum, Patrick Williams; composer, accordionist and pianist Francis Lai; composer, bassist, pianist, educator and musicologist Olly Wilson; composer, multi-instrumentalist and musical director Gérard Hourbette; composer and pianist Galt MacDermot; composer and violinist Takehisa Kosugi.
Cornetist, singer and New Black Eagles Jazz Band co-founder Tony Pringle.
Drummers Ron Barron, Robert Barry, Norman Beane, Tommy Check, Daniel Cisneros, Glenn Davis, Hüseyin Ertunç, Cootie Harris, Jon Hiseman, Armin Jungermann, Cyril Pahinui, Dave Riegert; Charlie Rice, Roger Sellers, Robert Shy, Paul Togawa, John von Ohlen, Abdallahl Zuhri; drummer, bandleader and producer Jerry Fischer; drummers and educators Brian Hamada, Jack LeCompte, Bob McKee, Brian West; drummer and producer Leon “Ndugu” Chancler; drummer and club owner (Merced CA’s Rudy’s Jazz and Blues) Rudy Merino; drummer and novelist Bill Moody; drummer and cinematographer Witold Sobociński.
Electronic music pioneer, composer and educator Stanley Glasser.
French horn player Chris Costanzi.
Guitarists Don Alessi, Bob Bain, Glenn Branca, Steve Coutts, Alex Domschot, Wilbert Longmire, Jeff Louna, Calvin Newborn, Martin Nitsch, Richard Ring, Coco Schumann, Jon Sholle, Ivan Smirnov, Wah Wah Watson; guitarists and educators Gyula Babos, John Marasco, Dick Sheridan, John Sopko; guitarist, bassist, bandleader, composer, arranger and writer Dan Fox; guitarist, producer and songwriter Reggie Lucas.
Harpist and educator Carrol McLaughlin.
Keyboard player C.W. Vrtacek (Charles O’Meara); keyboard player, composer, producer and engineer Hardy Fox (Charles Bobuck).
Lyricist Norman Gimbel.
Multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Curt Prina; multi-instrumentalist and composer Christian Burchard; multi-instrumentalist and educator Richard Amses; multi-instrumentalist and singer Sergei Mosin.
Oboist and bandleader Zdeněk Barták Sr.
Organist, pianist and vibes player Curt Prina.
Percussionists Jack Costanzo, Ken Philmore, Pancho Terry; percussionist and bandleader Ahmadu Jah;percussionist and educator Dean Witten.
Pianists Barrie Ascroft, Steve Austin, Dick Bernet, Kristin Bialick, Reuben Brown, Brian Browne, Blanche Burton-Lyles, Harald Eckstein, Ghalib Ghallab, Chris Gillespie, Steve Goodman, Donnie Heitler, Johnny Hot, John Hughes, Nathan Jatcko, Hermann Keller, Brooks Kerr, Jean Kittrell, Johnny Knapp, Thierry Lalo, Olivier Lancelot, Johnny Maddox, Norio Maeda, Gildo Mahones, Jodi Marshall, Ralph Martin, Dick Mattick, Dick Meares, Lennie Metcalfe, Vern Nussbaum, Gary Peterson, Masahiro Sayama, Uli Scherer, Art Simmons, Jim Somerville, George Spaulding, Helmut Stütz, Dick Voigt, Keith Vreeland,
John Williams; pianists, bandleaders, composers and NEA Jazz Masters Cecil Taylor, Randy Weston; pianist and bandleader Howard Williams; pianist and broadcaster Jim “The Jazz” Caine; pianist, flutist, composer and educator Paul Zopel; pianist, conductor, composer and arranger Tommy Banks; pianists and composers Don Alberts, Misha Alperin, Stelvio Cipriani, Harvey Hanson, Rafael “Bullumba” Landestoy, Arnold Maury, Christian Minkowitsch; pianist and organist Ray Tones; pianists, singers and songwriters Bob Dorough, Reg Webb, pianist, singer, bandleader and educator Ike Jenkins; pianist and singer Henry Butler; pianist, organist,
educator and jazz club owner (Kobe, Japan’s M.M. Join) Minoru Ozone; pianist and trombonist René Jonckeer; pianists and educators Eddie Baker, Didier Datcharry, Jack Reilly, Ernie Scott, Tad Weed; pianist, broadcaster and writer Dick Hughes; pianist and writer Amy Hildreth Duncan.
Poet and rapper Jalal Mansur Nuriddin.
