MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JULY 2021
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN JULY 2021
JULY 1
LOUIS ANDRIESSEN (82) / DUTCH COMPOSER AND PIANIST FROM A FAMILY OF COMPOSERS. HIS FIRST TEACHER WAS HIS FATHER HENDRIK ANDRIESSEN (1892-1981) NEXT KEES VAN BAAREN AT THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF THE HAGUE (VAN BAAREN ALSO TAUGHT MISHA MENGELBERG), THEN TWO YEARS WITH LUCIANO BERIO. INITIALLY ANDRIESSEN EXPERIMENTED WITH SERIALISM, PASTICHE AND TAPE MANIPULATION, THEN WAS INFLUENCED BY MODERN JAZZ, IGOR STRAVINSKY AND AMERICAN MINIMALISM, USING ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS LIKE GUITARS, BASS GUITARS ALSO SAXOPHONES, OCCASIONALLY FOR FEMALE JAZZ VOICE. HIS FAMOUS COMPOSITION DE STAAT (1972-1976) WAS INFLUENCED BY THE BIG BAND MUSIC OF COUNT BASIE AND STAN KENTON AND STEVE REICH'S REPETITIVE MUSIC.
BRYAN ST. PERE (52) / AMERICAN DRUMMER OF HUM, AN AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND PLAYING POST-HARDCORE, SPACE ROCK, ALTERNATIVE METAL ACTIVE 1989-2000 , 2003, 2005, 2008-2013, 2015-PRESENT. HUM INFLUENCED MANY MUSICIANS INCLUDING CHINO MORENO OF DEFTONES, DEAFHEAVEN ETC. FIRST DEMO MADE IN STEVE ALBINI'S BASEMENT IN CHICAGO, THEN FIVE STUDIO ALBUMS. BRYAN ST. PERE PLAYED IN HUM IN THE YEARS 1990-2000, 2003, 2011-2013, 2015-2021.
JULY 2
BILL RAMSEY (90) / AMERICAN JAZZ AND POP SINGER, JOURNALIST, ACTOR, EDUCATOR. BORN IN CINCINNATI, STUDIED SOCIOLOGY AT YALE UNIVERSITY AND SANG JAZZ, SWING AND BLUES. SERVED WITH THE U.S. AIR FORCE IN GERMANY, WHERE HE STAYED AND HAD A LIFELONG CAREER SINGING IN GERMAN, ENGLISH, SOMETIMES DANISH. FIRST LP RECORDED IN POLAND AS BIG BILL RAMSEY AT THE SOPOT JAZZ FESTIVAL 1957 RELEASED ON POLISH MUZA RECORD LABEL (CALEDONIA, GOIN' TO CHICAGO, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY, SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY). BILL RAMSEY OFTEN APPEARED ON TV, PLAYED IN 28 FILMS (INCLUDING EUROWESTERN OLD SHATTERHAND BASED ON KARL MAY NOVEL WHICH SOLD OVER 36 MILLION TICKETS).
JULY 3
RICK LAIRD (80) / IRISH MUSICIAN, JAZZ AND ROCK BASSIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, TEACHER, AUTHOR. BORN IN DUBLIN IN A MUSICAL FAMILY, PLAYED THE PIANO AND THE UKULELE AT THREE. TOOK UP PAINTING AND DRAWING. AT SIXTEEN TO NEW ZEALAND TO WORK ON A FARM. AFTER HEARING RAY BROWN BECAME A PROFESSIONAL BASSIST, PLAYED WITH PIANIST MIKE NOCK, THEN TO SYDNEY, WITH DON BURROWS ETC. IN 1962 TO ENGLAND. WORKED WITH LAMBERT, HENDRICKS AND ROSS, ZOOT SIMS, AL COHN, THE BRIAN AUGER TRINITY, THE BRIAN AUGER GROUP. HOUSE BASSIST AT RONNIE SCOTT'S JAZZ CLUB (WES MONTGOMERY, SONNY STITT). WITH SONNY ROLLINS ON SOUNDTRACK OF ALFIE (1966), WITH BUDDY RICH AT THE TALK OF THE TOWN CLUB IN 1969. FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE JAZZ FUSION BAND MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA (1971-1974 VERSION) WITH JOHN McLAUGHLIN, BILLY COBHAM, JERRY GOODMAN, JAN HAMMER. THEN RICK LAIRD TOURED WITH STAN GETZ AND CHICK COREA AND IN 1982 RETIRED FROM MUSIC BUSINESS, WORKING AS A BASS TEACHER AND PHOTOGRAPHER. RICK LAIRD RECORDED WITH THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA (5 ALBUMS), RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK, SONNY ROLLINS, STAN GETZ, YUSEF LATEEF, CZESŁAW NIEMEN, PRINCE LASHA, BENNY GOLSON, BUDDY RICH, ANITA O'DAY, ANNIE ROSS, RICHIE COLE, EDDIE DANIELS, EDDIE JEFFERSON, ERIC KLOSS, STAN TRACEY, VIC JURIS.
