MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN SEPTEMBER 2021
MUSICIANS WHO DIED IN SEPTEMBER 2021
SEPTEMBER 1
ALEKSANDR KHRABUNOV (61) / RUSSIAN ROCK GUITARIST. PLAYED ALSO BASS GUITAR , ACOUSTIC GUITAR. STARTED PLAYING WITH BANDS AT SCHOOL. AT 18, IN LENINGRAD, FIRST SERIOUS GROUP FAREWELL, BLACK MONDAY (NAME INSPIRED BY KURT VONNEGUT). INITIALLY HARD ROCKER. GOT MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN PUNK ROCK (THEIR COVER OF THE BEATLES' "HELP" SOUNDED LIKE SEX PISTOLS. IN 1981 JOINED THE ZOOPARK (ЗООПАРК) FOUNDED BY SINGER SONGWRITER MIKE NAUMENKO AKA MIKHAIL NAUMENKO WHICH PLAYED BLUES ROCK, GARAGE ROCK, PUNK ROCK. ZOOPARK MADE 7 ALBUMS AND NAUMENKO, ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL, DIED (OR WAS KILLED) AT 36 IN 1991. LATER KHRABUNOV PLAYED WITH LENINGRAD'S THE HOOX, THEN COVER BAND KRAKATAU SURFERS. IN 1996 GUESTED ON THE ALBUM LYRICS OF CAPITALISM BY THE BAND ST. PETERSBURG.
ROBBIE ROBINSON (81) / AKA ROBBIE DALE AKA THE ADMIRAL, BRITISH RADIO DISC JOCKEY. MAIN DJ ON THE OFFSHORE PIRATE RADIO SHIP RADIO CAROLINE WHICH HAD 23 MILLION LISTENERS. ITS ACTIVITY WAS STOPPED BY THE MARINE BROADCASTING OFFENCES ACT ON 14 AUGUST 1967. THEN WORKED FOR THE DUTCH PIRATE RADIO SHIP RADIO VERONICA (MAY 1968 - AUGUST 1969). MOVED TO IRELAND AND FOUNDED SUNSHINE 101 DUBLIN, THE FIRST SUPER PIRATE RADIO STATION WHICH STARTED BROADCASTING ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1980. THE GOVERNMENT WAS AFRAID TO OPPOSE BUT RTÉ WERE JAMMING SUNSHINE (THE HEIGHT IN SPRING 1984). SUNSHINE'S FINAL HOUR OF BROADCASTING WAS 6 PM ON 30 DECEMBER 1988. IN 1969 ROBBIE DALE RECORDED THE SINGLE "SOUL MAMA" AND WROTE THE SINGLE "SOUL ENTERTAINER". HE IS A MEMBER OF THE PIRATE RADIO HALL OF FAME.
SEPTEMBER 2
MIKIS THEODORAKIS (96) / Μιχαήλ "Μίκης"Θεοδωράκης GREEK COMPOSER AND LYRICIST, AUTHOR OF OVER 1,000 WORKS. WROTE SYMPHONIC AND CHAMBER MUSIC COMPOSITIONS, BALLETS, OPERAS, MUSIC FOR FILM AND THEATRE (BOTH MODERN PLAYS AND CLASSICAL TRAGEDIES). IN 1965 COMPOSED THE "MAUTHAUSEN TRILOGY", FOR SOME CRITICS "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL COMPOSITION EVER WRITTEN ABOUT HOLOCAUST". AT THE TIME OF ITS LONDON PREMIERE, THEODRAKIS WAS IMPRISONED BY THE GREEK MILITARY JUNTA AND HIS MUSIC WAS BANNED. HE WAS THE MAIN OPPONENT OF THE 1967-1974 GREEK JUNTA. IN 1967 HE WAS ARRESTED AND SPENT FIVE MONTHS IN PRISON. FOR MANY YEARS HE WAS AN MP AND A MINISTER, SUPPORTING CULTURE AND FIGHTING DRUGS AND TERRORISM. MIKIS THEODORAKIS WROTE LOTS OF FILM SCORES INCLUDING PHAEDRA (1961), ZORBA THE GREEK (1964), Z (1969), SERPICO (1973) OFTEN WORKING WITH DIRECTORS LIKE JULES DASSIN, MICHAEL CACOYANNIS, COSTA-GAVRAS, SIDNEY LUMET.
