Teddy Charles

Teddy Charles, 84, a vibraphonist and pianist and a Local 802 member since 1982, died on April 16.

Mr. Charles was known as a groundbreaking vibes player and an adventurous composer, who anticipated post-bop and free jazz harmonies and excursions.

In his career, Mr. Charles played or recorded with Charlie Parker, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Artie Shaw, Wardell Gray, Benny Goodman, Shorty Rogers, Randy Brooks, Elvin Jones, Buddy De Franco, Chubby Jackson, Anita O’Day, Oscar Pettiford, Roy Eldridge, Gunther Schuller and Slim Gaillard.

He was a member of the Jazz Composers Workshop from 1953 to 1955 with Charles Mingus and Teo Macero, and recorded with and arranged for Mingus.

In the late 1950’s, Mr. Charles worked as a producer and session player at various record labels. He recorded John Coltrane for Prestige and also produced Zoot Sims. As a studio musician, he backed up Aretha Franklin, Bobby Vinton, Paul Simon, Dion and others. Mr. Charles was said to have taught his four-mallet vibraphone technique to Tito Puente. He even participated in a collaboration with the French composer Edgard Varèse.

Mr. Charles gave up playing professionally for 20 years when he became a charter boat captain in the mid-1960’s, sailing in the Caribbean and living in Antigua.

He returned to New York in the 1980’s, still sailing, but this time playing music again. He played a tribute to Charlie Parker in 2009 with Hank Jones. In 2010, he played a jazz festival in Los Angeles with the drummer Ed Shaughnessy, with whom he often collaborated. He also played recently with trombonist John Mosca.

He is survived by his niece Gail Aronow and other nieces and nephews.

Mr. Charles’ Web site (www.teddy-charles.com) is still active and contains much more information about his life.

Robert Glazer

Robert Glazer, 82, a violist and conductor, died on March 11. He had been a Local 802 member since 1960.

Mr. Glazer joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1961 under Fritz Reiner. Between 1952 and 1961, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Grant Park Orchestra and a principal in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

A scholarship student of William Primrose, Mr. Glazer held M.Mus. and B.Mus. degrees from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. He performed widely as recitalist and soloist with the St. Louis, North Carolina and Hartford Symphonies, among others, and recording for Albany and other major labels.

Mr. Glazer recorded Morton Gould’s viola concerto with the Louisville Orchestra at the composer’s request, as well as viola repertoire and chamber music. He had an important influence on contemporary viola literature through his close collaborations with such composers as Gould, Leo Ornstein, Easley Blackwood, David Ott and David Epstein.

Mr. Glazer was violist of the internationally recognized Glazer Duo, together with his wife Gilda Glazer.

As violist of the Hartt String Quartet, he was a professor of viola and chamber music at the Hartt School, University of Hartford. Mr. Glazer was founding violist of the New York Piano Quartet in 1987, a frequent guest artist and teacher at Music Mountain, Brevard and other festivals, and author of many articles on strings and conducting.

He performed as principal violist for the Little Orchestra Society and the Local 802 Senior Concert Orchestra. He was conductor of the New York String Symphony and the American Chamber Orchestra (Chicago).

He is survived by his wife Gilda, also a Local 802 member. He is also survived by his sister Joyce, brother Eli and his nieces and nephew.

Virgil Jones

Virgil Jones, 72, a trumpeter and a Local 802 member since 1962, died on April 20. In his career, Mr. Jones played, toured or recorded with Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Heath, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Philly Joe Jones, Larry Ridley, McCoy Tyner, David Baker, Charles Earland, Frank Foster, Archie Shepp, George Gruntz and the Latin Jazz Quintet. He also played in the band of the Dick Cavett Show and in numerous Broadway musicals. Mr. Jones was a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.

William David Kushner

William David Kushner, 87, a clarinetist and a Local 802 member since 1947, died on March 11.

Mr. Kushner was born in Lake Charles, Louisana, but went to New York City for his training. After graduating from Juilliard, Mr. Kushner played with the Houston and New Orleans symphonies, the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, before moving back to the south. In 1958, he began playing with the Lake Charles Civic Symphony. He later became the orchestra’s conductor, a post he held from 1978 to 2008.

He was also the conductor of the Rapides Symphony in Alexandria, Louisiana, which he led from 1968 until his retirement in 2002.

During World War II, he served in the Army as a member of the Second Coast Artillery Band. Mr. Kushner also taught music at McNeese State University in Lake Charles for 17 years.

In 1946, he married Sylvia Deutscher, a bassoonist, who died in 1990. Their three children Lesley, Tony, and Eric survive him, along with his daughter-in-law Maighread McCrann and his son-in-law Mark Harris. He is also survived by his wife of 17 years, Marsha Kushner, his stepdaughter Laura Moise (and her husband Ed) and his stepson Mark Ford. Mr. Kushner is also survived by his nephews Daniel, Roland and Paul Kushner, and grandchildren Ciara, Orla, Madeleine, Lily, Natalie and Nicholas.

Those wishing to make a contribution can donate to the McNeese Foundation/William Kushner Scholarship (call 337-475-5588), to Temple Sinai of Lake Charles (call 337-439-2866), or to the Lake Charles Symphony (call 337-433-1611). Lake Charles Symphony donors can choose to contribute to the Sylvia Kushner Principal Bassoon Chair or the William Kushner Principal Clarinet Chair.

Harry Del Peers

Harry del Peers, 86, a trumpeter and a Local 802 member since 1946, died on Jan. 20.

By age 16, while still in high school, Mr. Peers was awarded a scholarship to study the trumpet at the Curtis Institute with Saul Caston. Mr. Peers was soon playing extra trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra and first trumpet with the Washington, D.C. Symphony. He also performed at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

At 19, Mr. Peers was drafted into the Army. He played in the G.I. Symphony and toured Europe. When the war ended, Mr. Peers played with the NBC Symphony before winning a chair with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He played with the Met for 41 years, from 1947 to 1988, and appears on many Met recordings and DVD’s.

During his career, Mr. Peers also played with the Bush Quartet, in many Broadway shows and at the prestigious Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. He toured with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Stuttgart Ballet.

Mr. Peers is survived by his wife Judith, sons Stephan and Peter, grandchildren Dan (and his wife Jessica), Mikey (and his wife, also named Jessica), Stephanie (and her husband Dan), Cathryn (and her husband), Laura, Eric and Sabrina, and great-grandchildren Jocelyn, Evelyn and Rosslyn.

Morton Trautman

Morton Trautman, 86, a trombonist and a Local 802 member since 1943, died on April 21.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Trautman served in World War II. During his musical career, he played in big bands, night clubs and hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria. He also played on Broadway, did studio work and toured with the French actor and singer Yves Montand. He was known as an excellent sight reader.

Mr. Trautman had a second career as a piano technician, including an interesting gig for Norwegian Cruise Lines. At the time, the cruise line only owned one ship. The ship would cruise during the week and come back to port on Saturdays and Sundays, when Mr. Trautman would come on board and tune the pianos. Occasionally, one of the featured stars on the ship would request that the piano be tuned every night before the show. So Mr. Trautman would cruise for the week and tune the pianos each night. During those cruises, he was allowed to bring his wife Anita; they were treated as guests and got to stay in guest cabins.

In addition to Anita, Mr. Trautman is survived by his sons Robert and Allan and their familes.

We also remember . . .

Dennis L Anderson, piano
Bronislaw Bialoglowski, saxophone
Harold Bielski, piano
Jack Cohen, saxophone
Joseph Dell’Aquila, french horn
Carl J. Eberl, conductor
Marilyn Estey, violin
Hugo Fiorato, violin
Norman A. Forsythe, bassoon
Walter Legawiec, violin
Ralph A. MacDonald, percussion
George Mesterhazy, piano
Dwight Murphy, bass
Robert Rudie, violin
Herman W. Saunders, piano
Anthony (Sheldon) Scelba, piano
Bill R. Thomas, bass

Norman Forsythe Ralph MacDonald Ned Mahoney Isador Rosovsky (Buddy Ross) Stu Satalof Ron Sell Hal Serra Nabil Totah

Norman Forsythe

Norman Forsythe, 77, a bassoonist and music copyist, died on April 14. He had been a Local 802 member since 1969.

Mr. Forsythe studied bassoon at Howard University, where he developed a passion for the music of Beethoven.

His copying career in New York began in 1970, when he started working as an intern with Arnold Arnstein. Throughout his career, he provided music preparation for Broadway musicals, operas, jingles, films and TV shows. He worked on such productions as Leonard Bernstein’s “The Mass” and Menotti’s “Goya.” He transcribed scores for many artists, including Harold Wheeler, Phylicia Rashad, Lena Horne, Yusef Lateef, Hubert Laws and Grady Tate.

Mr. Forsythe was an avid reader with a profound interest in the lives of Beethoven and Thelonious Monk. He was proud of his extensive collection of books and music. He also developed a love of photography.

For most of his life, Mr. Forsythe was an active member of the Congregation of St. Saviour at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. For 37 years he served the church and the surrounding community in a variety of ministries.

He is survived by his wife Farris, sisters Janice, Sheilah and Madrainne Johnson, and many other relatives and friends.

Ralph MacDonald

Ralph MacDonald, 67, a percussionist, songwriter, and steel drum performer, died last Dec. 18, 2011. He had been a Local 802 member since 1961.

By the time Mr. MacDonald was 17, he had already landed a job playing steel drum with Harry Belafonte’s band, a position that lasted for a decade.

Mr. MacDonald was a gifted songwriter. He co-wrote the R&B standard “Just the Two of Us,” which won Bill Withers and Grover Washington a Grammy. (Washington also covered Mr. MacDonald’s song “Mr. Magic.”)

He also co-wrote “Where is the Love,” which Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway recorded in 1972. Mr. MacDonald played on the single, which sold more than a million copies and also won a Grammy.

Mr. MacDonald’s “Calypso Breakdown” appeared on the soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever.” That album went on to sell 47 million copies and earned Mr. MacDonald two Grammys of his own, as a performer and a producer. Riding high on the disco craze, he released two albums under his own name, gaining commercial success and international recognition

In his career, Mr. MacDonald recorded with Burt Bacharach, George Benson, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Miriam Makeba, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Amy Winehouse, Bob James, Ashford and Simpson, Nana Mouskouri, the Average White Band, Hall and Oates, the Brothers Johnson and Looking Glass. He was a charter member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and toured with the band frequently.

His is survived by his two sons and two daughters.

Edited from Wikipedia and Mr. MacDonald’s Web site.

Ned Mahoney

John Edward (Ned) Mahoney, 100, a cornetist, conductor and music educator, died on July 9. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1935.