JULY 5
LEO VAN DE KETTERIJ (74) / DUTCH ROCK GUITARIST. CALLED "ZEEUWSE GITAARPRINS", FOR TWO YEARS IN THE EARLY 1970's PLAYED GUITAR IN THE HAGUE PSYCHEDELIC ROCK / GARAGE ROCK BAND SHOCKING BLUE (1967-1974, REUNIONS 1979, 1980, 1984). THEIR BIGGEST HIT AND #1 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 WAS "VENUS" IN 1969 (LOTS OF COVERS, MOST SUCCESSFUL BY BANANARAMA), IN 1968 "SEND ME A POSTCARD" (COVERED BY BOB MOULD), IN 1969 "LOVE BUZZ" (COVERED BY NIRVANA ON THEIR FIRST SINGLE FROM BLEACH AND BY PRODIGY), IN 1970 "NEVER MARRY A RAILROAD MAN".
JULY 6
DJIVAN GASPARYAN (68) / ARMENIAN MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER, KNOWN AS THE "MASTER OF THE DUDUK" (STARTED TO PLAY AT SIX). IN 2006 NOMINATED FOR GRAMMY. FOUR UNESCO MEDALS, IN 2002 WOMEX LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. HONORARY CITIZEN OF YEREVAN. PROFESSOR AT THE YEREVAN STATE MUSICAL CONSERVATORY. FANS AND COLLABORATORS INCLUDE: SAINKHO NAMTCHYLAK, DAVID SYLVIAN, STING, PETER GABRIEL, BRIAN MAY, LIONEL RICHIE, KRONOS QUARTET, THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC, HANS ZIMMER, ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER. DJIVAN GASPARYAN PLAYED AT THE 2010 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST IN OSLO, BEING THE OLDEST EVER PERSON PERFORMING THERE. CONTRIBUTED TO FILM SOUNDTRACKS (THE CROW, RONIN, GLADIATOR, SYRIANA ETC).
JULY 7
MICHAEL HOROVITZ (86) / BRITISH POET, EDITOR, ARTIST, TRANSLATOR, AN IMPORTANT FIGURE OF THE UK BEAT POETRY SCENE. IN 1959, WHILE STUDYING AT OXFORD, FOUNDED THE LITERARY MAGAZINE NEW DEPARTURES, PUBLISHING SAMUEL BECKETT, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, STEVIE SMITH, WHICH HE EDITED FOR 50 YEARS. HOROVITZ ORGANIZED POETRY EVENTS LIKE LIVE NEW DEPARTURES (POETRY AND JAZZ PERFORMANCES), JAZZ POETRY SUPER JAMS, POETRY OLYMPICS. IN JUNE 1965 HE TOOK PART IN THE INTERNATIONAL POETRY INCARNATION AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL ALONG WITH ALLEN GINSBERG, LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, GREGORY CORSO, ANDREI VOZNESENSKY, ALEXANDER TROCCHI, PETE BROWN AND MANY OTHERS WITH AN AUDIENCE OF 7000 PEOPLE INCLUDING INDIRA GANDHI. IN 1969 MICHAEL HOROVITZ PUBLISHED A RELATED ANTHOLOGY CHILDREN OF ALBION: POETRY OF THE UNDERGROUND IN BRITAIN (PENGUIN). FOR HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY AN ALBUM WAS RELEASED WITH HIS POEM SEQUENCE "BANKBUSTED NUCLEAR DETERGENT BLUES" ON WHICH HE PERFORMS WITH PAUL WELLER, GRAHAM COXON, DAMON ALBARN.
JULY 9
VOLAIR JOHNSON ( ) / JAMAICAN ACTOR KNOWN ESPECIALLY FOR HIS ROLES IN THE JAMAICAN CLASSIC CRIME FILM THE HARDER THEY COME (1972) AND THE CANADIAN DRAMA FILM MILK AND HONEY (1988). THE HARDER THEY COME IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SKA / REGGAE SOUNDTRACK AND THE APPEARANCE OF JIMMY CLIFF, PRINCE BUSTER AND AN IMPORTANT CHINESE-JAMAICAN SKA / ROCKSTEADY / REGGAE RECORD PRODUCER FROM KINGSTON, LESLIE KING (THE CHINAMAN).
