Jazz

Died On This Date (November 10, 2009) Dick Katz / Jazz Pianist

Dick Katz
March 13, 1924 – November 10, 2009

dickkatzDick Katz was a jazz pianist and arranger who, throughout his career, played with the likes of Benny Carter, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins.  He landed a record deal with the legendary Atlantic Records in 1958.  And in 1966, he co-founded Milestone Records, a respected label that released albums by the likes of McCoy Tyner, Paul Bley and Rollins.  The label was absorbed by Fantasy Records in 1972.  Katz was also a respected music educator and writer, penning numerous jazz-related essays and liner notes throughout his 60-year career.  Dick Katz was 85 when he died of lung cancer on November 10, 2009.



Died On This Date (November 8, 1983) James Booker / New Orleans Piano Legend

James Booker
December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983

jamesbookerWhat separated James Booker from the countless other New Orleans pianists of his era was that he was a virtuoso on the instrument and could just as easily play classical as he could R&B, blues and jazz.  In 1949, Booker made his first record for the storied Imperial Records and was soon doing session work for the likes of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price.   He was just 15.  Booker released a handful of records during the early ’60s, but he was struggling with a growing drug habit.  His career hit an upswing in the mid ’70s, when he wowed the crowd at the 1975 New Orleans Jazzfest.  That resulted in a record deal with the respected Island Records and tours with the likes of Jerry Garcia. He made several more acclaimed albums and became a popular concert draw in Europe up through the early ’80s.  On November 8, 1983, James Booker died in a New Orleans hospital of kidney failure likely brought on by years of drug and alcohol abuse.  He was 47.

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Died On This Date (November 5, 2009) Stacy Rowles / L.A. Jazz Musician

Stacy Rowles
September 11, 1955 – November 5, 2009

stacyrowlesStacy Rowles was a respected trumpet and flugelhorn player and a singer, who made a name for herself throughout the Los Angeles jazz scene.  The daughter or noted composer and pianist, Jimmy Rowles, she started playing the piano at age six, but eventually moved over to the trumpet.  Throughout her career, Rowles played with Maiden Voyage, Jazz Tap Ensemble and the Jazz Birds.  She made a handful of her own albums for Concord and Delos Records, including 1984’s Tell it Like it Is, which some consider to be her best.  Stacy Rowles, 54, died on November 5, 2009 of injuries sustained in an earlier car accident.



On This Date (November 5, 1977) Guy Lombardo / World Famous Band Leader

Gaetano “Guy” Lombardo
June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977

lombardo

Guy Lombardo was an internationally famous band leader whose yearly New Year’s Eve shows were broadcast across the United States for many years.  Lombardo’s music career began in 1924, and by the ’30s, he and his group were the most popular dance band in the country.  He and his orchestra performed at New York’s famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel for three decades, and the radio and television broadcasts of their New Year’s Eve shows laid the foundation for New Year’s Eve broadcasts to come.  In fact, it’s Lombardo’s version of “Auld Lang Syne” that is played in New York’s Times Square (and countless other locations) every year.  Several sources have indicated that over the course of his career, Lombardo likely sold as many as 300 million records.  Guy Lombardo continued to perform right up until the time of his death in 1977.  He passed away at the age of 75.



Died On This Date (November 5, 1990) Bobby Scott / Jazz Musician

Bobby Scott
January 29, 1937 – November 5, 1990

bobbyscottBobby Scott was a notable jazz pianist who, remarkably, turned professional when he was just 11.  By the time he was 15, he was touring with the likes of Louis Prima.  During the ’50s, Scott played with Gene Krupa and scored a pop hit with “Chain Gang.”  In later years, Scott spent more time behind the scenes.  He served as music director for Dick Haymes and produced records by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Darin and Sarah Vaughan.  Bobby Scott passed away on November 5, 1990.