Died On This Date (June 10, 2009) Jack Nimitz / Jazz Saxophonist
themusicsover Jack Nimitz
January 11, 1930 – June 10, 2009
Jack Nimitz began playing the saxophone while a teenager in Washington DC. Throughout the ’50s, he played with such jazz greats as Woody Herman, Herbie Mann and Stan Getz. During the ’60s, Nimitz moved to Los Angeles to do film session work and continued to play with a who’s who list of West Coast jazz greats. During the ’70s, he played with a popular Charlie Parker tribute band called Supersax. Jack Nimitz died of emphysema at the age of 79.
Jimmy Giuffre was a respected jazz composer and arranger and also was also known for his stylish saxophone and clarinet skills. Getting his start as Woody Herman’s arranger in 1947, he went on to become of the main forces of West coast jazz. In 1961, Giuffre formed a trio with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow who, though not very successful at the time, went down in history as one of the most important groups in jazz history. Giuffre went on to teach at NYU and later the New England Conservatory of Music through the ’90s. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease throughout his later life and passed away on April 24, 2008 at the age of 86.
Jake Hanna was a respected jazz drummer who was known for his sense of timing and his ability to play well within either a big band or small combo setting. Over the course of his career, he played with the likes of Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, 