ALEMAYEHU ESHETE (80) / BORN ዓለማየሁ እሸቴ, ETHIOPIAN SINGER, JAZZ VOCALIST. IN THE EARLY 1960s JOINED ADDIS ABBABA POLICE ORCHESTRA. FIRST HIT "SEUL" IN 1961. MADE ABOUT 30 SINGLES. APPEARS ON THE COMPILATION CD SERIES ETHIOPIQUES. SANG MAINLY IN AMHARIC. IN 2008 TOURED THE US WITH MAHMOUD AHMED PERFORMING WITH THE 10-PIECE EITHER / ORCHESTRA FROM BOSTON.
SEPTEMBER 5
RICKIE LEE REYNOLDS (72) / AKA RISKY REYNOLDS AKA RICOCHET REYNOLDS, AMERICAN ROCK GUITARIST, A FOUNDING MEMBER AND RHYTHM GUITARIST FOR SOUTHERN ROCK GROUP BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, FORMED IN 1963 ORIGINALLY UNDER THE NAME THE KNOWBODY ELSE (1963-1970). EARLY INFLUENCES WERE ROCK, GOSPEL, COUNTRY, BLUES, THEN THE BEATLES AND THE BYRDS, PSYCHEDELIA. FIRST PA SYSTEM STOLEN, THE BAND SENTENCED TO 26 YEARS AT THE TUCKER PRISON FARM. SIGNED BY STAX RECORDS THEN ATCO RECORDS, IN 1971 CHANGED NAME TO BLACK OAK ARKANSAS. ACCUSED OF SATANIC MESSAGES, INVITED BY ELVIS PRESLEY TO GRACELAND. THE BAND HAS EXISTED ALMOST 60 YEARS. IN 2016 RICKIE LEE REYNOLDS PUBLISHED HIS WELL-RECEIVED SCIENCE FICTION BOOK EVIL THINGIES. KILLED BY COVID-19.
SEPTEMBER 7
PHIL SCHAAP (70) / AMERICAN JAZZ DISC JOCKEY, JAZZ HISTORIAN, ARCHIVIST, RECORD PRODUCER, MANAGER, SOUND ENGINEER (NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL), BOOKING AGENT AND EDUCATOR. FATHER WAS JAZZ HISTORIAN AND DISCOGRAPHER, KNEW MANY JAZZMEN. AT 6 PHIL SCHAAP WAS BABYSAT BY PAPA JO JONES. IN 1970 STARTED HOSTING JAZZ SHOWS ON THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY RADIO STATION. 1984-1991 ARCHIVIST FOR THE SAVOY JAZZ LABEL, RE-RELEASING BILLIE HOLIDAY, CHARLIE PARKER, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, MILES DAVIS, DUKE ELLINGTON, BENNY GOODMAN WHICH BROUGHT HIM 11 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (WON 7). TAUGHT JAZZ AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL AND JAZZ AT THE LINCOLN CENTER.
SEPTEMBER 10
MICHAEL CHAPMAN (80) / ENGLISH SINGER-SONGWRITER AND VIRTUOSIC GUITAR PLAYER. INITIALLY PLAYED JAZZ GUITAR STANDARDS AND IN THE FOLK CLUBS. IN 1967 ALONG WITH JOHN MARTYN AND ROY HARPER. FIRST ALBUM RAINMAKER (HARVEST 1969), NEXT FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR IN 1970, A BRITISH FOLK ROCK CLASSIC PRAISED BY JOHN PEEL, THEN BBC RADIO 1 DJ. IT INCLUDED CHAPMAN'S BEST KNOWN SONG "POSTCARDS OF SCARBOROUGH" AND WAS MADE WITH THE HELP OF MICK RONSON, PAUL BUCKMASTER AND RICK KEMP.