JULY 10
ESTHER BÉJARANO (96) / GERMAN SINGER, PIANIST, ACCORDIONIST BORN ESTHER LÖWY, ONE OF THE LAST SURVIVORS OF THE GERMAN AUSCHWITZ EXTERMINATION CAMP (DEATH CAMP). PLAYED IN THE WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA OF AUSCHWITZ (FORMED BY ORDER OF THE SS), CONSISTING OF YOUNG FEMALE JEWISH AND SLAVIC PRISONERS FORCED TO PLAY (OFTEN FOR MANY HOURS AND REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS) AT THE GATE OF THE WOMEN'S CAMP WHEN GROUPS OF SLAVE LABOURERS LEFT AND CAME BACK. ALSO DURING THE SO-CALLED "SELECTION" AND TO ENTERTAIN THE SS MEN AND JOSEF MENGELE. THIS WAY SOME OF THESE WOMEN COULD SAVE THEIR LIVES. THE FIRST CONDUCTOR WAS THE POLISH MUSIC TEACHER ZOFIA CZAJKOWSKA, THEN ALMA ROSÉ, NIECE OF GUSTAV MAHLER.
BYRON BERLINE (77) / AMERICAN FIDDLE AND MANDOLIN PLAYER, WHO PLAYED BLUEGRASS, COUNTRY, ROCK, CAJUN, OLD TIME, RAGTIME. IN 1965 ALBUM PICKIN' AND FIDDLIN' WITH THE DILLARDS, THEN JOINED BILL MONROE'S BLUEGRASS BOYS. IN 1969 IN L.A. RECORDED "COUNTRY HONK" WITH THE ROLLING STONES FOR THEIR LET IT BLEED ALBUM. IN 1971 JOINED THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS (2 ALBUMS), THEN JOINED STEPHEN STILLS ON HIS MANASSAS SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM. IN 1972 HIS OWN COUNTRY GAZETTE. BYRON BERLINE RECORDED WITH BOB DYLAN, THE ROLLING STONES, THE BYRDS, ELTON JOHN, JANIS IAN, EARL SCRUGGS, DILLARD & CLARK, BILL MONROE, WILLIE NELSON, THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS, GENE CLARK, THE EAGLES, THE BAND, ROD STEWART, JOHN DENVER, DOC WATSON, GRAM PARSONS, EMMYLOU HARRIS, VINCE GILL, ALABAMA, TAMMY WYNETTE, BILL WYMAN, STEPHEN STILLS, THE DILLARDS, MANHATTAN TRANSFER, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, DEKE LEONARD, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, ANDY STATMAN AND MANY OTHERS. BYRON BERLINE CONTRIBUTED TO MANY TV AND FILM SOUNDTRACKS INCLUDING STAR TREK AND BACK TO THE FUTURE AND FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT OKLAHOMA INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL.
CHRIS HUTKA ( ) / AKA "THE BEAR", AMERICAN POST-HARDCORE VOCALIST, CO-FOUNDER AND SINGER (CLEAN VOCALS) OF THE EXPERIMENTAL POST-HARDCORE PUNK BAND THE BUNNY THE BEAR. WAS ON THE BAND'S FIRST FIVE ALBUMS, LEAVING AND RETURNING THREE TIMES, BATTLING HIS DRUG ADDICTION.
JULY 11
JUINI BOOTH (73) / AMERICAN JAZZ BASSIST. PIANO AT 8, BASS AT 12. 1964-1965 IN HIS HOMETOWN BUFFALO WITH CHUCK MANGIONE, SINCE 1966 IN NYC. LATE 1960's WITH EDDIE HARRIS, ART BLAKEY, SONNY SIMMONS, MARZETTE WATTS, FREDDIE HUBBARD, GARY BARTZ. IN 1969 WITH SHELLY MANNE IN HOLLYWOOD. EARLY 1970's WITH TONY WILLIAMS' LIFETIME, McCOY TYNER, LARRY YOUNG, MASABUMI KIKUCHI. LATE 1970's HAMIET BLUIETT, CHICO FREEMAN, JUNIOR COOK, ELVIN JONES, CHARLES TOLLIVER. LATER WITH BEAVER HARRIS, STEVE GROSSMAN, JOE CHAMBERS, SUN RA, THE ARKESTRA.