Mr. Mahoney’s professional career began as cornet soloist with the 69th and 7th regiment bands of New York. In 1937, he became assistant cornet soloist with the renowned Goldman Band, soon joining Leonard Smith and Frank Elsass to form the Goldman Cornet Trio, known as “The Three Aces.” He performed a total of 1,485 concerts in 25 seasons.

From 1937 to 1941, Mr. Mahoney organized and conducted the Babylon (Long Island) High School Band and taught brass students extensively in New York and New Jersey.

Mr. Mahoney served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945 and was cornet soloist and assistant bandmaster of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Band for two years. He was then assigned to the USS Yosemite in the South Pacific.

Later, Mr. Mahoney founded a music studio and retail store in Long Island, which he ran for more than 50 years.

Mr. Mahoney served as bandmaster of the Kismet Temple Shrine Band from 1968 to 1988 and of the Freeport Fire Department Band from 1973 to 1976.

In addition, Mr. Mahoney was involved in music at Grace United Methodist Church in Valley Stream, NY.

He is survived by his wife Anne, daughters Barbara and Carol, daughter-in-law Lydia, sons-in-law Raymond and Steven, grandchildren Jessica, Lisa and David and great-grandchildren Michael, Taylor and Brooks.

The family suggests that memorial contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church (call 516-825-1182) and the Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research & Treatment Center in San Francisco (call 415-600-3604).

Isador Rosovsky (Buddy Ross)

Isador (Iz) Rosovsky (aka Buddy Ross), 90, died on July 20. Mr. Rosovsky was a bass player, pianist, arranger and copyist and had been a member of Local 802 since 1940.

Although he spent much of his career teaching music in New York City high schools, Mr. Rosovsky’s greatest enjoyment came from playing club dates in nightclubs and on cruise lines. He began his playing career while in the Air Force during World War II with the Gremlins, a band that toured U.S. Army bases in England from 1943 through 1945. He was also an artist and cartoonist, and some of his work about musicians and the music industry was featured in Metronome magazine.

Back home after the war, he worked with such bandleaders as Clem DeRosa, Angelo DiPippo, Herb Meyers, Lester Lanin, and Danny Martin. He also served as the arranger of the DeRosa Orchestra when the Copacabana reopened in 1980.

Mr. Rosovsky was most proud of those of his students who are still active musicians, including saxophonist Ronnie Cuber and bandleader Dick Bennett.

Mr. Rosovsky was active in the Members Party and helped set up Local 802’s Music Prep Department in the early 1980’s. He is survived by his son Paul and daughter Ivy. Anyone wanting to contact Mr. Rosovsky’s family can e-mail buddy.ross.music@gmail.com See a tribute letter to Mr. Rosovsky on page 16 of this issue.

Stu Satalof

Stu Satalof, 58, a trumpeter and a Local 802 member since 1992, died on June 26. Below is an obituary by Jay Levin reprinted from www.NorthJersey.com. We would like to acknowledge a very generous contribution made in Mr. Satalof’s memory to the Local 802 Emergency Relief Fund from the orchestra, cast and crew of “Anything Goes.” Donations from family and friends in his hometown of Philadelphia have also been generous and continue to arrive. Donations may be made to the fund at www.Local802erf.org. See a tribute letter to Mr. Satalof in Musicians’ Voice in this issue.

Ron Sell

Ronald A. Sell, 68, a French horn player and a Local 802 member since 1968, died on July 10.

Mr. Sell, who earned master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Teachers College at Columbia University, had a rich and diverse musical career. In 1968, he started performing with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, where he worked for the next seven years. Mr. Sell also played with the New York City Opera Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera. He performed with and served as orchestra manager for both the Manhattan Philharmonic and the American Theatre Orchestra.

He served 42 years with the American Symphony Orchestra, which he joined in 1970. In 1980, he also became the personnel manager of the orchestra.

In his career, Mr. Sell played with Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, John Denver, Luciano Pavarotti and Diana Krall among others.

He also played in or contracted over 37 Broadway productions, including Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Into the Woods,” “Passion,” and “The Assassins.”

He is survived by his wife Peggy, sons Olin and Patrick, daughters Ingrid and Molly, sons-in-law Isaiah and Andrew, daughters-in-law Suzanne and Lauren, and grandchildren Eryn, Faith, Ronan, Grace and Paddy.

Mr. Sell’s musical life was too rich to condense into this short space. For more information or to express condolences to the family, e-mail ingrid.a.sell@gmail.com. Friends or colleagues who have reminiscences about Mr. Sell can also e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org.

Hal Serra

Harold (Hal) Serra, 84, pianist, composer and arranger, and member of Local 802 since 1949, passed away on June 24.

As a teenager, Mr. Serra came to New York to study with the teacher and jazz pianist Lennie Tristano. Eventually, he formed his own trio, with drummer Maurice Mark and bassist Ernie Furtado, which was featured on NBC’s “The Today Show” for more than two years.

In a number of prestigious New York clubs, Mr. Serra played and conducted for performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Allen, June Christy and Julie London, with whom he worked and traveled extensively A career highlight was transcribing the music of Charlie Parker from the album “Charlie Parker with Strings” for a concert held at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Serra performed the music with an orchestra that featured his friend, the renowned alto saxophonist Phil Woods.

Mr. Serra’s greatest interest was composing. He composed and recorded TV commercials, and for several years had been working on a musical (“Gabriel’s Child”) about the life of a jazz musician.

Mr. Serra’s stories and wonderful sense of humor will be missed by all those who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Peggy, who is also a member of Local 802, as well as several nephews and cousins. See a tribute letter to Mr. Serra on page 16 of this issue.

Nabil Totah

Nabil (nabi) Totah, 82, a jazz bassist and a Local 802 member since 1951, died on June 7.

Born in Ramallah, Palestine, Mr. Totah emigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1944. He studied political science at Haverford College (Penn.) and was on a diplomatic career path when he discovered and took up the bass, and his world changed. While serving in the U.S. Army in Japan (1953-54), he played with the 289th Division Army Band and also with Hampton Hawes and Toshiko Akiyoshi.

Three days after Mr. Totah returned to New York, Charlie Parker heard him at a jam session and hired him. Bassist Oscar Pettiford became a mentor (and later so did Charles Mingus, who called him to play bass when Mingus wanted to play piano).

In his career, Mr. Totah worked with Ray Mosca, George Wallington, Hampton Hawes, Sonny Clark, Zoot Sims, Gene Krupa, Johnny Smith, Harry Edison, Stan Getz, Bobby Scott, the Les Elgart Orchestra, Eddie Costa, Herbie Mann, Bobby Hackett, Teddy Wilson, Sol Yaged, Slide Hampton’s Octet, Benny Goodman, Max Kaminsky, Hazel Scott, Lee Konitz, Pepper Adams, Attila Zoller, Horace Parlan and Mike Longo, among many others.

His teachers included Fred Zimmerman, Alvin Brehm and Orin O’Brien.

Mr. Totah is survived by his daughters Lisa Edmonds and Samira Totah, sister Joy Totah Hilden, and granddaughters Whitney, Myra and Carmea.

Mr. Totah’s musical life was too rich to fit into this small space. For a longer version of this obituary, please e-mail jimac4@earthlink.net.

Obituary written by Jill McManus.

We also remember . . .

Bob Alexander, trombone
Richard J. Allen, drums
Jodi Bernstein, synthesizer
Sidney De Souza, trumpet
Anthony J. Desiderio, trombone
Bill Lee, piano
Joseph P. Muranyi, tarogato
Steven A. Shelto, guitar
William N. Simon, piano
Emile Simonel, viola
Lillian Verdi, saxophone

Eddie Bert

Eddie Bert, 90, a trombonist and a Local 802 member
since 1947, died on Sept. 27.

Mr. Bert, who was born in Yonkers, was only 18 when
he joined the Sam Donahue Orchestra. Two years later, he was playing with Red
Norvo, which was his first big break. From there, his career took off, and he
performed continually with leading musicians including Stan Kenton, Benny
Goodman, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Tito Puente, Duke
Ellington, Count Basie, Illinois Jacquet, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra,
Woody Herman, Charlie Barnett and singers Lena Horne and Bobby Short.

Mr. Bert had the privilege of performing in the
10-piece big band led by Thelonious Monk that performed at Town Hall in 1959 and
Avery Fisher Hall in 1963.

During World War II, Mr. Bert played in a United
States Army band led by the arranger Bill Finegan. He earned bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music in the late 1950s.

Mr. Bert also played in Broadway pit orchestras,
recorded jingles, and was a member of the house band on Dick Cavett’s
television show from 1968 to 1972.

Later in his life, Mr. Bert worked with the New
York Jazz Repertory Company and the American Jazz Orchestra. As recently as last
year, he was still performing.

Mr. Bert is survived by his daughters Laura Csatay,
Sharon Johnson and Jane Banza as well as five grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren. Mr. Bert’s wife Mollie died last year – they had been
married for 70 years.

See Bill Crow’s Band Room for more
reminiscences and stories about Eddie Bert.

Eddie Jenkins

Eddie Jenkins, 94, a drummer and a Local 802 member
since 1938, died on June 22.

Mr. Jenkins was a drummer in several of the storied
big bands of the 1930s and 40s and later for the Army band (“Pershing’s
Own”) in World War II. He was the last survivor of the Army Dance
Orchestra, which performed for U.S. and Allied troops in England and Europe.

Mr. Jenkins’ first break was sitting in with
Chick Webb’s band at the Savoy Ballroom at age 18. Later, he joined the Bunny
Berigan Orchestra, replacing drummer Buddy Rich. Mr. Jenkins also played with
Alvino Rey and the King Sisters before joining the USO in 1941.

By the summer of 1944, he had won a place in the
Army band. Later the band received the Rhineland Campaign combat decoration for
their service during combat.

After the war, Mr. Jenkins continued to tour with
the USO. In Japan, Mr. Jenkins met and married Taeko Kaneko, and she returned
with him to the U.S. to raise their two sons. They settled in Arlington, where
Mr. Jenkins got a job as a writer and editor for the Navy publication “All
Hands.”

Mr. Jenkins continued to play for many years with
bandleaders in the Washington area. His wife died in 1995; his son Carl died in
1996. He is survived by his son Bill, and by granddaughters Mary, Celia and
Elizabeth.

For more of Mr. Jenkins’ life, e-mail his son
Bill at BillJenkins56@gmail.com. Also, see tribute letters
in The Musicians’ Voice.

Kenneth E. Revell

Kenneth E. Revell, 84, a saxophonist and a member of
Local 802 since 1952, died on July 30.

A saxophone player with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra,
Huntington Community Band and the Long Island Sound Symphony, the longtime
Huntington resident was a Jones Beach Band Shell musician for many years.

Born in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1926, Mr. Revell was
a U.S. Navy veteran who lived in Huntington for nearly 50 years.

Well known throughout Long Island as a private
music teacher to hundreds of kids on flute, clarinet, and saxophone, Revelle was
a band director at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville and St. Patrick’s
School in Huntington.

