Died On This Date (April 24, 2013) Bob Brozman / World Renowned Guitarist

Bob Brozman
March 8, 1954 – April 24, 2013

bob-brozmanBob Brozman was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist who is primarily known for playing the blues, jazz, ragtime, and the music of various islands.  He began releasing albums in the early ’80s and collaborated with musicians all around the world.  Brozman  was so knowledgeable about and practiced in so many styles of music that he has been called “a walking archive of 20th century American music.”  Throughout his career, he recorded with David Grisman, Lacy J. Dalton, and Vassar Clements to name just a few.  The most recent of 20+ albums was 2012’s Fire In The Mind.  Bob Brozman was 59 when he passed away on April 24, 2013.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Brett Ortone at Go Aloha Entertainment for the assist.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com



Died On This Date (August 16, 2005) Vassar Clements / Bluegrass Great

Vassar Clements
April 5, 1928 – August 16, 2005

Vassar Clements was an influential fiddler who, although mostly associated with bluegrass, also performed swing and jazz.  Self taught at the age of seven, it was only a matter of time before Clements successfully auditioned for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.   He played and recorded with Monroe for the better part of seven years, after which he went off to become one of Nashville’s most in demand session fiddlers.  The list of artists he recorded with is staggering.  It includes Faron Young, John Hartford, Earl Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, the Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, the Monkees, Dickey Betts, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ronstadt, and Jimmy Buffett.   Clements played on over 200 albums including nearly two dozen of his own.  In 2005, he won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Performance.  Vassar Clements died of cancer on August 16, 2005.  He was 77.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Vassar Clements

Died On This Date (December 31, 2002) Jim McReynolds / Bluegrass Great; Jim & Jesse

Jim McReynolds
February 13, 1927 – December 31, 2002

Jim McReynolds was a guitarist and singer who, with his brother, Jesse McReynolds, made up a popular bluegrass duo, Jim & Jesse.  Whether working just side-by-side, or within the confines of their group, the Virginia Boys, the McReynolds brothers were the longest running musical duo in history, with a career that lasted over 55 years.  Over the years, the Virginia Boys included such musical greats as Vassar Clements, Carl Jackson, and Earl Scruggs.  By the early ’50s, Jim & Jesse were recording for Capitol Records, and later, Columbia and Epic Records.  They also hosted their own national weekly radio program, The Suwannee River Jamboree during the late ’50s and early ’60s. They continued to record and perform together up through Jim’s death.   Jim McReynolds died of cancer on December 31, 2002.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Jim & Jesse