JULY 13
BROTHER RESISTANCE (66-67) / BORN ROY LEWIS AKA LUTALO MASIMBA, RHYTHM POET AND MUSICIAN FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. THE LEAD SINGER OF THE NETWORK RIDDIM BAND FOUNDED WITH BROTHER SHORTMAN IN 1979. THEY DEVELOPED A COMBINATION OF SOCA AND RAP CALLED RAPSO WHICH WAS INVENTED BY LANCELOT LAYNE. CONSIDERED DANGEROUS AND SUBVERSIVE, THEIR REHEARSAL SPACE AND OFFICE WERE RAIDED AND DESTROYED BY THE POLICE IN 1983. FIRST ALBUM ROOTS OF DE RAPSO RHYTHM (1984), THEN RAPSO EXPLOSION (1985) AND RAPSO TAKEOVER (1986). BROTHER RESISTANCE REPRESENTED T&T AT THE WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS IN KOREA, IN 1992 AT NEW YORK'S NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL AND IN 1993 AT THE INTERNATIONAL DUB POETRY FESTIVAL IN TORONTO.
JULY 15
PYOTR MAMONOV (70) / RUSSIAN ROCK MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER, GUITARIST, ACTOR, FRONTMAN OF THE MOSCOW POST-PUNK, INDIE, ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND ZVUKI MU. MAMONOV WAS A FAN OF R&B, SOUL, ROCK AND ROLL AND JAZZ (LIKED THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS, JANE'S ADDICTION, WEATHER REPORT OR NINE INCH NAILS). IN THE 1960's HIS FIRST BAND EXPRESS COVERED THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, LED ZEPPELIN. IN 1983 HE FOUNDED ZVUKI MU, AN EXPERIMENTAL, LO-FI, POST-PUNK BAND, ACTIVE UNTIL 1990, (THEN REFORMED 1993-2005 AND 2015-2021), WITH HIS HALF-BROTHER ALKSEY BORTNICHUK AND SCHOOL FRIEND ALEKSANDR LIPNITSKY (WHO DIED OVER THREE MONTHS AGO - CHECK THE MARCH OBITS). IN THE LATE 1980's MAMONOV COLLABORATED WITH BRIAN ENO, ACTED IN FILMS AND IN ONE-MAN THEATRICAL PLAYS AND STARTED A NEW BAND WITH YOUNGER BROTHER CALLED MAMONOV AND ALEKSEY. NOT VACCINATED, WAS KILLED BY COVID-19.
TSEPO TSHOLA (67) / MOSOTHO JAZZ MUSICIAN FROM LESOTHO, LEAD SINGER AND COMPOSER IN SANKOMOTA, FORMED IN 1976, WHICH PLAYED AFRO-JAZZ AND ROCK FUSION WITH THE LEADER FRANK LEEPA ON GUITAR AND BLACK JESUS ON PERCUSSION. THE BAND RELEASED NINE ALBUMS AND WHEN SANKOMOTO SPLIT, TSEPO TSHOLA HAD A SOLO CAREER, PERFORMING AND RECORDING IN LESOTHO, SOUTH AFRICA AND EUROPE WITH HITS LIKE "HOLOKILE".
JULY 16
BIZ MARKIE (57) / AKA MARCEL THEO HALL, AMERICAN RAPPER, SINGER, DJ, RECORD PRODUCER, ACTOR, COMEDIAN, WRITER. BIGGEST HIT "JUST A FRIEND" IN 1989 (#9 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS). IN 1991 HIS THIRD ALBUM I NEED A HAIRCUT INCLUDED "ALONE AGAIN" WHICH ILLEGALLY SAMPLED THE 1972 GILBERT O'SULLIVAN'S HIT "ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)" AND O'SULLIVAN SUED HIM. THE LANDMARK RULING CHANGED HIP HOP STATING THAT ALL SAMPLES MUST BE CLEARED. BIZ MARKIE WORKED WITH THE BEASTIE BOYS ON THEIR CHECK YOUR HEAD (1992), ILL COMMUNICATION (1994) AND HELLO NASTY (1998) AND RAPPED ON DON BYRON'S "SCHIZO JAM" FROM BYRON'S ALBUM NU BLAXPLOITATION (BLUE NOTE, 1998). ALSO WITH CANIBUS, SLICK RICK AND ON AMERICA IS DYING SLOWLY, A COMPILATION ALBUM (RED HOT AIDS BENEFIT, 1996). THE ROLLING STONES SAMPLED BIZ IN THEIR "ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY?" IN 1997. LOTS OF FILM AND TV APPEARANCES INCLUDING PUNK ROCK BAND THE RAMONES INSPIRED YO GABBA GABBA!