He is survived by his wife Millie, daughters Diane
and Karen, grandchildren Brian, Chris, Jennifer and great-grandchild Briana.

From Huntington.Patch.com

Ruggiero Ricci

Ruggiero Ricci, 94, a violinist and a Local 802
member since 1941, died on Aug. 6.

Mr. Ricci was famous for performances and
recordings of the works of Paganini. He also performed with his brother, cellist
George Ricci, who died in 2010.

At age seven, Mr. Ricci studied with Louis
Persinger and Elizabeth Lackey. Persinger would become his piano accompanist for
many recitals and recordings.

Mr. Ricci gave his first public performance in 1928
at the age of 10 in San Francisco where he played works by Wieniawski and
Vieuxtemps. He gained a reputation for being a child prodigy. At the age of 11,
he gave his first orchestral performance, playing the Mendelssohn concerto, and
soon after he had his highly successful debut at Carnegie Hall.

In the 1930s, Mr. Ricci studied in Berlin with
Georg Kulenkampff, where he learned a German style of playing in the tradition
of Adolf Busch. He also studied with Michel Piastro and Paul Stassevich.

In 1947, Mr. Ricci was the first violinist to
record the complete 24 Caprices, Op. 1, by Paganini, in their original form.

Aside from performing over 6,000 concerts in 65
countries during his 70-year solo career, Mr. Ricci also made over 500
recordings, on every major label. He taught violin at Indiana University,
Juilliard and the University of Michigan. He also taught at the University
Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He wrote “Left Hand Technique,” a
pedagogical volume for violin published by G. Schirmer.

Mr. Ricci is survived by his wife Julia, sister
Emma (a former violinist with the Met Opera), children Gian-Franco, Riana, Roger
and Paolo, and several grandchildren.

Edited from Wikipedia

We also remember . . .

Anthony M. Aiello, drums

Louis E. Fisk, bassoon

Sol B. Franklin, drums

Geoffrey Gordon, percussion

George Hoffmann, piano

Whit Kellogg, piano

Virginia Pleasants, harpsichord

Melvin H. Strauss, piano

Stanley Hunte

Stanley G. Hunte, 81, a violinist and a member of Local 802 since
1974, died on Oct. 22.

Mr. Hunte studied at the High School of Music and Art and later at
Juilliard and Queens College. His violin teachers included Clarence Cameron
White and Sanford Allen.

After enlisting in the Army and serving in Korea, Mr. Hunte joined
the New York City Police Department in 1957, where he enjoyed a 27-year career.
It was only after he retired from the police force, at the age of 46, that he
began his dream job as a professional violinist, eventually becoming the music
contractor for many of Spike Lee’s films, including “Do the Right
Thing,” “Malcolm X,” “Crooklyn,” and “Jungle
Fever.”

Mr. Hunte also played in groups that backed up Frank Sinatra,
Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luther Vandross, Alicia Keys and
Johnny Mathis. He performed on Broadway and in a number of ensembles, including
the the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, where he played first violin. He performed
with the Westbury Music Fair Orchestra, the Housing Authority Orchestra, the
Antara Ensemble, Harlem Philharmonic, Symphony of the New World, the Dance
Theatre of Harlem Orchestra and the Alaria Chamber Music Program at the Mannes
School of Music.

Mr. Hunte taught at the Spring Creek Youth Symphony of Starrett
City, Brooklyn, from 1993 to 2012.

He is survived by his son Alan, daughter-in-law Roylene, grandsons
AJ, Kyle and Chad and many more relatives and friends.

John W. Swallow

John W. Swallow, 88, a trombonist and a Local 802 member since
1946, died on Oct. 20.

A member of the acclaimed New York Brass Quintet for more than 25
years, Mr. Swallow was considered one of the most important trombone performers
and teachers in the United States. He enjoyed performance associations with the
Utah Symphony under the direction of Maurice Abravanel and the Chicago Symphony
under Fritz Reiner. He was principal trombonist with the New York City Ballet
Orchestra for over 40 years and was a member of groups such as Gunther Schuller’s
Twentieth Century Innovations and Arthur Weisberg’s Contemporary Chamber
Ensemble.

Mr. Swallow, who studied trombone at Juilliard, served as professor
of music at the Yale School of Music, where he was head of the brass department
for many years. He also taught at the New England Conservatory of Music, Hartt
School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. During World War II, Mr.
Swallow served in the Army Band in Washington, D.C. where he played for Franklin
D. Roosevelt’s funeral and the return home of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Mr. Swallow was responsible for several contemporary music
commissions such as “Eine Kleine Posaunenmusik” by Gunther Schuller,
“Elegy” by Joan Tower and “Sonata for Trombone and Piano” by
Alec Wilder.

He was the subject of a doctoral thesis by Brett Shuster,
“John Swallow: A Study of his Life and Influence in the Trombone
World” (Arizona State University, 2002).

Mr. Swallow is survived by his wife Myra, children Eric, Geoffrey
and Heather, stepsons Andrew and Christopher and 12 grandchildren.

The family suggests that contributions be made to one or more of
the following:

• The John Swallow Scholarship Fund at the New England
  Conservatory of Music (www.NECmusic.edu
  or 617-585-1171)

• The John Swallow Fund at the American Composers Orchestra (www.AmericanComposers.org/support
  or 212-977-8495)

• The Hospice of the East Bay, in memory of John Swallow. (www.HospiceEastBay.org)

Manny Singer

Manny Singer, 87, a drummer and a Local 802 member since 1946, died
on Oct. 26.

Mr. Singer was born and raised in Brooklyn, where he became a
professional drummer at a young age. After serving in World War II and earning
the Bronze Medal, he traveled the world as a drummer for several years, touring
Europe, parts of Asia, and the United States. He married Thelma Meshel; they had
three children in Rego Park, Queens, and then raised them in Suffern, N.Y.,
before she passed away at age 52.

Along with his lifelong career as a drummer, he worked as a
wholesale sales representative for ladies’ handbags and accessories for the
northeast United States, a job that he loved and pursued right up to his final
days. He married Charmaine Lucoski and they lived together in Irvington and then
Tarrytown. Together they shared 20 years, living and working together in the
same field of business. He was a passionate fan of music, particularly all types
of jazz. He was also a zealous tennis fan, which he continued to play well into
his 80s. He loved New York City, inventing reasons to travel by train from
Tarrytown at least twice a week during his older years.

Besides his wife Charmaine, Mr. Singer is survived by his children
Seth, David and Amy, and eight grandchildren.

We also remember . . .

Lee W. Armentrout, arranger

Michael Kessler, piano

Abraham Marcus, drums

Robert Maxwell, harp

William Schatzkamer, piano

If you have any reminiscences, memories or stories about deceased
musicians on these pages, please e-mail them to Allegro@Local802afm.org

To report the death of a member, please call Avelon Ramnath at
(212) 245-4802. Be sure to ask about any possible refund of Local 802 membership
dues or about the union’s death benefit (there are certain eligibility
requirements).

Spouses of deceased members should call the AFM Pension Fund at
(800) 833-8065, ext. 1311, to ask about any possible benefits.

To submit an obituary to Allegro, e-mail Allegro editor Mikael
Elsila at Allegro@Local802afm.org
or call (646) 765-9663. Photos are also welcome.

To make a contribution to Local 802 in honor of a deceased member,
contact the financial vice president’s office at (212) 245-4802.

To continue receiving Allegro in the mail after a spouse is deceased, e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org
or call (646) 765-9663.

Ted Curson

Ted Curson

Ted Curson, 77, a trumpeter and a Local 802 member since 1957, died on Nov. 4. Mr. Curson was born in Philadelphia and began his musical studies at Philadelphia’s Granoff School of Music. It was Miles Davis himself who suggested to Mr. Curson that he move to New York, which he did in 1956.

Soon, he was invited to join Charles Mingus’ group. During his career, he recorded 16 albums as a leader and 300 as a side musician. Cecil Taylor, Bill Barron and Archie Shepp were collaborators, as was Eric Dolphy. When Dolphy died, Mr. Curson wrote “Tears for Dolphy,” which became the title track to his most well-known album. The tune was used in the films “The Brown Bunny” and “Last Date.”

For many years, Mr. Curson led a monthly jam session at the Blue Note. In 2001, he moved the session to Montclair, New Jersey, where he lived and where he was a regular at local jazz clubs.

Mr. Curson was extremely well known in Finland. He was a guest of honor at the Pori Jazz Festival, which he played every year starting in 1966. He was known even to the president of Finland.

In addition to his performance work, Mr. Curson taught clinics for young musicians at many colleges and universities.

Mr. Curson is survived by his wife Marjorie, children Ted Jr. and Charlene, six grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Peter Jay Rosenfeld

Peter Rosenfeld

Peter Jay Rosenfeld, 76, a cellist and a Local 802 member since 1959, died on Oct. 21.

Mr. Rosenfeld was a member of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Musica Aeterna, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the New York Pops, the Kohon Quartet, the American Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, and the New York City Opera Orchestra.

He was a founding member of the Leonia Chamber Musicians and played for many years with Young Audiences New York. Summer festivals included the Bennington Composers Conference, the Manchester Music Festival and the Provincetown Symphony. He also taught at the City University of New York for more than 25 years, as well as at several music schools, including the Mannes College of Music.

Mr. Rosenfeld was born in Pittsfield, Mass., graduated from Swarthmore, attended Juilliard, and earned a master’s degree at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He also attended the Marlboro Music School and Festival. He was a cello student of Paul Bazelaire in Paris and Luigi Silva, Alex Kouguell and Bernard Greenhouse in New York.

Reviewers in the New York Times described him as “an adaptable and persuasive stylist who plays with authority and a considerable amount of expressive insight” and as a “rock-solid musician steeped in the finest interpretive tradition who happens to play the cello and does it quite well.”

He is survived by his wife Lucy, daughters Sophia, Marina and Lucinda, and six grandchildren.

Charles Russo

Charles Russo
Photo: Brian Hatton

Charles “Charlie” Russo, 86, a clarinetist and a Local 802 member since 1950, died on Nov. 24.

Mr. Russo was a guest artist and soloist with some of the country’s leading string quartets, chamber ensembles and orchestras. He served as principal clarinetist of the New York City Opera Orchestra for many years. He was featured with the Juilliard, Guarneri, and Emerson string quartets as well as Mostly Mozart, Caramoor, the New York Chamber Symphony, New York Chamber Soloists and Musica Aeterna, among others. He was also the founder and artistic director of Le Mont Chamber Music Seminar in Nyack.

A Grammy nominee, Mr. Russo recorded on more than 100 albums. He performed and recorded with many of the world’s greatest composers and conductors, including Stravinsky, Copland, Stokowski and Bernstein as well as scores of renowned performers including Arthur Rubinstein, Rudolf Serkin, Isaac Stern, Beverly Sills, Pablo Casals and Luciano Pavarotti.

