George “Buddy” Tate
February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001
Buddy Tate was an influential tenor saxophonist. He played in Count Basie’s band from 1939 to 1948. In 1953, Tate formed his own band, and in later years worked with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Buddy Tate was 87 when he passed away on February 10, 2001.
Bobby Troup
October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999
Bobby Troup was a producer, jazz pianist and songwriter who penned one of pop music’s most lasting songs. He was also an actor who is familiar to many for his starring role in the popular ’70s drama, Emergency!. He played Dr. Joe Early opposite his wife, Julie London. In 1946, he wrote “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66,” which was first popularized by Nat King Cole, and later recorded by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Cramps, Depeche Mode, Tom Petty and the Replacements to name just a few. As a producer, Troup recorded future wife, London’s “Cry Me A River,” which sold over a million copies. Troup made several of his own albums during the ’50s and ’60s, and even though they are considered a vital part of the history of West Coast Jazz, they never sold significantly. Bobby Troup died of a heart attack on February 7, 1999. He was 80 years old.
Blossom Dearie
April 29, 1926 – February 7, 2009
Blossom Dearie was a bebop jazz vocalist and pianist who became popular during the 1950s. After a brief time working in New York City, Dearie moved to Paris in 1952 and formed a vocal group. She made her first recordings in France before moving back to the United States in the late ’50s. She soon signed to Verve Records who released her first six albums. Dearie’s popularity began to grow in the U.S. thanks in part to regular early appearances on television’s The Today Show. She also recorded a song that became popular from it’s use in a Hires Root Beer ad campaign. Over the course of her long career, she released many popular albums for the biggest jazz and pop labels in the industry. Dearie continued to be a popular club draw in New York City and London well into the 2000s. Later generations were exposed to her songs thanks to placements in such films as The Squid and the Whale and Kissing Jessica Stein. Blossom Dearie was 84 when she passed away on February 7, 2009.
Vince Guaraldi
July 17, 1928 – February 6, 1976
Vince Guaraldi was a jazz pianist who is best remembered for his beloved theme music for The Peanuts cartoons. Guaraldi spent the early years of his professional career playing and recording with Cal Tjader. He made is recording debut on The Cal Tjader Trio and then launched his solo career in 1959. In 1962, his “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” which was actually a B-side, won a Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Thanks to the success and sound of that song, Guaraldi caught the attention of the producer of a Peanuts documentary. He was soon hired to compose the music for 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s “Linus and Lucy” has since become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the world and the de facto theme song of the entire Peanuts franchise. In all, Guaraldi scored 16 Peanuts specials and a Peanuts animated feature film. On February 6, 1976, Vince Guaraldi died of a heart attack in between his sets at a nightclub near his home. He was 47.
John Dankworth
September 20, 1927 – February 6, 2010
Sir John Dankworth was a highly regarded English jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. Dankworth gravitated toward music while still a child, so he took piano, violin, and finally, clarinet lessons. As a teen, attended the Royal Academy of Music, and by the late ’40s, he was an up-and-coming star of the British jazz scene. During his early years, he played with the likes of Sidney Bechet and Charlie Parker. During the late ’50s, he started composing music form film and television, his most famous being the theme song for the early ’60s British television series, The Avengers. In later years, Dankworth performed on stage with such legends as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock and Oscar Peterson. John Dankworth continued to perform and compose well into the 21st century. He passed away on February 6, 2010 at the age of 82.
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