JULY 17
ROBBY STEINHARDT (71) / AMERICAN ROCK VIOLINIST AND SINGER, CO-LEAD VOCALIST, FRONTMAN AND MC FOR PROGRESSIVE ROCK AND HARD ROCK BAND KANSAS (THE OTHER WAS KEYBOARDIST STEVE WALSH). STEINHARDT SANG IN A LOWER VOICE. HE WAS WITH KANSAS 1973-1982 AND 1997-2006 AND PLAYED ON THEIR GREATEST HIT, THE SOFT ROCK BALLAD "DUST IN THE WIND" RECORDED IN 1977 IN NASHVILLE (TOP TEN, #6 ON BILLBOARD HOT 100) AND SANG ON "CARRY ON WAYWARD SON" IN 1976 (TOP TWENTY, #11 ON BILLBOARD HOT 100). KANSAS HAD NINE GOLD ALBUMS, ONE PLATINUM STUDIO, ONE PLATINUM LIVE DOUBLE AND THREE MULTI-PLATINUM ALBUMS. IN 1996 STEINHARDT WAS INVITED TO PLAY ON A TRIBUTE TO JETHRO TULL ALBUM TO CRY YOU A SONG AND ON JON ANDERSON'S ALBUM 1000 HANDS: CHAPTER ONE WITH OTHER VIOLINISTS LIKE JERRY GOODMAN, JEAN-LUC PONTY ETC. IN 2018 (REL. 2019).
JULY 19
CHUCK E. WEISS (76) / AMERICAN SINGER, SONGWRITER, RACONTEUR, L.A. CLUB OWNER AND DRUMMER, SANG A COMBINATION OF BLUES, BEAT POETRY AND ROCK AND ROLL. BORN IN DENVER, SON OF A RECORD STORE OWNERS, LOVED THE BLUES, MET LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS AT A LOCAL BAR AND WENT ON TOUR WITH HIM. PLAYED WITH MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN' WOLF, DR. JOHN, ROGER MILLER. EARLY 1970's WORKED AS A DJ FOR AN ALTERNATIVE ROCK RADIO STATION IN DENVER. MOVED TO L.A. AND BEFRIENDED TOM WAITS AND RICKY LEE JONES. THE THREE MOVED INTO THE TROPICANA HOTEL (SOME OTHER RESIDENTS WERE THE RAMONES, IGGY POP, BLONDIE, BOB MARLEY, JIM MORRISON). WEISS CO-WROTE "SPARE PARTS (NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS)" ON TOM WAITS' 1975 NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER. TOM WAITS REFERRED TO CHUCK E. WEISS IN HIS SONG "JITTERBUG BOY" FROM THE 1976 SMALL CHANGE ALBUM. IN 1979 RICKIE LEE JONES WROTE "CHUCK E's IN LOVE" DEDICATED TO WEISS AND IT BECAME HER BIGGEST HIT (#4 ON THE BILLBOARD U.S. HOT 100). BOTH WEISS AND JONES WERE HEROIN ADDICTS. THE SUCCESS OF "CHUCK E's IN LOVE" KICKSTARTED HIS RECORDING CAREER. DEBUT ALBUM THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN IN 1981. SECOND ALBUM EXTREMELY COOL IN 1999 WITH HELP FROM TOM WAITS AND PUNK ROCK GUITARIST TONY GILKYSON (LONE JUSTICE AND X). THEN OLD SOULS & WOLF TICKETS (INCL."DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE" WITH WILLIE DIXON, FROM 1970) IN 2001. IN 2014 WEISS MADE RED BEANS AND WEISS WITH TOM WAITS AND CO-PRODEUCED BY JOHNNY DEPP FOR THE ANTI- LABEL (PARENT COMPANY EPITAPH RECORDS). IN 1995 WEISS APPEARED ON ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND'S P SELF-TITLED ALBUM WITH GIBBY HAYNES FROM BUTTHOLE SURFERS, JOHNNY DEPP, STEVE JONES FROM SEX PISTOLS, FLEA FROM RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND THE PRODUCER WAS ANDREW WEISS FROM ROLLINS BAND. IN EARLY 1990s OPENED A CLUB THE VIPER ROOM WITH FRIEND JOHNNY DEPP (RIVER PHOENIX DIED IN FRONT OF THE VENUE). AFTER DECADES OF ADDICTION ADOPTED A KIND OF STRAIGHT EDGE PHILOSOPHY.