Saxophonists Darryl Adams, Ed Agopian, Chuz Alfred, Leo Bazinet, Albert “Sax” Berry, Hamiet Bluiett, Errol Buddle, Ace Cannon, Ted Efantis, Sonny Fortune, Peter Guidi, Carl Janelli, Hiroaki Katayama, Abraham Tsoana Kola, Mike Laatz, Roger Lambson, Bob Leibowitz, Aubrey Hwang Martin, Big Jay McNeely, Fred “Big Cat” Monroe, Charles Neville, Don Payne, Rolf Pifnitzka, Alain Rellay, Eddie Shaw, Frank Smith, Chuck Stentz, Ron Sutton, Rick Torcaso, John Van Rymenant, Uwe Werner, Chuck Wilson, Keith Zaharia, Norton Zieff; saxophonist and arranger Bob Freedman; saxophonists, bandleaders and educators Barry Kelsey, Scott Mullett, Roger Neumann; saxophonists and bandleaders Jochen Brauer, Carmen Dee; saxophonists and educators Donald Crawford, Nathan Davis, Remy Filipovitch, Jim Giacone, Fred Hess, Morgan King, Bill Laskey, Russ Phillips, Reynold Scott Jr., Rick Torcaso; saxophonist, graphic designer and writer Ove Stokstad; saxophonist and Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Upstream Music Association co-founder Paul Cram; saxophonist and writer Jürg Laederach; saxophonist, educator and jazz club artistic director (Wilmington DE’s Nomad Bar) Harry Spencer; saxophonist, writer and founder of Manhattan’s Jazz at Noon series and Fire Island’s Chill Out concerts Les Lieber (at age 106); saxophonist, artist manager (of Ornette Coleman), arts administrator and educator James Jordan.
Singers Monique Aldebert, Marty Balin, Ursula Becker, Babs Beverley, Anita Honis Bohländer, Ruth Brisbane, Suzanne Couch, Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet, France Gall, Kay Grandolfo, Kellye Gray, Donald Greene, Anneke Grönloh, Theresa Hightower, Bobbi Jordan, Morgana King, Arthur Manuntung, Angela Maria, Marcia Maria, Dee Parker Morgan, Dottie Reid, Arthur “Mr. Okra” Robinson, Lara Saint Paul, Paul Ventura, Marlene VerPlanck, Barbara Walker, Wesla Whitfield; singer, NEA Jazz Master, broadcaster, actor and civil rights activist Nancy Wilson; singer and bandleader Janka Nabay; singer and educator Rebecca Parris; singers and guitarists Kassé Mady Diabaté, Philip Tabane; singer, pianist and organist Aretha Franklin; singers and pianists Paul Broadnax, Audrey Morris; singers and songwriters Charles Aznavour, Miúcha, Geoffrey Oryema; singer, drummer, A&R manager, club owner and Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts president Don Gardner; singer, actor and poet Jacques Higelin; singer and actor Micki Varro; singer, pianist and producer Habib Faye; singer, percussionist and broadcaster Samia Panni.
Trombonists Pat Arana, Peter Feil, John Getz, Urbie Green, Scotty Hill, Dean Hubbard, Bill Hughes, Kirk Keutemeier, Erich Kleinschuster, David Leigh, Caroline Morton-Hicks, Dick Simon, Conny Stintzing, Frans Van Dyck, Jack Zito; trombonist, drummer, bandleader, writer, producer and record label founder Big Bill Bissonnette (Jazz Crusade); trombonists and bandleaders Ron Bowks, Mike Harries, Jimmy Wilkins; trombonists and educators trombonists and educators Ken Hanlon, Leonard Neldhold, Bill Watrous, Mike Williamson; trombonist and singer Andre Stephani; trombonist, bassist, psychologist and actor Roger Burton.
Trumpeters Kevin Bryan, Joe Doc Bryant, Everett Farey, Dewey Johnson, Don Johnson, Lou Kaminski, Armand Olevano, Mason Prince, Boy Raaijmakers, Dalton Rousseau; trumpeter, bandleader, composer and singer Hugh Masekela; trumpeter, bandleader and educator Bill Fabrizio; trumpeters and bandleaders Al Garner, Roy Hargrove, Stan Reynolds, Tomasz Stanko, Jeff Taylor; trumpeter, composer, arranger and educator Ken
McCoy; trumpeter, composer and conductor Walter Eichenberg; trumpeter, percussionist and bandleader Jerry Gonzalez; trumpeter and trombonist Egon Denu; trumpeter and broadcaster Lukas Burckhardt; trumpeters and educators Ken Grasley, Jim White.
Tuba players Pat Bowen, Jean Levinson; tuba and banjo player Tom Dutart; tuba player and bassist Rich Viano.
Ukelele player and slack-key guitarist, composer, record company founder (Kanikapila) and educator Peter Moon.
Vibraphonists Jerzy Milian, Wolfgang Schlüter.