Mr. Russo was also an important influence on the current generation of classical musicians. He taught and conducted master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, SUNY-Purchase, the Hartt School of Music, Yale, Vassar and the New England Conservatory of Music, among others.

Mr. Russo is survived by his children Amy, Ken and Angela, and his sister Laura.

The family is planning a celebration of Mr. Russo’s life in NYC. For more information, please visit Mr. Russo’s guestbook at www.bitly.com/CharlieRusso and leave your contact details. Obituary information from www.CharlesRusso.net and the faculty Web page of the Manhattan School of Music.

John Signorelli

John Signorelli

John Signorelli, 89, a saxophonist and a member of Local 802 since 1947, died on Nov. 21.

Mr. Signorelli started his professional career with theatre orchestras in Massachusetts. In May 1943, he enlisted in the Marines and was assigned to Bob Crosby’s dance band, which played shows and music in Marine camps overseas.

In November 1944, instruments were put away for rifles in his 5th Marine division, and on February 1945 Iwo Jima was invaded. Mr. Signorelli survived the invasion, and after the war ended, he was assigned to occupation duty in Nagasaki, Japan.

Discharged in March 1946, Mr. Signorelli settled in Brooklyn and picked up his music again. He played with the popular dance bands of Billy Butterfield, Gene Krupa, Harry James, Les Elgart, Sammy Kaye and Perez Prado. He played the Roseland and Arcadia ballrooms, the Copacabana, Stork Club and the Riverboat, among other venues. Mr. Signorelli toured with Englebert Humperdinck, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Vic Damone, Connie Francis, Donny and Marie Osmond, and the Dorsey and Glenn Miller legacy bands. He also played in Broadway orchestras and performed on cruise ships, including seven around-the-world trips on World Cruise lines.

Mr. Signorelli performed on two movies: Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Wrong Man” and Woody Allen’s “Zelig.”

He is survived by his daughter Ena and her husband Joseph, son Anthony and his wife Sandra, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

We also remember . . .

Morton D. Cahn Jr, violin
Patrick J. Cochran, French horn
Norman Dean, piano
Barry Finclair, violin
Robert J. Handschuh, saxophone
Marion Herrman, vocalist
Donald Homuth, cello
Willis Kelly, trumpet
Bobby Livingood, trumpet
Obert Maves, saxophone
Willie Mitchell, piano
John (Red) Triolo, saxophone

LEE ARMENTROUT

Lee Armentrout, 103, an arranger, copyist and trombonist, died last Oct. 21. He had been a Local 802 member since 1938. Mr. Armentrout studied piano as a youngster, later taking up trombone in high school. In Chicago and elsewhere, he earned an enviable reputation as a Prohibition-era musician. He arranged music for Jack Teagarden, Ted Weems, Bonnie Baker, Gertrude Neisen and Russ Morgan.

In the early 1940s, he was music arranger for a CBS radio show with Ben Bernie. After a couple of years as music arranger for the Chicago Theatre stage shows, he became staff arranger for WBBM Radio where he worked with conductor Caesar Petrillo. He then moved to NBC to arrange for Alec Templeton and for the Sheaffer Pen Show. Mr. Armentrout went on to become a producer and director for WBBM, a job that lasted nearly 20 years. He also served a four-year stint as president of Talent, Inc. and as a recording director at Wilding Film studios. While at WBBM, he produced the popular Paul Gibson talk show, including segments from major European capitals.

For most of the 1970s, Mr. Armentrout was with WBBM-TV as floor manager for several programs including the Lee Phillip Show and the evening news with Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson. An art lover, Mr. Armentrout spent his retirement years painting, studying and traveling.

He is survived by his daughters Jeanne O’Steen, Dale Armentrout, Lynn Armentrout and Jill Armentrout as well as his friend and former wife Louise Austin. He is also survived by six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.

BARRY FINCLAIR

Barry Finclair, 67, a violinist and a longtime member of Local 802, died last Oct. 23. Mr. Finclair attended the School of the Performing Arts, Juilliard, Mannes and USC, and studied with Dorothy DeLay, Itzhak Perlman, Ivan Galamian, Jascha Heifetz, William Kroll and David Nadien. His awards and prizes included first place in the Merriweather Post Competition.

During his long career, Mr. Finclair was a member of the New York Philharmonic, first appearing with the orchestra at age 13 as soloist on the nationally televised Young People’s Concerts. He was also an associate musician with the Met Opera, and performed as a soloist and in ensemble with other orchestras as well.

Mr. Finclair was frequently heard on stage and in the studio with artists from across the musical spectrum, contributing to hundreds of recordings and film scores.

He is survived by his wife, the soprano Ida Faiella, his stepdaughter Cristina, and Cristina’s husband Robert. Contributions in his memory may be made to L’Ensemble, a chamber orchestra group where Mr. Finclair was a core member since 1973. See www.lensemble.org or call (802) 442-0986 or (518) 475-9001. Also, read a tribute letter to Mr. Finclair in this issue.

ROBERT MAXWELL

Robert Maxwell, 90, a harpist and a Local 802 member since 1938, died last Feb. 7, 2012. Born Max Rosen, he and his two brothers, Abe Rosen (1916-2007) and Myor Rosen (1917-2009), all played the harp professionally.

Mr. Maxwell was born in New York City. Neither of his parents had been involved in music, but at age 10 he began playing the harp. In high school, he won a scholarship to Juilliard. At age 17, he became the youngest member of the National Symphony Orchestra. He also gave solo performances in both New York and Los Angeles. Among the conductors he performed under were Arturo Toscanini and Serge Koussevitsky. During World War II, Mr. Maxwell enlisted and performed in the well-known Coast Guard band led by Rudy Vallée, giving him the opportunity to play harp in a popular music context. Later, Mr. Maxwell entered a contest on radio station KFI in Los Angeles, failing to make the finals but winning second prize. This led to many appearances on radio, television, and in the movies, including one summer as replacement for Frank Sinatra on the CBS network.

Mr. Maxwell was also a composer. “Little Dipper,” “Ebb Tide” and “Shangri-La” were three of his better-known pieces. Another of his songs, “Solfeggio,” performed by Mr. Maxwell’s orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers, gained unexpected fame as the theme for Ernie Kovacs’ regular comedy skit called “The Nairobi Trio.” Mr. Maxwell is survived by his wife June, daughter Carla, and grandchildren Vanessa and Omar Guerrero.

Edited from Wikipedia.

WE ALSO REMEMBER…

Joseph K. Cunningham, Irish accordion
Dick Hafer, saxophone
Edward J. Kuter, violin
Mervin Oakes, flute
Sasha Semenoff, violin
Alvy West, saxophone

Donald Byrd

DONALD BYRD

Donald Byrd, 80, the jazz trumpeter, died on Feb. 4. He had first joined Local 802 in 1974.

When he was still a high school student in Detroit, Mr. Byrd was already performing with Lionel Hampton. After moving to New York in 1955, he became one of the top players when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He was soon playing with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Max Roach.

Mr. Byrd liked to stretch boundaries. In 1958, he formed a hard-bop band with Pepper Adams and Herbie Hancock. Fifteen years later, he released “Black Byrd,” a fusion album that was Blue Note’s best-selling album.

Mr. Byrd was also a pioneer in jazz education. He earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He was the first person to teach jazz at Rutgers University and he formed the jazz studies department at Howard University. At Howard, he formed a fusion group called the Blackbyrds with some of his best students.

Mr. Byrd earned a law degree and later a doctorate from New York’s Teachers College, Columbia University. He created an innovative curriculum called “Music + Math (equals) Art,” in which he changed notes into numbers to teach music and math at the same time.

His recordings have been sampled on more than 100 hip-hop songs by such performers as Black Moon, Nas, Ludacris and A Tribe Called Quest.

In 2000, the National Endowment for the Arts recognized Byrd as a Jazz Master, the nation’s highest jazz honor.

See a tribute to Donald Byrd by Jimmy Owens in The Musicians’ Voice.

Bernard Kundell

BERNARD KUNDELL

Bernard Kundell, 98, a violinist and a Local 802 member since 1932, died last Dec. 30. Mr. Kundell graduated from Juilliard in 1939, where he studied under a scholarship with Albert Spaulding. His varied career included playing with the NBC Symphony under Toscanini and Stokowski in New York, and in California with MGM Studios, the Percy Faith Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Mr. Kundell played with Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Barbra Streisand, among many others. He performed in Europe and all over the greater Los Angeles area. Mr. Kundell founded the Coriolan String Quartet, which played throughout southern California.

He is survived by his children Linda Kundell, Vivian Van Lier, and Dr. Stephen Kundell, and by his wife, Mira Broder.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR CHARLIE RUSSO

A memorial service and gathering will be held for clarinetist Charles Russo, who passed away last Nov. 24 at the age of 86 after being a Local 802 member since 1950. (We printed an obituary for Mr. Russo in our January issue.) The service will be on Sunday, March 10 on the 10th floor of Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Dr., from 2 to 6 p.m. RSVPs are requested. For more info or to RSVP, call Dave Carey at (845) 358-1036.

We also remember…

Natalie V. Charlson, piano
Sherman Goldscheid, violin
Dick Hafer, saxophone
Gordon A. Hardy, piano
Sheldon Hendler, M.D., PhD, trumpet
James B. Holmes II, saxophone
Bernard Kushel, solovox
Vinny (Ocharsky) Owens, drums
Lawrence N. Pearlstein, piano
Sid Polay, bass
Ferdinand D. Pranzatelli, violin
Mel Rose, bass
Sara Sandrof, piano
Sanford J. Siegelstein, French horn
Earl C. Williams, drums
Jacob Jack Zuckerman, saxophone

Allegro is pleased to print information on memorial events for deceased members of Local 802. To submit information, send an e-mail to Allegro@Local802afm.org or call (646) 765-9663.

Dick Hafer

Dick Hafer

Dick Hafer, 85, a saxophonist and a Local 802 member since 1956, died last Dec. 15, 2012.

During Mr. Hafer’s 60-plus years as a professional musician, he played with many of the best big bands in jazz. He started his career with the Charlie Barnet Orchestra, then went on to play with Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton and many others. He recorded with Ruby Braff, Herbie Mann, Bobby Hackett, Charlie Mingus and Nat King Cole.

Mr. Hafer played with the studio band on the Merv Griffin Show in the 1960s. He also worked with such legendary vocalists as Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Johnny Hartman. He spent many years playing on Broadway shows and working as a studio musician.

In the 1990s, Mr. Hafer released two albums under his own name: “In a Sentimental Mood” and “Prez Impressions (a tribute to Lester Young).”