TOLIS VOSKOPOULOS (80) / Τόλης Βοσκόπουλος BORN APOSTOLOS, SINGER, ACTOR, COMPOSER, A LEGEND OF MODERN GREEK MUSIC, SANG POPULAR MUSIC AND LAIKA, WHICH CAME AFTER REBETIKO GOT COMMERCIAL. MADE ABOUT FIFTY ALBUMS. PLAYED IN THE ATHENS THEATRE AND STARRED IN MANY FILMS LIKE THE 1971 MARIJUANA STOP! (Μαριχουάνα Στοπ)
JULY 20
JERRY GRANELLI (80) / AMERICAN-BORN CANADIAN JAZZ DRUMMER. FATHER AND UNCLE WERE JAZZ DRUMMERS. WHEN HE WAS 7, HE SPENT A DAY WITH GENE KRUPA AND WAS BITTEN BY THE DRUMMING BUG. STUDIED WITH JOE MORELLO (FROM THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET) WHO TAUGHT MANY WELL-KNOWN JAZZ AND ROCK DRUMMERS. JOE MORELLO WAS A MASTER OF UNUSUAL TIME SIGNATURES. IN THE 1960s JERRY GRANELLI RECORDED AND TOURED WITH THE VINCE GUARALDI TRIO. TOGETHER WITH BASSIST FRED MARSHALL, GRANELLI CONSTITUTED THE SECOND CLASSIC VINCE GUARALDI TRIO. WITH THE TRIO HE MADE FIVE ALBUMS, THE LAST OF THEM BEING A TRIPLE-PLATINUM A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED $120. LATER HE WAS IN THE DENNY ZEITLIN TRIO WITH CHARLIE HADEN. IN THE 1970's JERRY GRANELLI OCCASIONALLY PLAYED WITH THE ALL-FEMALE LEGEND THE ACE OF CUPS (FOUNDED IN 1967, THEY REFORMED IN 2017 AND STILL PLAY). HE WAS A DEDICATED BUDDHIST PRACTITIONER.
JULY 22
PETER REHBERG (53) / AKA PITA, BRITISH COMPOSER OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC, CO-FOUNDER AND HEAD OF INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL MEGO, THEN EDITIONS MEGO, WHICH WAS BASED IN VIENNA. APART FROM RELEASING HIS OWN ALBUMS AND HIS COLLABORATIONS WITH CHRISTIAN FENNESZ, JIM O'ROURKE (FENN O'BERG) WITH ALBUM COVER ART BY CHICKS ON SPEED, WITH STEPHEN O'MALLEY (KTL), RAMON BAUER AND WITH Z'EV, MEGO RELEASED RECORDINGS BY ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI, ALAN VEGA, BRUCE GILBERT (FROM PUNK BAND WIRE), MERZBOW, ROB MAZUREK, MIKA VAINIO / PAN SONIC, POST-PUNK CINDYTALK (AFTER PUNK THE FREEZE SPLIT), AND MANY OTHERS. MEGO WAS AWARDED AT ARS ELECTRONICA IN 1999 WITH JIM O'ROURKE DEFINING THE MEGO PRODUCTIONS AS "A BRAND NEW PUNK COMPUTER MUSIC".
JULY 23
PATRICIA KENNEALY MORRISON (75) / AKA PATRICIA MORRISON AKA PATRICIA KENNEALY, BORN PATRICIA KENNELY, AMERICAN AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST. WROTE ROCK CRITICISM, A MEMOIR, SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY, MURDER MYSTERY NOVELS. LATE 1960's A WRITER, LATER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF JAZZ & POP MAGAZINE. JANUARY 1969 INTERVIEWED JIM MORRISON OF THE DOORS, THEN WAS HIS FRIEND, THEN MARRIED MORRISON (CELTIC HANDFASTING CEREMONY - JUNE 1970). IN 1991 PLAYED A SMALL ROLE AND WAS ADVISOR ON THE DOORS, A MOVIE BY OLIVER STONE, WHICH SHE LATER STRONGLY CRTICIZED. IN 2007 STARTED HER OWN PUBLISHING HOUSE, LIZARD QUEEN PRESS. DATE OF DEATH UNKNOWN, ANNOUNCED ON 23.07.
JULY 25
JOHN HUTCHINSON ( ) / AKA "HUTCH", BRITISH JAZZ, ROCK AND FOLK GUITARIST, IMPORTANT EARLY DAVID BOWIE COLLABORATOR. EARLY 1960's IN BANDS SUPPORTING LITTLE RICHARD AND GENE VINCENT. IN THREE IMPORTANT DAVID BOWIE BANDS FOR SEVEN YEARS (1966-1973) INCLUDING THE BUZZ, A FOLK TRIO FEATHERS WITH BOWIE AND HERMIONE FARTHINGALE, A FOLK DUO WITH BOWIE AND AFTER SURPRISING SUCCESS OF "SPACE ODDITY", JOHN HUTCHINSON WAS A RHYTHM GUITARIST AND BACKING SINGER DURING THE FINAL TOUR OF THE ZIGGY STARDUST BAND IN 1973. HE PLAYED ON THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF "SPACE ODDITY". LATER HUTCH WAS IN THE BAND AMERICAN ECHOES RELEASING ONE SINGLE IN 1979. THEN WORKED IN THE OIL INDUSTRY AND AS A JAZZ GUITARIST. IN 2014 PUBLISHED A MEMOIR "BOWIE & HUTCH".