SEPTEMBER 13
GEORGE WEIN (95) / AMERICAN JAZZ PROMOTER, PIANIST, PRODUCER. IN 1954 HE FOUNDED THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL (HELD EVERY SUMMER IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND) THE OLDEST JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD, ALONG WITH THE KRAKOWSKIE ZADUSZKI JAZZOWE HELD IN KRAKÓW, POLAND. IN 1959 HE CO-FOUNDED THE NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL WITH PETE SEEGER AND THEODORE BIKEL. IN 1970 GEORGE WEIN ALSO HELPED ORGANIZE THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL (ALSO CALLED JAZZ FEST). WHEN HE WAS YOUNG HE WAS A JAZZ PIANIST. IN 1950 HE OPENED THE JAZZ CLUB STORYVILLE IN BOSTON AND IN 1951 STARTED THE JAZZ LABEL STORYVILLE. STORYVILLE RELEASED CLASSIC ALBUMS BY LEE KONITZ, SERGE CHALOFF, ZOOT SIMS, SIDNEY BECHET, BOB BROOKMEYER, JOE NEWMAN, RUBY BRAFF.
SEPTEMBER 16
GEORGE MRAZ (77) / BORN JIRI MRAZ, CZECH-BORN AMERICAN JAZZ MUSICIAN. PLAYED DOUBLE BASS AND ALTO SAXOPHONE. AT 7 STUDIED VIOLIN. ATTENDED THE PRAGUE CONSERVATORY (1961-1966). IN 1969 BEGAN WORKING WITH DIZZY GILLESPIE, THEN WITH OSCAR PETERSON'S GROUP, NEW YORK JAZZ QUARTET, THE THAD JONES / MEL LEWIS ORCHESTRA AND THE GROUP QUEST. A VERY POPULAR SIDEMAN, RECORDED WITH STAN GETZ, PEPPER ADAMS, CHET BAKER, CHARLES MINGUS, ART PEPPER, ART FARMER, BOB BROOKMEYER, BILL EVANS, ZOOT SIMS, ELVIN JONES, TOMMY FLANAGAN, CARMEN McRAE, TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, TETE MONTOLIU, URBIE GREEN, WARNE MARSH, JIMMY KNEPPER, HANK JONES, CLARK TERRY, JOE HENDERSON, McCOY TYNER, OSCAR PETERSON, JOHN LEWIS, MAL WALDRON, BENNY CARTER, KENNY DREW, SIR ROLAND HANNA, ARNETT COBB, KENNY BURRELL, JIM HALL, JIMMY RANEY, LARRY CORYELL, JOHN ABERCROMBIE, SLIDE HAMPTON, KENNY BARRON, URBIE GREEN, JON FADDIS, PAUL MOTIAN, ANDY LaVERNE, AL FOSTER, BILLY HART, STEVE KUHN, GEORGE CABLES, RICHIE BEIRACH, JOE LOVANO, MIKE NOCK, JOHN SCOFIELD, MICHEL PETRUCCIANI, STEPHANE GRAPPELLI, ERIC ALEXANDER, RICH PERRY, IVA BITTOVA, RENEE ROSNES, CYRUS CHESTNUT AND MANY OTHERS.