Mr. Hafer is survived by his wife of 59 years, Betty, as well as his daughter Lisa Watson and son-in-law Bryan Watson. He is also survived by his grandsons Taro, Alex, and Chris, and granddaughter Cameron. His son, Tim, preceded him in death.

Sonny Russo

Sonny Russo

Santo “Sonny” Russo, 83, a trombonist and a Local 802 member since 1945, died on Feb. 23. Mr. Russo played, toured or recorded with just about everyone, including Stan Kenton, Buddy Morrow, Artie Shaw, Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, Ralph Flanagan, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Neal Hefti, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Maynard Ferguson, Machito, Bobby Hackett, Benny Goodman, Doc Severinsen, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Perry Como, Dinah Washington, Liza Minnelli, Paul Anka, Ray Charles, Eydie Gorme, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Mousey Alexander, Milt Hinton, Urbie Green and even Elvis Presley, to name just a few. He also played in Broadway shows.

While touring with the World’s Greatest Jazz Band, Mr. Russo was invited to the White House to play for President Ford and his family.

Mr. Russo recorded and toured with Frank Sinatra for over 20 years. He was also a fixture in the “Tonight Show” orchestra in the late 60s and early 70s, where he once shared the stage with Louis Armstrong, who was a guest.

Mr. Russo was also a first-call studio musician. He performed on the soundtracks to “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas” and “Sophie’s Choice,” among others. He was a regular in the orchestra that played for Jerry Lewis’ muscular dystrophy telethon; he later played behind Lewis’ comedy show.

Mr. Russo is survived by his son Santo, who was a member of Local 802 in the late 70s and early 80s. He is also survived by his sons Bruce and John; brother Ronald; daughter-in-law Carmella; grandchildren Nicole, Elizabeth, Tara, Johnny and Amalia; and great-granddaughter Bella.

Mr. Russo’s career was too rich to fit into this small space. Musicians who have reminiscences about Mr. Russo can e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org.

Obituary from Wikipedia and from an interview with Mr. Russo’s son Santo. See a tribute letter to Mr. Russo by Bill Kirchner in Musicians’ Voice of this issue.

Saul Schechtman

Saul Schechtman

Saul Schechtman, 88, a conductor and composer, died on Feb. 6. He had been a Local 802 member since 1946.

Mr. Schechtman earned a graduate degree from Juilliard, where he was later hired to join the conducting faculty. He left Juilliard to accept the position of music director of the Bronx Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Schechtman was also a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He served as the conductor of the Bergen (New Jersey) Philharmonic and the chamber group Orchestra Piccola, and he conducted orchestras in Oslo, Reykjavik, Moscow, The Hague and Paris.

Mr. Schechtman composed the music for the play “Auntie Mame,” which was later turned into a film. He also conducted the music of the TV show “Omnibus.”

In 1960, he was asked by the State Department to serve as the music director for a pioneering U.S.S.R. tour of “My Fair Lady,” which comprised the first cultural exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Mr. Schechtman was also the music director of the original Broadway production of “Carnival!” and the pioneering all-black production of “Hello, Dolly!” (starring Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Mabel King, Clifton Davis, Ernestine Jackson and Morgan Freeman).

A brilliant composer and pianist, Mr. Schechtman wrote orchestral, choral, and chamber works, and two collections of piano pieces.

His many art songs include a lovely setting of Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” for soprano and piano, and the more recent “Song of Ruth” and “Psalm 23.”

Mr. Schechtman is survived by his daughters Carol Kimmel and Julia Schechtman Pabst.

George Barrow

George Barrow, 91, a saxophonist and a member of Local 802 since 1949, died on March 20. Mr. Barrow picked up music relatively late in life, teaching himself the flute, clarinet and saxophone at the ripe old age of 23. A decade later, he was performing and recording with Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, David Amram and Roy Haynes. He played on the acclaimed 1961 Oliver Nelson album “The Blues and the Abstract Truth.” That same year, he also recorded the score of Elia Kazan’s film “Splendor in the Grass,” which won an Oscar for best screenplay.

Mr. Barrow played regularly at the Apollo Theatre. He also performed in Broadway orchestras, including the original prouduction of “42nd Street” as well as “Jelly’s Last Jam,” among others.

He is survived by his wife Junko, former wife Barbara, sons Eric and Sean and granddaughters Kay and Brooke.

The family requests that donations be made to Education Through Music at www.ETMonline.org.

Sherman Goldscheid

Sherman Goldscheid, 89, a violinist and a member of Local 802 since 1943, died on Jan. 9. Mr. Goldscheid performed with the American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, Martha Graham, and the Met Opera’s summer ballet series, which hosted foreign companies such as the Bolshoi and Royal Ballets. He also played with the New York Pops under Skitch Henderson, the Little Orchestra Society, the Soho Ensemble, Young Audiences, and the Jackie Gleason Show. He performed in the world premiere of Vivian Fine’s “Capriccio for Oboe and String Trio.”

“He was respected for his skill, geniality, and wit, as well as his camaraderie as a poker player in the orchestra pit,” wrote his daughters Julie and Susan. “He loved playing chamber music with friends, and was revered as a wise and kind mentor to many musicians. He found solace in music until the very end.”

Mr. Goldscheid is survived by Julie and Susan, and their partners Penny and Marc.

Stephen Knight

Stephen Knight, 77, a Local 802 member since 1954, died on Jan. 19. Mr. Knight played keyboards, bass, trombone, tuba, guitar and oud.

Mr. Knight was the keyboardist for the band Mountain, which toured internationally and performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. In the 1950s and 60s, Mr. Knight was active in the Village music scene. He often played in Middle Eastern music performances at Cafe Feenjon. His love of jazz and Middle Eastern rhythms led him to join the group Taksim, with which he performed for over 20 years. He also performed regularly with the Red Onion Jazz Band.

By the time he was 64, Mr. Knight was enjoying semi-retirement in Woodstock and had been elected to the town council there. He had acquired a Bb tuba and was enjoying the challenge of mastering it, but he began noticing some problems. “No matter what I did…my notes would wobble and break up,” he wrote in a personal essay, which was published in Allegro in 2001. Upon consulting a neurologist, Mr. Knight discovered that he had Parkinson’s. Eight years later, Mr. Knight wrote a second essay for Allegro about his journey with the disease.

Even as his music suffered, Mr. Knight was always optimistic. “On a good day I can still put something of particular value into the mix,” Mr. Knight wrote in 2001. “I’d like to think it could be a little like sex: when it’s good, it’s terrific; when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.”

He is survived by his daughter Zoe, son-in-law Stuart and grandson Jasper. The family suggests donations to www.WoodstockLandConservancy.org. To read Mr. Knight’s essays previously published in Allegro, see www.bitly.com/Knight-1 and www.bitly.com/Knight-2. For another story about Mr. Knight, see Bill Crow’s reminiscences in this issue: “The Unstoppable Steve Knight.”

Jacob Zuckerman

Jacob “Zuck” Zuckerman, 97, a saxophonist, clarinetist and pianist, died on Jan. 13. He had been a Local 802 member since 1936.

Mr. Zuckerman shared his love of music as a private teacher of clarinet and saxophone to aspiring students. He was also an M.C. and musician at Kaplan’s Catering Hall on the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn, and he played club dates all over the area.

One of his fondest professional memories was playing with legendary saxophonist Davey Schildkraut, a musician he would never forget, and a player whom he considered one of the greats.

Throughout his entire life, Mr. Zuckerman was a voracious reader of all the classics of literature, but also devoured biographies of the great jazz and blues musicians he loved: Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughan and others. Their music filled his home from morning until night, blaring from his old radio.

He is survived by his daughters Susan Scott and Carrie Perlson; grandchildren Daryl, Faith, Cory and Alexis; great-grandchildren Daisy and Eli; pals Brian Nashel and Jack Santi; nieces Roberta and Harriet; and nephew Ben. “May the music never stop playing,” wrote Mr. Zuckerman’s daughter Susan. “He will never be forgotten.”

We also remember . . .

Dr. Victor Aitay, violin
Frank L. Aloi, drums
Lester Clarke, saxophone
William Kaplan, piano
Khali Lukemann, tenor saxophone
Henry Nigrine, viola
Michael J. Piazza, trombone
Youssef A. Rakha, trumpet
Morty Rapfogel, flute
William A. Whited, piano

Richie Havens

Richie Havens, 72, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, died on April 22. He had been a Local 802 member since 1963. Mr. Havens earned his enduring fame at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, where he improvised a tune based on “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”; it was later named “Freedom” and became an anthem of the times. (The song was used as recently as last year in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained.”)

Mr. Havens grew up in Brooklyn, where he sang doo-wop with his friends. In his 20s, he played all over Greenwich Village, met Bob Dylan’s manager, and won several record deals. After Woodstock, recognition of him took off; he formed his own label and appeared on major TV shows, including the Ed Sullivan show and the Tonight Show.

Mr. Havens was also an actor, an environmental activist, and a successful jingle writer.

He performed everywhere from Bill Clinton’s 1993 presidential inauguration to Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday concert in 2009. That same year, he appeared in the acclaimed film “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” where he performed a haunting rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

In 2003, the National Music Council awarded Mr. Havens the American Eagle Award for his place as part of America’s musical heritage and for providing “a rare and inspiring voice of eloquence, integrity and social responsibility.”

He is survived by three daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Obituary information from www.RichieHavens.com and Wikipedia.

Marc Gottlieb

Marc Gottlieb, 82, a violinist and a member of Local 802 since 1947, died on April 21. Mr. Gottlieb, who became one of the most successful and best-known names in chamber music, came to the U.S. as a child from his native Leipzig, Germany. He made his solo recital debut at Town Hall when he was 10 and graduated from the Professional Children’s School in New York. Later, while a student at Juilliard, he earned a seat with the Little Orchestra Society. He was a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Claremont Quartet, which toured throughout the world for over 20 years. He appeared at the famed Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, the American Music Festival in Rome and many Marlboro festivals.

Mr. Gottlieb made his conducting debut in 1966 at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and also served as the music director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. He went on to serve as both conductor and concertmaster of several orchestras, including the Kansas City Philharmonic and the Tulsa Philharmonic. He served on the jury of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco for almost three decades. He also served as concertmaster of the prestigious Musica Aeterna Orchestra of New York and the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Gottlieb held faculty positions at the Peabody Conservatory, Penn State University and the California Music Center. In May 2006 he was awarded the prestigious Harwelden Arts and Humanities Award for his artistic contribution to the state of Oklahoma.

He is survived by his wife Carol.

Bernard Kaufman

Bernard Kaufman, 98, a saxophonist and a Local 802 member since 1932, died on April 22. Mr. Kaufman was a noted studio and session musician who started playing professionally in dance bands and society bands at age 15. A virtuoso woodwind player, he worked and recorded with the most important musicians of his generation, including Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Billy Eckstine, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, with whom he recorded “Black Coffee” in 1949. For over 60 years, Mr. Kaufman was a mainstay of radio, television and recording studios. He played the CBS Radio Show, the Perry Como Show, the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show and the Jack Paar Show, among many others. Bernie was admired by fellow musicians for his warm yet big sound and his impeccable sense of humor. He is survived by his sons Glenn and Jeff, daughters-in-law Sharon and Helen, and grandchildren Jeremy and Elana.