COUNT M'BUTU (76) / BORN HAROLD L. JONES, AMERICAN DRUMMER AND PERCUSSIONIST FROM ATLANTA, THE ELDEST MEMBER OF THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND, AN ECLECTIC GROUP MIXING BLUES, SOUTHERN ROCK, JAZZ, SOUL, FUNK, RHYTHM AND BLUES, GOSPEL, AFRO-BEAT, CLASSICAL INDIAN MUSIC AND WORLD FUSION. COUNT M'BUTU WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY AFRICAN MUSIC AND STUDIED IT BOTH IN ATLANTA AND NIGERIA. BEFORE JOINING DEREK TRUCKS BAND IN 2004, IN 2000 HE MADE HIS OWN ALBUM SEE THE SUN (TERMINUS RECORDS). HIS EARLY MENTOR WAS ARMANDO PERAZA (OF SANTANA BAND). M'BUTU TOURED WITH NANCY WILSON, GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, AND PLAYED WITH THE AQUARIUM RESCUE UNIT, A JAZZ-ROCK GROUP LED BY COLONEL BRUCE HAMPTON WHO GAVE HAROLD THE NAME COUNT M'BUTU (TWO ALBUMS TOGETHER).
JULY 26
MIKE HOWE (55) / AMERICAN ROCK SINGER, ACTIVE IN THRASH, SPEED AND POWER METAL. STARTED IN DETROIT IN HELLION (LATER CALLED SNAIR). THEN JOINED SPEED METAL HERETIC FROM L.A. (1986-1988) AND MADE ONE ALBUM WITH THEM (BREAKING POINT IN 1988). AFTER HERETIC, WORKED WITH METAL CHURCH (1988-1996 AND 2015-2021), A THRASH/SPEED METAL BAND ORIGINALLY CALLED SHRAPNEL. MIKE HOWE MADE SEVEN ALBUMS WITH METAL CHURCH CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR SUCCESS WITH HIS VOCALS AND LYRICS DISCUSSING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL MATTERS.
JOEY JORDISON (46) / AMERICAN MUSICIAN AND SONGWRITER. HE WAS DRUMMER, CO-SONGWRITER AND FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE METAL BAND SLIPKNOT (1995-2013, FOUR STUDIO ALBUMS AND A LIVE ONE) AND GUITARIST IN HORROR PUNK MURDERDOLLS. DRUMMER AND FOUNDER OF SCAR THE MARTYR (2013-2016). HE ALSO WORKED WITH THE REJECTS (WHICH BECAME MURDERDOLLS), VIMIC, SINSAENUM. THE FIRST BAND JOEY JORDISON STARTED WHEN HE WAS 16, WAS SPEED METAL/THRASH MODIFIDIOUS (1991-1995). IN 1996 JOINED FOR ABOUT A YEAR A PUNK BAND CALLED THE HAVE NOTS. ITS THREE MEMBERS LATER FOUNDED SLIPKNOT. AFTER 18 YEARS IN SLIPKNOT HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE HAD PROBLEMS WITH PLAYING DRUMS DUE TO A RARE NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE. JORDISON MADE GUEST APPEARANCES AND TOURING WITH METALLICA, MINISTRY, KORN, SATYRICON, ROB ZOMBIE. HE WAS INFLUENCED BY JAZZ DRUMMERS GENE KRUPA AND BUDDY RICH AND BY KEITH MOON, JOHN BONHAM, PETER CRISS.
JULY 28
DUSTY HILL (72) / BORN JOSEPH MICHAEL HILL, AMERICAN HARD ROCK, BLUES ROCK MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER, BASSIST AND SECONDARY LEAD VOCALIST OF ZZ TOP. AT SCHOOL PLAYED CELLO. FIRST JOBS AS A SINGER AT 8. WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER, GUITARIST ROCKY HILL AND DRUMMER FRANK BEARD WAS IN LOCAL DALLAS BANDS, INCLUDING A GARAGE ROCK GROUP AMERICAN BLUES (1966-1968), PLAYING PSYCHEDELIC BLUES ROCK INFLUENCED BY THE LEGENDARY 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS LED BY ROKY ERICKSON. IN 1968 HILL BROTHERS AND FRANK BEARD MOVED TO HOUSTON. ROCKY LEFT TO CONCENTRATE ON "STRAIGHT BLUES" AND THE OTHER TWO JOINED ZZ TOP, A BAND FORMED BY SINGER / GUITARIST BILLY GIBBONS (BEARD IN 1969 AND DUSTY IN 1970). THIS TRIO PLAYED TOGETHER FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS. HILL CO-WROTE "TUSH", ONE OF ZZ TOP's BIGGEST HITS (BILLBOARD TOP TWENTY). IN 2004 DUSTY HILL WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AS A MEMBER OF ZZ TOP.
