Jazz

Died On This Date (May 8, 2011) Cornell Dupree / Jazz and R&B Guitar Great

Cornell Dupree
December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011

Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, and Brook Benton.  In his early years, Dupree could be found playing in the legendary Atlantic Records house band.  He was also a founding member of the much respected jazz funk combo, Stuff.  Besides those listed above, Dupree also recorded with such greats as Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett.  Additionally, Dupree released several of his own albums, his most popular being 1994’s Bop ‘n’ Blues.  Cornell Dupree had been suffering from emphysema and had been waiting for a lung transplant when he passed away on May 8, 2011.  He was 68.

Died On This Date (May 3, 2011) Odell Brown / Jazz Musician; Wrote Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”

Odell Brown Jr.
1938 – May 3, 2011

Odell Brown was a jazz organist who is best remembered for penning the Marvin Gaye hit, “Sexual Healing.”  Brown was just 4 years old when he began playing the keyboards – mostly old classical pieces – until he found his groove with jazz.  By the mid ’60s, he had settled in Chicago where he formed Odell Brown & the Organizers which was touted by no less than Billboard magazine as the Best New Group in 1966.  He built a sizable following during the late ’60s and early ’70s for his live performances at which he played what could be classified as soul-jazz or jazz-funk.   One such audience member was Gaye who couldn’t get one of his numbers out of his head, so he put some words to it, and “Sexual Healing” was born.  Released in 1982, the single was a Top 5 hit around the world and has since been covered by the likes of Michael Bolton, Phish, Soul Asylum, and Sarah Connor.  Sadly however, Brown was bottoming out at the time – he watched his song win a Grammy at a Skid Row bar in Los Angeles.   He eventually got his life and career back on track and moved to the Minneapolis area where he continued to record and perform.  Over the course of his career, Brown worked with Johnny Nash, Minnie Riperton, and Curtis Mayfield.  Odell Brown was 70 when he passed away on May 3, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Died On This Date (April 11, 2011) Billy Bang / Jazz Violinist

Billy Bang (Born William Walker)
September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011

Billy Bang was a respected jazz violinist and Vietnam vet who has been recognized as a driving force of New York City’s experimental jazz movement of the 1970s.  Bang picked up the violin while still in school, but only because he was assigned the smaller instrument due to his smallish stature.  Bang ultimately left high school early and was drafted by the US Army just in time to serve a tour of combat duty during the Tet Offensive.  Upon his return home, Bang, like so many others like him, had a hard time adjusting to civilian life, so he became politically active and began working with a group of underground revolutionaries.  While on an outing to gather weapons at a pawn shop, Bang couldn’t help but notice the violins hanging on a wall, so he bought one and changed his life path.  Bang eventually found himself playing in Sun Ra’s band and later, formed his own.  Over the course of his career, Bang released several influential albums including two that were directly influenced by his time in Vietnam, Vietnam: The Aftermath and Vietnam: Reflections.  On April 11, 2011, Billy Bang died following a battle with lung cancer.  He was 63.

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Billy Bang

Died On This Date (March 13, 2011) Melvin Sparks / Respected Soul-Jazz Guitarist

Melvin Sparks
March 22, 1946 – March 13, 2011

Melvin Sparks was a brilliant electric guitarist who made a name for himself on countless jazz and soul-jazz recordings as a session player and a band leader.  Born into a musical family, Sparks picked up the guitar at just eleven years old.  By the time he was in high school, he was playing behind Hank Ballard, and within a few years, he was in a touring band called the Upsetters who backed Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Jackie Wilson.  He went on to become a session player for Blue Note and Prestige, playing on records by the likes of Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, and Hank Crawford.  In the 90s, he played with Soulive and Galactic during the acid jazz revival.  Melvin Sparks was 64 when he passed away on March 13, 2011.  It has been reported that diabetes and high blood pressure was to blame.

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Died On This Date (March 12, 2011) Joe Morello / Jazz Drummer For Dave Brubeck

Joe Morello
July 17, 1928 – March 12, 2011

Joe Morello was a world renowned jazz drummer who is perhaps best remembered for his 12-year run with the Dave Brubeck Quartet.  Born in Springfield, Massachusetts,  Morello had a birth defect that partially impaired his vision, so he tended to spend much of his free time participating in indoor activities .  He took up the violin first and soon found himself as a featured soloist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  At the age of 15, he switched over to the drums and eventually moved to New York City to further his career.  It was there he began playing with the likes of Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, and Brubeck to name a few.  He actually declined offers to play with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey.  Over a career that spanned over 50 years, Morello played on at least 120 albums, 60 of those being Brubeck’s.  He also wrote several instruction books and became a highly regarded instructor – Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen and Conan O’Brien fame was one of his many successful students.  Joe Morello was 82 when he passed away in his home.

You can learn more about Joe Morello by watching THIS INTERVIEW for the National Association of Music Merchants.

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Time Out (50th Anniversary Legacy Edition) - The Dave Brubeck Quartet