Hugh McCracken

Hugh McCracken, 70, a Local 802 member since 1967, died on March 29. Mr. McCracken was a virtuoso guitarist to the stars, including Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, B. B. King, Jefferson Airplane, Billy Joel, Laura Nyro, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Carl Perkins, the Monkees, Carly Simon, James Taylor, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Aretha Franklin.

By age 16, Mr. McCracken was already playing guitar in local clubs with a band. His first big break was playing on King Curtis’ 1961 album “Trouble in Mind.” He would go on to play on such hits as “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” by Neil Diamond, “Hey 19″ by Steely Dan, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon, “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, and Roberta Flack’s recording of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”

In addition to studio recording, Mr. McCracken also toured, composed jingles and played on film soundtracks. He doubled on mandolin and harmonica. One of his trademarks in the studio was that he improvised many of his parts.

Mr. McCracken is survived by his mother Ethel, wife Holly, sons Scott and Marc, daughters Jodi and Kimberly, sister Pat, brother Don, former wife Lynn White, and grandchildren Tori, John and Spencer.

Local 802 members who have reminiscences of working with Mr. McCracken are encouraged to e-mail them to Allegro@Local802afm.org.

Al Melanson

Al Melanson, 96, a bassist and guitarist, and a member of Local 802 since 1956, died on April 17. Mr. Melanson began his music career with Lester Lanin in the mid-1940s; he became Lanin’s personnel and business manager. After 14 years of putting together bands for every type of public and private event all over the world, Mr. Melanson opened his own office in 1959 under his professional name Al Madison.

Besides weddings, private parties and club dates, Mr. Melanson played college dances at Princeton, West Point and other schools. For over 22 years, his music groups were frequently seen at Shea Stadium during Mets games and other events there. At some games, there was a band greeting the crowd entering the stadium. Other bands would roam around the stadium during a game.

Mr. Melanson and his wife Helen retired and moved to Daytona Beach in 1987. Helen died in 2000.

Mr. Melanson is survived by his son Al Jr., daughter Gale Mauch, seven grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Morty Rapfogel

Mortimer “Morty” Rapfogel, 100, a flutist and a Local 802 member since 1932, died on Jan. 31. Early on, Mr. Rapfogel studied music at Stuyvesant High School. During his high school years, he played in the Youth Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Society Orchestra, Heckscher Foundation Orchestra, National Orchestral Association, Stringwood Trio, American Symphony Orchestra, Keith’s Boys Band, Greenwich Band and the Broxonian Trio. He performed many times at Carnegie Hall and on radio programs.

After winning a three-year scholarship from the New York Philharmonic to study in Europe with the French flute masters Georges Barrere and John Amans, he returned to play with the New York Philharmonic under Arturo Toscanini, John Barbirolli and Arthur Rodzinski, and also played with the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony and the NBC Symphony.

He played on Broadway as well on over 500 recordings and films. Mr. Rapfogel also performed with Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Leon Barzin, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Bruno Walter and Victor Borge.

In 1957, Mr. Rapfogel moved to Fort Worth where he immediately joined the Fort Worth Symphony and the city’s ballet and opera orchestras. He also became a strong advocate for keeping live music in local productions.

Mr. Rapfogel is survived by his daughter Judith, son Steve and daughter-in-law Marsha. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Robin Cooper Frisbie and her husband Scott; Stefanie Cooper Toppel and her husband Steve; Lisa Rapfogel Ostroff and her husband Dave; and Robert Rapfogel. His great-grandchildren are Mandy, Sammie, Alex, Taylor and Andrew, and his nieces and nephews are Nan Freund, Richard Rapfogel and Beth Roy.

Janos Starker

The cellist Janos Starker, 88, a Local 802 member since 1949, died on April 28. During the course of Mr. Starker’s career, he appeared as recitalist and soloist with the top orchestras and became one of the most sought-after virtuosi and teachers in the world.

Mr. Starker’s two older brothers were violinists, and he was given a cello before his sixth birthday. A child prodigy, Mr. Starker gave his first public performance at age six. He entered the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and made his debut there at age 11, giving his professional debut at 14.

Mr. Starker spent three months in a Nazi concentration camp. His parents also survived the camps, but his two brothers died.

He made his first recording in 1947, a sonata by the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály. It won a Grand Prix du Disque and brought him early international fame.

He immigrated to the United States in 1948 and played for the Dallas Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chicago Symphony before becoming a full-time concert soloist and teacher when he joined the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 1958.

The cellist amassed an extensive discography of more than 165 works, including a Grammy-award winning recording of the Bach suites for unaccompanied cello.

Allegro published an in-depth story about Mr. Starker in 2010, written by his biographer and former student Joyce Geeting. See www.bitly.com/JanosStarker.

Mr. Starker is survived by his wife Rae, daughters Gabriella and Gwen, and grandchildren Alexandra, Nicole and J. P.

The family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Janos Starker Research Institute and Archives, P.O. Box 5462, Bloomington, IN 47407.

Obituary edited from Indiana University news service (see newsinfo.iu.edu).

We also remember . . .

Andre Badalamenti, clarinet
Barney Bragin, saxophone
Pritchard Cheesman, saxophone
Oliver Colbentson, violin
Arthur J. Rando, saxophone
Jerry Scott, piano
Joseph B. Smith, organ

If you have any reminiscences about deceased musicians on these pages, e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org

To report the death of a member, please call Avelon Ramnath at (212) 245-4802. Be sure to ask about any possible refund of Local 802 membership dues or about the union’s death benefit (there are certain eligibility requirements).

Lilo Kantorowicz Glick

Lilo Kantorowicz Glick, 98, a Local 802 member since 1941, died on June 3 in her home in North Bennington, Vermont. In an 80-year teaching and performing career as a violinist, she conducted master classes at Stanford University and in Shanghai and Nanjing, China and was a faculty member of the Mannes College of Music. She also taught violin and viola at Queens College, the Shanghai Conservatory and Bennington College. Her orchestra experience included posts at the Baltimore, San Antonio and New Orleans symphonies, the Women’s Orchestra of Montreal, and Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra.

Ms. Glick’s students include teachers, performers, and members of orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic, La Scala opera house, National Ballet of Canada, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, among many others. A graduate of Bennington College, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984

Lilo Glick dedicated herself as a performing artist to providing benefit concerts for communities in need, from the Bennington Food & Fuel Fund, to numerous Red Cross and Salvation Army relief efforts. Her performances have helped to raise funds for children victims of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster (upon invitation by the German government for a performance at Nikolai-Kirche in Berlin), refugees of Rwanda and Kosovo, families of 9/11 victims, Habitat for Humanity, and scholarship resources for the Dionondehowa Wildlife Sanctuary and School in Shushan, New York. A performance by Ms. Glick of the Csárdás by Vittorio Monti with photos is on YouTube.

She is survived by her daughters Judith and Jane, grandchildren Ariana and Daniel, son-in-law James, and her many friends and students.

The family suggests contributions to the Bennington Interfaith Council Emergency Food & Fuel Fund (www.BenningtonFreeClinic.org/food_fuel.html) or Congregation Beth El, also in Bennington (www.CBEvermont.org).

David Schwartz

David Schwartz, 96, a violist and a Local 802 member since 1946, died on June 5. Mr. Schwartz’s career was extremely rich and diverse, but he is most recognized for his chamber music performances and recordings with the Yale and Paganini Quartets. He also performed with the Walden String Quartet and Cremona String Trio. Mr. Schwartz studied viola at Curtis Institute under Louis Bailly and Max Aronoff. By the age of 23, he was already principal violist of the Cleveland Orchestra. Mr. Schwartz also performed and toured with Leopold Stokowski’s All-American Youth Orchestra. During World War II, he enlisted in the Air Force and became lead violist of the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. After the war he performed with the Detroit Symphony as well as the NBC Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. He served as principal violist of the Puerto Rico Symphony for its inaugural season under Pablo Casals.

During his career, Mr. Schwartz taught full time at Yale and at the California Institute of the Arts and gave master classes at many other prestigious institutions.

Mr. Schwartz later served for many years as composer John Williams’ principal violist; he played on many of Williams’ most famous film scores, including “Jaws” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” He also performed on recordings by Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Bill Evans, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Sérgio Mendes, Lionel Richie and John Hiatt. He was five times voted Most Valuable Player by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and later received the Emeritus MVP award.

Mr. Schwartz served on the board of the AFM Pension Fund and also served as vice president of the Recording Musicians Association of Los Angeles.

He is survived by his daughter Lynette, son-in-law Kevin, granddaughter Lauren, niece Teresa and nephews Ken and Howard.

John Danser

John Danser

John Danser, 79, a clarinetist and saxophonist, died on July 22. He had been a Local 802 member since 1952.

After emigrating from London at the age of 14, Mr. Danser quickly established himself in New York City at a young age. He earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and played all over town, both in classical and jazz circles, while also arranging and composing. Later, he enlisted in the Army and was eventually appointed a bandleader for several of the Army bands.

Mr. Danser played in the Catskills during the famous Borscht Belt era, serving as bandleader at the Concord Hotel, where he played for Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., Milton Berle and Bob Hope. He played in Xavier Cugat’s band in Atlantic City, conducted Gene Krupa’s band, and wrote an overture for a 30-piece orchestra for the Sophie Tucker show.

He was also a hard-working club date musician, playing high society events, celebrity weddings and even bar mitzvahs. Mr. Danser also composed several classical works, including his “Concertina for Violin and Band,” which was commissioned by violinist Max Pokolef.

Mr. Danser added another chapter to his musical life when he formed an avant-garde jazz ensemble and a fusion band in the 1960s and 70s. He is survived by his daughter Jessica, son-in-law Karl and sister Celia.

For more of Mr. Danser’s life, or to leave a note to the family, please visit the funeral home’s Web site at www.DavidCGross.com or send an e-mail to JessicaDanser@yahoo.com. Mr. Danser’s albums remain available at cdbaby.com.

Laurie Frink

Laurie Frink

Laurie Frink, 61, a trumpeter and teacher and a Local 802 member since 1976, died on July 13.

Born in Pender, Nebraska, Ms. Frink’s career eventually led her to play with such luminaries as Benny Goodman, Gerry Mulligan, Mel Lewis, Bob Mintzer, John Hollenbeck, Dave Liebman, Andrew Hill, Kenny Wheeler and Maria Schneider. Her diverse career included Broadway shows, jingles, movie soundtracks, and guest appearances with artists such as the Talking Heads, David Bowie and David Sanborn. She performed with the Manhattan Brass Quintet, the Saturday Brass Quintet, the Gramercy Park Brass and Concordia.