SEPTEMBER 20
JULZ SALE ( ) / BORN JULIE SALE, ENGLISH PUNK SINGER-SONGWRITER AND GUITARIST, FOUNDING MEMBER OF DELTA 5, THE LEEDS LATE SEVENTIES POST-PUNK, FUNK PUNK, NEW WAVE, FEMINIST GROUP. DELTA 5 FOLLOWED THEIR GREAT LEEDS CONTEMPORARIES GANG OF FOUR AND THE MEKONS. A RATHER UNUSUAL BAND THEN WITH TWO BASSES AND LINEUP WITH 3 GIRLS AND 2 BOYS, THEY DID ROCK AGAINST SEXISM AND ROCK AGAINST RACISM GIGS. IN 1981 THEY MADE THEIR FIRST AND ONLY ALBUM SEE THE WHIRL WITH SOME SESSION MUSICIANS LIKE MICHAEL McEVOY AND BJ COLE (HE ALSO WORKED WITH MICHAEL CHAPMAN WHO DIED 10 DAYS BEFORE JULZ - SEE ABOVE). "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS", THE DELTA 5 DEBUT SINGLE WAS THEIR BIG HIT AND WAS OFTEN COVERED E.G. BY CHICKS ON SPEED, PIGFACE, DUM DUM GIRLS. "YOU" WAS COVERED BY SHONEN KNIFE IN 1982. SEE THE WHIRL WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED SO THEY SPLIT. LATER JULZ SALE WORKED FOR THE ROUGH TRADE AND THEN TAUGHT ENGLISH IN THAILAND. AFTER 40 YEARS "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS" WAS USED ON SEX EDUCATION (NETFLIX), THE A WORD (BBC) AND AS AN APPLE AD.
COLIN BAILEY (87) / ENGLISH-BORN AMERICAN JAZZ DRUMMER. FIRST BAND AT 7. IN THE 1950s PLAYED WITH WINIFRED ATWELL, A NOW FORGOTTEN TRINIDADIAN PIANIST, WHO SOLD OVER 20 MILLION RECORDS. THEN WITH AUSTRALIAN JAZZ QUARTET BACKING DIZZY GILLESPIE, SARAH VAUGHAN. IN THE US WITH VINCE GUARALDI TRIO (MONTY BUDWIG ON BASS). THIS WAS THE FIRST OF TWO "CLASSIC" TRIOS (THE SECOND INCLUDED JERRY GRANELLI ON DRUMS, WHO DIED TWO MONTHS AGO - CHECK THE JULY 2021 SECTION OF SLO JAZZ). THEY PLAYED WITH JIMMY WITHERSPOON, BEN WEBSTER, GENE AMMONS. N 1963 IN L.A. WITH VICTOR FELDMAN TRIO (ANOTHER US BRIT). 14 YEARS AND 14 ALBUMS WITH JOE PASS. WORKED WITH MILES DAVIS, CLARE FISCHER, CHET BAKER, TOM JOBIM, FRANK SINATRA, TERRY GIBBS, RAY BROWN, JOÃO GILBERTO, JIMMY ROWLES, RED MITCHELL, RICHIE COLE, JULIE LONDON, PAUL HORN. COLIN BAILEY TOURED WITH BENNY GOODMAN, GEORGE SHEARING, JOE WILLIAMS.
SEPTEMBER 21
RICHARD H. KIRK (65) / ENGLISH ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN. PLAYED INDUSTRIAL MUSIC, POST-PUNK, ELECTRONICA, TECHNO. ALSO A COMPOSER, PRODUCER. IN 1973 IN SHEFFIELD, TOGETHER WITH STEPHEN MALLINDER AND CHRIS WATSON FORMED A PIONEERING, AND LATER VERY INVENTIVE AND INFLUENTIAL GROUP CABARET VOLTAIRE. THEY STARTED EXPERIMENTING WITH TAPE LOOPS AND DIY ELECTRONICS. KIRK ADDED CLARINET AND GUITAR. THEIR PUNK ATTITUDE WAS HATED BY AGGRESIVE AUDIENCES WHO OFTEN ATTACKED THEM PHYSICALLY. MALLINDER WAS HOSPITAILIZED A COUPLE OF TIMES. THEY WERE MUCH BETTER UNDERSTOOD BY THE LATER, PUNK ROCK AUDIENCES AND FANZINES. OFTEN PLAYED WITH JOY DIVISION. IN 1978 SIGNED TO ROUGH TRADE AND IN 1983, AS A DUO, TO SOME BIZZARE. STARTING IN 1980 HAD A SOLO CAREER USING 40 ALIASES. CABARET VOLTAIRE WAS DISSOLVED IN 1994 AND IN 2014 KIRK REFORMED IT AS A ONE-MAN BAND.