Violinists Lucy Heiberg, Didier Lockwood; violinist and bassist Zipflo Weinrich.
Music director and composer Robert Arthur.
Sound engineer and bassist Aki Lehmann.
Record producers Achim Bergmann (Trikont), Joop De Roo (various labels), Rob Sunenblick (Uptown Records); record label founder, photographer and poet Dan Serro (Kharma Jazz and Danola); record label founder (Miles Music) and race car driver John Miles; record label (Carnival) co-owner, music shop co-owner,
jazz club board member, broadcaster and writer Mina Lea Crais; Tower Records founder Russ Solomon; record producer (Jeton label), broadcaster, writer and publicist Woomy Schmidt; engineer and producer Geoff Emerick; jazz promoter Pepe Hosiasson; jazz promoters Monique Mangelsdorff, Peter Schmitt-Sausen, the co-founder of Germany’s Hürther Jazz Night; producer and songwriter Norman Blagman; record producer, label co-founder & co-owner, and guitarist Mike Panico (Relative Pitch).
Jazz club owner and NEA Jazz Master Lorraine Gordon (New York’s Village Vanguard); jazz club owner and record label founder Henry Storch (Duesseldorf, Germany’s Unique Club and Unique Records); jazz club owner Mel Hood (Lake Como NJ’s Jason’s Jazz & Blues Club); jazz club founder David Mossman (London’s Vortex Jazz Club); nightclub owner Rocky Palmer (Schenectady NY’s RocMar, Castle Club, Gourmet, Pompeii Room and RJ Ritz Terrace); music production specialist (French Quarter Fest and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival), and New Orleans bar and club manager and owner Barbara Gillmor, artist manager, club manager (New York’s original Birdland), and (Jazzmobile) production coordinator and historian Johnnie Garry; Edinburgh (Scotland) Jazz & Blues Festival founder, banjo player and guitarist Mike Hart;
jazz festival co-founder Simone Ginibre (Nice, France’s Grande Parade du Jazz); festival director Paco Martín Peñas (Spain’s La Mar de Músicas and the Jazz Festival of Cartagena); Vancouver Jazz Festival artistic director Ken Pickering; Rowan (NC) Blues & Jazz Festival founder Eleanor Qadirah; former executive director of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Arts Festival Barbara Widdoes; record producer and concert programmer Rik Bevernage (Werf); concert promoter and record store owner Gavin Jones; record store owners “Bleecker Bob” Plotnick, Raffe Simonian (Chicago’s Raffe’s Record Riot); concert and festival producer (New York’s first Harlem Jazz Festival & Jazz on the River) and weekly newspaper publisher (Jazzbill) Leo Hopewell; producer,
promoter, club proprietor (Johannesburg’s Dorkay House) and singer Queeneth Ndaba; JazzTimes founder & publisher, record store owner, producer and drummer Ira Sabin; restaurant owner Kathy Kriger (Rick’s Café Casablanca).
Broadcasters Gina Carter-Simmers, Roger Fega, David Mitchell, Neal Murray; broadcaster, pianist and writer Franck Bauer; broadcaster and Jazz Ottawa co-founder Ron Sweetman.
Discographer Horst J. Salewski.
Entertainment lawyer Howell Begle.
Photographers Clemens Kalischer, Marek Karewicz, Jan Persson.
Writers Olav Angell, Michael Goodwin, Lee Jeske, Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich, Lauri Karvonen, Owen
McNally, Alun Morgan; writer and actor Jean Porter; writer, business manager and (New Orleans Jazz Club) volunteer attorney Nick Gagliano; writer, broadcaster and musicologist Lino Betancourt Molina; writer, broadcaster, editor, photographer, saxophonist, non-profit administrator and producer (Tucson Jazz Festival, Charles Mingus Hometown Jazz Festival, Western Jazz Presenters Network) Yvonne Ervin; writers and historians Lerone Bennett Jr., Duke Carl Gregor of Mecklenberg; writer and photographer Bob Byler; writer and jazz festival organizer (Lake George NY’s Jazz at the Lake) Paul Pines; writer and lyricist Marsha Hillman.
Blues, gospel and R&B artists, and industry figures Khaira Arby, Eddie Campbell, Siva Choy, Eddy Clearwater, Little Sammy Davis, Dennis Edwards, Clarence Fountain, Rick
Hall, Algia Mae Hinton, Edwin Hawkins, Denise LaSalle, Lazy Lester, Stan Lewis, Floyd Miles, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, James “Nick” Nixon, “Sunshine” Sonny Payne, Otis Rush, Preston Shannon, David Shaw, Eddie Shaw, Yvonne Staples, Jabo Starks, Tony Joe White, Jody Williams, Betty Willis, Eddie Willis.
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