Considered the foremost authority and teacher of the Carmine Caruso method, Ms. Frink attracted professional brass players from around the world. Her personable style contributed to her success as a clinician, lecturer and conductor. In addition to her work – ranging from junior high school wind ensembles to professional jazz orchestras – she was a featured artist at the International Trumpet Competition in Kiev and the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Goteborg, Sweden. Ms. Frink was also a member of the board of directors of both the International Trumpet Guild and also the Font Festival.

Ms. Frink taught at NYU, the New School, the New England Conservatory, and the Manhattan School of Music. She and John McNeil co-authored “FLEXUS: Trumpet Calisthenics for the Modern Improviser.” She was well known for her insightful ability to solve physical difficulties experienced by many brass players.

She is survived by her partner, the violist Lois Martin, who is also a member of Local 802. Local 802 members who have memories or reminiscences about Ms. Frink can e-mail them to Allegro@Local802afm.org. Obituary compiled from LaurieFrink.com and NECmusic.edu.

Carline Ray

Carline Ray

Carline Ray, 88, the bassist, vocalist and guitarist, died on July 18. She had been a member of Local 802 since 1945. Ms. Ray served for many years on the Local 802 Trial Board, was active in the Justice for Jazz Artists campaign, and served as the jazz consultant to the Executive Board from 2010 to 2012.

Ms. Ray, who studied at Juilliard and earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, began her professional career as a member of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm and later Erskine Hawkins’ big band. During her career, she also performed with big bands led by Sy Oliver, Skitch Henderson and Mercer Ellington.

As a vocalist, she sang backup in the studio for Patti Page, Bobby Darin and others. She also sang classical choral works, including performances of Christmas music conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

Ms. Ray often sang and played bass with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, including in its 1971 production of “Mary Lou’s Mass” by Mary Lou Williams.

She also played in touring and educational groups featuring female musicians, including Jazzberry Jam, with pianist Bertha Hope.

“She was one of my mentors,” remembers jazz bassist and Local 802 Executive Board member Bob Cranshaw. “She was one of the first people to pick up the electric Fender bass, and make it work in jazz. When I saw that, I said, ‘I can do that too.’”

Ms. Ray is survived by her daughter, the singer Catherine Russell, who is also a member of Local 802. She is also survived by her sister Irma Sloan. Her husband, the seminal jazz pianist and bandleader Luis Russell, died in 1963.

Ms. Ray’s musical life was too rich to fit into this small space. Readers who want to know more or who have reminiscences to share about Ms. Ray can e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org. Thanks to Todd Bryant Weeks for researching and writing this obituary. Some information from the New York Times. For more on Carline Ray, see our reprint of the 1998 Allegro interview with Ms. Ray and also a tribute from Ms. Ray’s daughter Catherine in this issue.

Joe Rutkowski Sr.

Joe Rutkowski Sr.

Joe Rutkowski Sr., 82, a drummer, accordion player, guitarist and harmonica player, died last Nov. 22, 2012. He had joined Local 802 in 1959.

Mr. Rutkowski began playing professional club dates on drums as a teenager with his younger brother and their father. “In tougher American times, he was a true American,” wrote his son Joseph Jr. When duty called, he served in the Korean War as an Army cook, feeding thousands who served alongside him. He entertained his buddies with his accordion, guitar and harmonica.

Returning to NYC, he joined Local 802 and went back to playing his drums at various venues all over the area. He retired from playing professionally in 1977, but never hesitated to get on the drum set to play with family or friends. In fact, a few days before his death, Mr. Rutkowski was playing his drumsticks on his dinner tray in the hospital, accompanied by his sons and grandsons on their own instruments. These spontaneous performances brought delight and cheer to the other patients in the ICU, as well as to the medical staff.

Mr. Rutkowski lived a full life. His first wife, Ann Saccento (whom he divorced in 1974), passed away in 2000. He is survived by his wife Judy, sons Joseph Jr., Andrew and Russell Starr, daughters Annmarie, Joanne, Victoria and Helena Starr-Groh, sister Martha Fabianowicz and many musical grandchildren.

The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The letters here do not necessarily express the views of Local 802. E-mail letters to Allegro@Local802afm.org or write to Allegro, Local 802, 322 West 48th Street, New York, NY 10036. Letters must be no more than 300 words.

LAURIE FRINK (1951-2013)

Laurie Frink and I were at the University of Nebraska in the early 70s. I enjoyed playing many engagements with this great lady. My most vivid memory was a gig with the Ringling Circus in Omaha. We were playing three shows on Saturday – each one was three hours long! Laurie was splitting the lead book. During the first half of the last show, the other lead player developed complications from a recent abdominal surgery and had to stop playing. This was a huge challenge for Laurie. In the middle of the last half of the show, Laurie calmly stood up, walked off the bandstand, “lost her cookies” as they say, walked back on and nailed the rest of the show. Her professionalism and attitude were second to none. I will miss this fine woman.

Keith Heckman

At age 70, I developed an uncontrollable “quiver” which threatened my trombone playing. I presented myself to Laurie Frink in her Manhattan studio and, after I played her a few ugly notes, she diagnosed a curable problem. Rocking in her chair, looking me in the eye, she declared I had no focal dystonia or other common maladies. “Not to worry!” I was just “stuck.” Laurie was my last hope and I was happy to be accepted as her student. Her therapy brought me to a place where I could perform to my satisfaction. I saw this as a classic case of a good teacher teaching another teacher turned student and not too proud to be taught. She did too. I’ve been forever grateful and will miss her dearly.

–J. David Abt
[Editor’s note: we published Laurie Frink’s obituary
in the September 2013 issue of Allegro.]

JACK MAHEU (1930-2013)

It is with great sadness and regret that I report the death of my father, Jack Maheu, 83, on Aug. 27. He had been a member of Local 802 from 1980 to 1988 before relocating to New Orleans. There, he performed full-time until the age of 75, when he suffered a stroke.

Jack loved his time playing in NYC, especially his days at Eddie Condon’s club, which was one of the last real jazz clubs left in the city. In 1979, the new owners of the club hired my dad as the clarinetist for the house band, which also included Vic Dickenson, Danny D’Imperio, John Bunch, and the club’s owners, Red Balaban and Ed Polcer. My family, which had been living in Rochester, moved into a little two-bedroom apartment on Roosevelt Island where my brother and I grew up. Many of New York’s finest musicians sat in at the club or just stopped by for a drink. (Drinks were only a dollar “if you showed your Local 802 card.”)

Jack later bounced around between New York and Florida until he came to settle in New Orleans as a main attraction at Fritzel’s Pub on Bourbon Street. Dad was a hard-ass on the bandstand, as many players will attest to. In New Orleans he was given the nickname “The General.” But when he played his horn, you’d understand why.

Jack’s playing touched thousands of souls and inspired a lot of the younger musicians of the next generation. The silence of his horn is a tremendous loss to the jazz world and he will be dearly missed by all.

–Michael Maheu

CEDAR WALTON (1934-2013)

Some musicians dislike the word “sideman,” viewing it as insulting. But I suspect that the soft-spoken pianist and arranger Cedar Walton wouldn’t have minded being called one. For Cedar, who passed away on Aug. 19 at age 79, it was all about the music and not the ego.

I once heard Cedar kick off a 19-minute version of his own composition, “Bolivia,” by letting the saxophonist take a six-minute solo, before taking one of his own. Cedar was never one to hog the spotlight. Even though he led or co-led more than 40 recording sessions, he will be best remembered for his supportive and complementary role on hundreds of other sessions, including Lee Morgan’s soulful “Charisma,” Milt Jackson’s “Olinga” and Dexter Gordon’s hard-swinging “Generation.”

Cedar also earned a reputation as one of the best arrangers in the business; check out his charts for “Body and Soul” and “I’ll Be Seeing You” on Etta James’ “Mystery Lady: The Songs of Billie Holiday.” If you like your Cedar straight up, try his “Blues for Myself” (2008).

Chameleon-like, Cedar Walton fit himself into whatever groove was being laid down, whether it be ballad, blues, or bop. (He also had a funk group called Mobius in the early 1970s.) He was a master at adjusting to whatever musical circumstances he found himself in.

For my money, “The Pentagon” (1976) is the greatest – albeit out-of-print – jazz recording of all time: great musicians, songs, arrangements, solos and engineering. This six-track, 32-minute tour de force features Cedar’s longtime drummer, “Smilin’ Billy” Higgins, percussionist Ray Mantilla, bassist Sam Jones and Clifford Jordan on tenor.

Pianist Mickey Tucker recently wrote to me, “Cedar’s solos always had definitive melodic direction. His ensemble playing was nothing short of immaculate and if I had been a horn player in a band, Cedar Walton would be the number-one guy I would want as the pianist in the rhythm section.”

Cedar, we’ll remember you.

–Peter Zimmerman

WE ALSO REMEMBER…

Steve Berrios, drums
Gene A. Campione, violin
James V. Cresce, piano
Anthony Di Bonaventura, piano
Margie Stein Ewald, oboe
Carol Henry, piano
Joan Kraber Kalisch, viola
Burt Lee, saxophone
Robert Morsberger, keyboards
John G. Neri, violin
Walter E. Rosenberger, drums
David Schwartz, viola
Carmine Tarantino, drums
Charles Wiener, piano

If you have any reminiscences, memories or stories about deceased members of Local 802, please e-mail them to Allegro@Local802afm.org

To report the death of a member, please call Avelon Ramnath at (212) 245-4802. Be sure to ask about any possible dues refunds or death benefits (there are eligibility requirements).

KIRBY CAMPBELL

Kirby Campbell, 97, a member of Local 802 since 1946, died on Sept. 27. Mr. Campbell was a multi-instrumentalist, who played cello along with all of the woodwinds, and even taught himself a little electric bass. Raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, he was a self-taught musician. As a young man, one of his earliest professional engagements was playing with the Johnny Long orchestra, with whom he toured extensively. He even appeared with the Long orchestra in an Abbott and Costello film, “Hit the Ice.” That was only the beginning of a long and illustrious freelance career, playing with everyone from Elvis to the St. Petersburg Symphony. (The symphony passed through Miami in 1993 and hired Mr. Campbell to play on Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” which utilizes an alto saxophone in the opening movement.)

Mr. Campbell played on concerts with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole and many others. He recorded on studio dates with the Bee Gees.

In his 40s, Mr. Campbell left NYC for Florida, where he continued an active career. Although he only had an eighth-grade education, he eventually became a tenured professor at the University of Miami school of music, where he taught sax, flute and clarinet. In 1982, Mr. Campbell recorded his own album, “The Sounds of Praise,” where he played 26 different parts on 13 different instruments. Mr. Campbell was still actively performing and recording up until his death.