SEPTEMBER 22
BOB MOORE (88) / AMERICAN BASSIST, SESSION MUSICIAN AND ORCHESTRA LEADER. A MEMBER OF A FAMOUS GROUP OF SESSION MUSICIANS IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE THE NASHVILLE A-TEAM. BOB MOORE TOOK PART IN OVER 17,000 DOCUMENTED RECORDING SESSIONS. WORKED WITH ELVIS PRESLEY, ROY ORBISON, PATSY CLINE, BOB DYLAN, JERRY LEE LEWIS, QUINCY JONES, MOBY GRAPE, CONNIE FRANCIS, EARL SCRUGGS, SAMMY DAVIS, JR., JULIE ANDREWS, ANDY WILLIAMS, MARTY ROBBINS, WAYNE NEWTON. HIS SON, R. STEVIE MOORE IS A PIONEER OF LO-FI MUSIC,
SEPTEMBER 24
PEE WEE ELLIS (80) / AMERICAN JAZZ SAXOPHONIST, COMPOSER, ARRANGER. KNOWN ESPECIALLY FOR WORKING WITH JAMES BROWN BAND AND VAN MORRISON. CO-WROTE CLASSIC JAMES BROWN HITS LIKE "COLD SWEAT" AND "SAY IT LOUD - I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD".
SEPTEMBER 26
ALAN LANCASTER (72) / ENGLISH ROCK BASS GUITARIST, PRODUCER, FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE ROCK BAND STATUS QUO. IN 1962 MET GUITARIST FRANCIS ROSSI AT SCHOOL AND WITH TWO OTHER CLASMATES ALAN KEY AND JESS JAWORSKI FORMED THE SCORPIONS, RENAMED THE SPECTRES, WHICH LATER EVOLVED INTO STATUS QUO WITH THE OTHER GUITARIST RICK PARFITT. ALAN LANCASTER PLAYED WITH STATUS QUO 1967-1985, THEN TOOK PART IN 2013-2014 REUNIONS WITH THE ORIGINAL STATUS QUO DRUMMER JOHN COGHLAN. IN 1987 IN AUSTRALIA PLAYED AND PRODUCED THE PARTY BOYS AND FORMED THE BOMBERS, THEN WAS IN THE LANCASTER BREWSTER BAND.
GEORGE FRAYNE IV (77) / AKA COMMANDER CODY AMERICAN ROCK MUSICIAN, KEYBOARDS AND VOCALS. IN 1967 FOUNDED A COUNTRY ROCK BAND CALLED COMMANDER CODY AND HIS LOST PLANET AIRMEN. THEY PLAYED A MIX OF COUNTRY, ROCK AND ROLL, WESTERN SWING, ROCKABILLY AND BOOGIE-WOOGIE. THEIR GIGS USED TO BE VERY LONG, IN THE VEIN OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD, WITH WHOM THEY SOMETIMES PERFORMED. COMMANDER CODY'S 1971 DEBUT ALBUM LOST IN THE OZONE INCLUDED THEIR BIG HIT SINGLE, A COVER VERSION OF THE 1955 SONG BY CHARLIE RYAN "RED HOT LINCOLN", LATER ALSO COVERED BY THE MELODIC HARDCORE PUNK BAND ALL, ALSO LES CLAYPOOL, GEORGE THOROGOOD ETC. FRAYNE DISBANDED THE GROUP IN 1976 AND STARTED A SOLO CAREER. HE WAS ALSO A PAINTER AND A FILMMAKER.