JULY 30
JACOB DESVARIEUX (65) / FRENCH SINGER, ARRANGER, MUSIC PRODUCER, ELECTRIC GUITARIST. CHILDHOOD IN GUADELOUPE AND MARTINIQUE, THEN SENEGAL. AT 16 IN MARSEILLE FORMED A ROCK BAND. MOVED TO PARIS AND IN 1979 WITH PIERRE-ÉDOUARD DÉCIMUS FORMED KASSAV', A CARIBBEAN MUSIC GROUP WHICH RELEASED 20 ALBUMS. DESVARIEUX WAS A PIONEER OF CARIBBEAN ZOUK MUSIC. MADE 5 SOLO ALBUMS, WORKED FOR THE CINEMA AND TELEVISION AND RECEIVED DIFFERENT MEDALS AND HONOURS.
JULY 31
JERZY MATUSZKIEWICZ (93) / AKA "DUDUŚ", POLISH JAZZ MUSICIAN (ALTO SAX, ALSO CLARINET, PIANO), BANDLEADER, COMPOSER (JAZZ, POP SONGS, FILM MUSIC). A PIONEER AND GIANT OF POLISH JAZZ AND FILM MUSIC. FATHER WAS A LAWYER (EDUCATED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LVIV). AFTER WWII FAMILY HAD TO LEAVE LVIV AND MOVED TO KRAKÓW. MATUSZKIEWICZ STUDIED CLARINET, THEN SAXOPHONE AND IN 1947 JOINED A BIG BAND LED BY KAZIMIERZ TUREWICZ. IN 1948 FOUNDED A JAZZ CLUB AT THE KRAKÓW YMCA. AFTER YMCA HAD BEEN CLOSED, MOVED TO ŁÓDŹ TO STUDY AT THE FILM ACADEMY. A BIG FAN OF PHOTOGRAPHY, HE WANTED TO BE A CINEMATOGRAPHER. AT THE SAME TIME WAS ACTIVE IN THE UNOFFICIAL JAZZ UNDERGROUND. IN 1949 JOINED THE LEGENDARY AND PIONEERING JAZZ GROUP MELOMANI. WHEN WARSAW YMCA CLOSED, MELOMANI SPLIT. THEY REFORMED 1950/1951 IN ŁÓDŹ, THIS TIME WITH TWO OUTSTANDING PIANISTS/COMPOSERS ANDRZEJ TRZASKOWSKI AND KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA TRZCIŃSKI. SOON MATUSZKIEWICZ-LED MELOMANI BECAME VERY POPULAR AND ACQUIRED SOME GREAT NEW MEMBERS LIKE ROMAN "GUCIO" DYLĄG AND ZBIGNIEW NAMYSŁOWSKI. BETWEEN 1952-1954 MELOMANI MADE RECORDINGS AT THE POLISH RADIO KRAKÓW. IN 1954 JERZY MATUSZKIEWICZ WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FIRST POLISH JAZZ FESTIVAL ZADUSZKI JAZZOWE IN KRAKÓW. ZADUSZKI JAZZOWE IS ONE OF THE TWO OLDEST (THE OTHER IS THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL) EXISTING JAZZ FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD. IN THE EARLY 1960s BEGAN A GREAT NEW CAREER OF WRITING FILM MUSIC. HE WROTE SOUNDTRACKS TO MANY IMPORTANT AND/OR VERY POPULAR FILMS AND TV SERIES, AND HIS MUSIC WAS SOMETIMES MORE POPULAR AND REMEMBERED THAN THE FILM ITSELF. ESPECIALLY THE INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS TV SERIES STAWKA WIĘKSZA NIŻ ŻYCIE (STAKES LARGER THAN LIFE), THE BIGGEST TV HIT OF ALL TIME AND THE SOUNDTRACK FAMOUS AND LEGENDARY. MANY OF HIS POP SONGS WERE BIG HITS. JERZY "DUDUŚ" MATUSZKIEWICZ RECEIVED LOTS OF MEDALS, HONORS AND AWARDS.
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