Died On This Date (February 4, 2013) Donald Byrd / Jazz Great
themusicsover Donald Byrd
December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013
Donald Byrd was an influential jazz trumpeter who successfully brought jazz into R&B, funk, and later hip hop. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Byrd was proficient at his instrument at a young age. In fact, he performed with Lionel Hampton before graduating from high school. After serving in the United States Air Force where he played in the band, Byrd earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. While pursuing his master’s in New York City, he was hired by Art Blakey to play in his Jazz Messengers. After leaving Blakey in 1956, Byrd played with some of the greatest names jazz has ever known. That list includes Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and Thelonious Monk. During the ’70s, Byrd steered his horn toward fusion and R&B. Although he had been recording influential albums for Blue Note Records as far back as 1959, it wasn’t until 1973’s Black Byrd that he delivered what would become the label’s biggest selling album. He continued to release best sellers for many years to come. Byrd was also an educator, having taught at Rutgers, NYU, and Howard University, to name a few. In all, Byrd earned three Master’s degrees, a Doctorate and law degree. During the ’90s, Byrd collaborated with hip hop great, Guru of Gang Starr fame on the latter’s Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 which was one of the first albums to back rap with live jazz musicians and give it a hip hop production. The landmark album was followed by a second volume that also featured Byrd. He also contributed to the evolution of hip hop through the use of sampling. Pieces of his music can be heard in cuts by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, and Naughty By Nature. Donald Byrd was 80 when he passed away on February 4, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus from Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.
What You Should Own
Dave Brubeck was a highly influential jazz pianist who, over the course of a career that spanned some 70 years, achieved pop star status thanks in part to his Top 25 hit single, “Take Five.” The album from which that song came, 1959’s Time Out, was the first jazz album to sell over 1 million copies and is still the best-selling jazz album in history. Born into a musical family in Concord, California, Brubeck was just four when he began taking piano lessons, and by his teens, he was already playing in a local dance band. When it came time to head off to college, Brubeck fully intended on a career in veterinary medicine, but when one of his professors caught one of his sets at a local club, he advised Brubeck to change his focus to music. He did just that, and after graduating with a degree in music, he served in WWII where he played in Red Cross shows for the soldiers. After the war, Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck Quartet and went on to have a storied career with roughly 125 albums to his name. He continued performing well into the 2000s, and along the way was recognized with a National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Smithsonian Medal, numerous honorary degrees, and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Dave Brubeck was one day shy of 92 when he passed away on December 5, 2012.
Austin Peralta was a respected young jazz pianist and composer. Just six when he began taking piano lessons, Peralta was quickly realized to have a gift most musicians his age don’t have. He went on to study with the likes of Alan Pasqua and Buddy Collette. At 15, Peralta performed at the renowned Tokyo Jazz Festival. Besides performing with his own trio at the festival, he played alongside the likes of Sadao Watanabe and Chick Corea. By age 16, Peralta had already released two albums, Maiden Voyage and Mantra, for Sony in Japan – both in 2006. He followed that in 2011 with Endless Planets. In 2004, Peralta contributed music to the soundtrack of Riding Giants, a surfing documentary directed by his father, Stacy Peralta, of Dogtown and Z-Boys fame. During the year leading up to his passing, Peralta performed regularly with Allan Holdsworth and appeared on Flying Lotus’ Until The Quiet Comes. Austin Peralta was 22 when he died on November 21, 2012. Cause of death was not immediately released.
David S. Ware was a respected American free jazz saxophonist who began making records in 1971. Likened to such sax greats as 
Shimrit Shoshan was an up-and-coming pianist who had been taking the New York jazz scene by storm over the past few years. Born near Tel Aviv, Israel, Shoshan took to music at an early age. Naturally gifted, she was accepted to a prestigious arts high school even though she had had no prior music training. After graduating, Shoshan served in the Israeli Army and then moved to New York where she continued her education. In 2010, Shoshan released her first and only album, Keep It Movin’ to critical acclaim. Shimrit Shoshan was 29 when she died of cardiac arrest on August 19, 2012.