SEPTEMBER 27
DARRELL BATH ( ) / BRITISH PUNK ROCK MUSICIAN. SINGER-SONGWRITER, GUITARIST. KNOWN FOR HIS WORK WITH THE FIRST WAVE PUNK ROCK LEGEND THE VIBRATORS. HE WAS TOURING WORLDWIDE WITH THE VIBRATORS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. MEMBER OF MANY BANDS, IN 1987 JOINED ANOTHER GIANT BAND THE UK SUBS. WITH THE UK SUBS MADE JAPAN TODAY (1987), LIVE IN PARIS (1989), MAD COW FEVER (1991). WITH HONEST JOHN PLAIN FORMED THE CRYBABYS IN 1990 AND IN 1992 JOINED PUNK-BLUES, GLAM-PUNK GROUP THE DOGS D'AMOUR FORMED BY TYLA WITH STEVE JAMES, CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR ALBUM MORE UNCHARTERED HEIGHTS OF DISGRACE (1993) AND TO TYLA'S FIRST SOLO ALBUM THE LIFE & TIMES OF A BALLAD MONGER (1994). IN 1995 PLAYED ON IAN HUNTER'S GRAMMY-NOMINATED ALBUM DIRTY LAUNDRY (GLEN MATLOCK ON BASS). DARRELL BATH ALSO RECORDED AND TOURED WITH FAMOUS POST-PUNK MUSICIAN NIKKI SUDDEN. IN 2015 CHARLIE HARPER INVITED TWO EX-UK SUBS, DARRELL BATH AND PETE DAVIES TO MAKE A LIMITED EDITION 7" SINGLE STOP HOBOPHOBIA.
SEPTEMBER 28
LONNIE SMITH (79) / AKA DR. LONNIE SMITH, AMERICAN JAZZ MUSICIAN, HAMMOND B3 ORGANIST. PLAYED JAZZ, SOUL JAZZ AND FUNK. IN THE 1950s WAS IN A VOCAL GROUP THE TEEN KINGS WITH GROVER WASHINGTON JR. BEGAN ON TRUMPET. POLISH ACCORDION PLAYER, BIG BAND LEADER AND MUSIC STORE OWNER ART KUBERA GAVE SMITH A PRESENT: A BRAND NEW HAMMOND ORGAN. SMITH LATER SAID: "ART WAS MY ANGEL". IN THE 1960s SMITH BECAME A MEMBER OF THE GEORGE BENSON QUARTET (IT'S UPTOWN AND COOKBOOK ON COLUMBIA 1966-1967). FIRST SOLO ALBUM FINGER LICKIN' GOOD SOUL ORGAN (WITH BENSON, MELVIN SPARKS, RONNIE CUBER, MARION BOOKER). THEN CAME SOME ALBUMS FOR BLUE NOTE RECORDS. LONNIE SMITH ALSO WORKED WITH LEE MORGAN, DAVID "FATHEAD" NEWMAN, KING CURTIS, LOU DONALDSON, GEORGE ADAMS, BLUE MITCHELL, BOBBY BROOM, JOE LOVANO, JOEY DeFRANCESCO, ROBERT GLASPER, BENNIE MAUPIN, BUT ALSO DIONNE WARWICK, GLADYS KNIGHT, ETTA JAMES, MARVIN GAYE, THE ROOTS, NORAH JONES, AND RECENTLY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE LEGENDARY PROTO PUNK ROCKER IGGY POP ("WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER" AND "SUNSHINE SUPERMAN").
SEPTEMBER 30
LENNART ÅBERG (79) / SWEDISH JAZZ SAXOPHONIST, FLUTIST, COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR. FOUNDED RENA RAMA, A JAZZ FUSION GROUP IN 1972. IN THE 1980s A MEMBER OF GEORGE RUSSELL BIG BAND APPEARING ON THE ESSENCE OF GEORGE RUSSELL (SONET, 1971) AND GEORGE RUSSELL NEW YORK BIG BAND (SOUL NOTE, 1982). IN 1994 RECORDED WITH DON CHERRY ON HIS DONNA NOSTRA (ECM). LENNART ÅBERG WORKED ALSO WITH ROMAN DYLĄG, BOBO STENSON, BERNT ROSENGREN, ANDREW CYRILLE, DOM UM ROMAO, OKAY TEMIZ, PETER ERSKINE, GUIDO MANUSARDI, TERJE RYPDAL, VLODEK GULGOWSKI, TOMMY KOVERHULT, JAN GARBAREK, PALLE DANIELSSON, JON CHRISTENSEN, PALLE MIKKELBORG, ARILD ANDERSEN, ARNE DOMNERUS, ANDERS JORMIN AND MANY OTHERS.
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