Died On This Date (May 24, 2008) Jimmy McGriff / Jazz Great

Jimmy McGriff
April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008

Jimmy McGriff was a jazz organist that was known for his talent on the Hammond B-3.  Very gifted as a child, McGriff learned the piano at five years old and by the time he was a teen, he was also playing the saxophone, vibes, drums and bass.  Although he didn’t take up the Hammond B-3 organ until in his twenties, he would be come the instrument he was most closely associated with.  Over the course of his career, McGriff played with the likes of Jimmy Smith, Junior Parker, Buddy Rich, and Carmen MacRae.   He died of Multiple Sclerosis on May 24, 2008.

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Died On This Date (May 23, 2009) Jay Bennett / Former Member of Wilco

Jay Bennett
November 15, 1963 – May 23, 2009

jaybennettJay Bennett was an exceptional, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer most famously known for his years in Wilco.  Prior to Wilco,  Bennett helped found Titanic Love Affair in the early ’90s.  He joined Wilco in 1994 and stayed with the group until a less-than-amicable split in 2001.  After Wilco, Bennett released a handful of studio albums while appearing on several as an in-demand studio musician.  He also produced albums by the likes of Blues Traveler.   In May of 2009, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Jeff Tweedy of Wilco claiming, according to Paste Magazine, “Tweedy owes Bennett ‘damages of at least $50,000’ for his time in the band, including his less-than-favorable depiction in the 2002 Wilco documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” Jay Bennett passed away of an accidental overdose from a prescription painkiller on May 23, 2009 .  He was just 45.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.

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Died On This Date (May 23, 2008) U. Utah Phillips / American Folk Singer and Union Organizer

Bruce U. “Utah” Phillips
May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008

Utah Phillips was a  great folk singer, poet and much respected labor organizer.  Phillips first picked up a ukulele when he was a child but soon switched to guitar after he moved to Yellowstone Park to work on a road crew.  It was there that he was exposed to the music of Jimmie Rodgers and Gene Autry.  After the Korean War, Phillips began to turn his focus on politics and worker unions, going as far as unsuccessfully running for Senate as part of the Peace & Freedom Party.   Phillips continued to use his voice and writing as a weapon to defend what he felt were injustices toward his fellow-man.   Phillips performed and recorded into his early ’70s, but died of  heart disease at the age of 73.

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Died On This Date (May 23, 1994) Joe Pass / Jazz Guitar Virtuoso

Joe Pass
January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994

Joe Pass was an exceptional jazz guitarist known for an improvisational style that would influence future generations of players. Pass began playing guitar on his 9th birthday and by the time he turned 14, he was gigging around town. But within a few years, he began to struggle with drug abuse and fell off the radar as a musician. After spending over two years in a drug rehab program, he resurfaced to reclaim his spot at the top of the jazz world. Throughout the ’60s, Pass recorded several albums for the Pacific Jazz label while lending his talents to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis and Della Reese. The ’70s saw the release of Pass’ signature album, Virtuoso and the Grammy winning album, The Trio by Pass, Oscar Peterson, and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Pass died of cancer on May 23, 1994.

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