He is survived by his brother Owen, son John K. Campbell, daughter Patricia Higgins, son-in-law Terry, grandchildren Suzanne, Ryan and Amanda, and great-grandson Ethan.

WILSON OSCAR MOORMAN III

Wilson Oscar Moorman III, 73, a percussionist, timpanist and drummer, died on Oct. 3. He had been a Local 802 member since 1969. Mr. Moorman earned a master’s degree in percussion from Juilliard, where he studied timpani and percussion with Saul Goodman, composition with Hall Overton, and theory with Vittorio Giannini and Jacob Druckman. At the same time, he played in Newark jazz clubs with Woody Shaw, Tyrone Washington and Larry Young Jr. (with whose group he would later record the Blue Note album “Love and Peace”).

Over his career, Mr. Moorman performed with the North Carolina Symphony (becoming its first African-American member), the New Jersey Symphony, the Santa Fe Opera, the Staten Island Symphony, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Richmond County Orchestra, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Goldovsky Opera, the Seoul Symphony, the Symphony of the New World (with whom he made a television appearance on an NET special in 1970) and many others.

He toured worldwide with Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and his cousin Melba Moore, and performed with Max Roach’s M’Boom, the Bennington College Contemporary Music Series, the Society of Black Composers, the New York Pro-Arte Chamber Ensemble, David Amram’s group, the Experimental Intermedia Players, and more. He also played in numerous Broadway shows.

Mr. Moorman taught at Wagner College, Kean College, Manhattan Community College and many other colleges and schools. He is survived by his wife Joyce, brother David, uncle Clement and many cousins.

LOU REED

Lou Reed, 71, the songwriter, guitarist and singer, died on Oct. 27. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1966. Known for his distinctive deadpan voice and poetic lyrics, Mr. Reed formed the Velvet Underground in 1965 with John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. The group caught the attention of Andy Warhol, who became their muse and manager. With the addition of the German singer Nico, the band’s debut album has become one of the most influential rock albums of all time.

After quitting the group in 1970, Mr. Reed released two solo albums in the next two years. “Walk on the Wild Side” became a hit single and signature song. After several albums with commercial success, Mr. Reed also released Metal Machine Music, a double album of electronically generated audio feedback. In 1990, following a 20-year hiatus, the Velvet Underground reformed for a benefit concert in France and began touring again.

In 2009, Mr. Reed’s was a featured performer at the Jazz Foundation of America annual benefit “A Great Night in Harlem.” Soon after, Mr. Reed formed the Metal Machine Trio, which was widely viewed as a return to his exploration of noise and sound. In 2011, heavy-metal band Metallica recorded a full-length collaboration with Reed entitled “Lulu.”

Mr. Reed’s incredible career and influence are too vast to condense into this small space. For more, see www.LouReed.com. Local 802 members who were fortunate enough to perform with Mr. Reed may e-mail reminiscences to Allegro@Local802afm.org.

He is survived by his mother Toby Reed, his sister Merrill Weiner, and his wife, the composer, performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson, who is also a member of Local 802.

Some material here edited from Wikipedia.

ANDREW SENATORE

Andrew Senatore, 83, a trumpeter and a Local 802 member since 1949, died on Oct. 21.

Mr. Senatore played with Frank Sinatra and was perhaps best known for his many tours with Tito Puente.

Mr. Senatore’s son Tony wrote, “To my knowledge, my father was the first American to sing a lead vocal on a Tito Puente album. In addition to singing in the band, he played in the trumpet section. I met many of the best musicians through my dad. Tito Puente himself gave me my own drum set in 1972. I also met Lew Soloff, Victor Paz, Jimmy Frisaura, Santos Colon, Ronnie Bedford, Bob Porcelli, Mike Manishor, Jeff Ganz and Alan Childs, to name a few. My father is gone, but his legend lives on in his music and stories. He was a big supporter of Local 802, and even in his last days wanted to make sure that his obituary was published in Allegro.”

Mr. Senatore also played the top club dates in NYC, performing with the groups of Lester Lanin, Peter Duchin and Alex Donner.

Besides his son Tony, Mr. Senatore is survived by his wife Olga, sister Marie and granddaughter Alexandra.

FRANK WESS

Frank Wess, 91, a saxophonist and one of the first popular jazz flutists, died on Oct. 30. He had been a Local 802 member since 1956.

In his early career, he played with Blanche Calloway, the sister of Cab Calloway. During World War II, Mr. Wess led a band accompanying the singer Josephine Baker. Later, he went on to play with Billy Eckstine, Eddie Heywood, Lucky Millinder and Bull Moose Jackson.

In 1949, Mr. Wess began studying flute with Wallace Mann from the National Symphony and Harold Bennett from the Met Opera. Four years later, Mr. Wess put his flute chops to use in the Count Basie Orchestra, where he played and soloed on flute as well as alto and tenor sax.

Mr. Wess moved to New York City in 1964 to lead his own groups and play with the New York Jazz Quartet, Dameronia and others. He also worked in studios and played in various shows all over the city.

Mr. Wess held a contract with ABC for ten years, where he performed for “Saturday Night Live,” and the Dick Cavett and Sammy Davis shows. For almost 20 years, he played in a quintet called “Two Franks,” with Frank Foster, his colleague from the Basie days.

In the late 80s and early 90s, Mr. Wess led a big band that made highly successful appearances in Japan. The band included ex-Basie alumni Harry “Sweets” Edison, Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Al Grey, Benny Powell, Marshal Royal and Billy Mitchell.

In 2007, Mr. Wess was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

He is survived by his partner Sara Tsutsumi, daughters Michele and Francine, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Local 802 members who have reminiscences to share about Mr. Wess can e-mail them to Allegro@Local802afm.org. Obituary edited from www.FrankWess.org

There will be a celebration of Mr. Wess’s life on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Church (www.SaintPeters.org). Jimmy Owens and Jerry Dodgion will serve as musical directors of the event.

WE ALSO REMEMBER . . .

Little Joe Ayesu, guitar
Ruth Berman, harp
Sally Foster, harp
Joyce Granoff, violin
Bob Greene, piano
Robert Hartzell, trumpet
Victor Powell, saxophone
Bob Thomas, drums

To report the death of a member, call Avelon Ramnath at (212) 245-4802. Be sure to ask about the union’s death benefit. Also, see www.afm-epf.org for information on pension benefits.

Alfred Brown

Alfred V. Brown, 84, a violist, violinist, producer, arranger and contractor, died on Nov. 17. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1950.

Mr. Brown was a musical trailblazer. He was one of the first African-American students ever to be admitted to the Eastman School of Music. He later graduated from Curtis, and studied with William Primrose and Karen Tuttle.

When he earned a spot in the NBC Radio Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Toscanini, Mr. Brown became one of the first professional African-American classical musicians in the U.S. He was also one of the founders of the Symphony for the New World, the first integrated orchestra in America, whose mission was to gain equality for African-American musicians on the concert stage. (The late Kermit Moore was also a founder of this ensemble – see his obituary below.)

As a studio musician and producer, Mr. Brown’s discography numbers in the hundreds. He won the NARAS Award for Most Valuable Player in 1984.

Mr. Brown produced albums by Lena Horne and Ron Carter, as well as the first studio album for singer/songwriter Cris Williamson. He toured with Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Luther Vandross and Barbra Streisand. His played on top TV shows, in Broadway shows, on countless pop and jazz albums, and on many of Spike Lee’s film soundtracks.

He contracted musicians for everyone from Hugh Masekela to Britney Spears. He also put together a huge number of orchestras for film scores and TV commercials.

Mr. Brown is survived by his sister Alma, nieces Cheryl and Juliette, grandnieces Josephine Ann (Joann) and Amanda, and great-grandniece Tabitha.

Edited from an obituary written by Anne H. Pollack.

Sarah (Sally) Foster

Sarah (Sally) Foster, 73, a harpist and a Local 802 member since 1963, died last Aug. 15.

Ms. Foster grew up in Alvin, Texas, where she studied harp with Helen Horton, a student of Alberto Salvi. (Ordinarily, one could not begin harp until fourth grade, but Ms. Foster was so insistent that she was allowed to start in second grade, and a small harp was found so that her feet could reach the pedals.) She studied with Horton through high school, then attended the University of Texas (Austin) for three years before transferring to Juilliard, where she studied with Marcel Grandjany. Shortly after her graduation in 1963 she began a decade-long stint with the original production of “The Fantasticks” at the Sullivan Street Theatre.

Ms. Foster would spend the rest of her life primarily on and off Broadway, playing for such productions as “Irene” with Debbie Reynolds and “Peter Pan” with Sandy Duncan. Freelance work included various concert series with Liza Minnelli, Sandy Duncan and Barbara Cook, as well as cruise ship gigs on the Queen Elizabeth II. Her career also involved performances with the American Opera Society, the New Jersey Symphony, the Hartford Symphony, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Rhinebeck Playhouse and SUNY New Paltz.

She is survived by her husband, French hornist Vincent Schneider, and her son George.

Edited from an obituary written by Samuel Milligan.

Jim Hall

Jim Hall, 83, the jazz guitarist, died on Dec. 10. He had been a Local 802 member since 1958.

After earning a degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Mr. Hall moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s, where he joined Jimmy Guiffre’s trio and Chico Hamilton’s chamber jazz quartet. He became part of the West Coast cool jazz movement and was known for his understated, melodic lines. He style would later influence guitarists like Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell.

By 1960, Mr. Hall had arrived in New York to work with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer, among others. His live and recorded collaborations with Bill Evans, Paul Desmond, and Ron Carter are legendary. In his career, he also played with Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster, Lee Konitz, Tommy Flanagan, Ornette Coleman, Red Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald.

He became well known as a bandleader, and led his own trio for over 40 years.

In 1997, Mr. Hall won the New York Jazz Critics Circle Award for Best Jazz Composer/Arranger, and in 2004 he was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mr. Hall was actively performing until shortly before his death. In 2012, he played at the Blue Note and at a number of jazz festivals all over the world. As recently as November, his trio performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room with John Abercrombie and Peter Bernstein.

He is survived by his wife Jane and his daughter Devra, who wrote Mr. Hall’s biography on his Web site, at www.JimHallMusic.com. This obituary was excerpted and edited in part from that biography. Additional information came from the Associated Press obituary for Mr. Hall.

Also in this issue, see Bill Crow’s tribute to Jim Hall in “The Band Room“.

Chico Hamilton

Chico Hamilton, 92, the drummer and bandleader, died on Nov. 25. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1959.

Mr. Hamilton got his first professional gig working with Lionel Hampton when he was just 19. Jobs with Count Basie, Charlie Barnet and Jimmy Mundy followed, after serving in the Army during World War II. By 1946, he was the drummer at Billy Berg’s nightclub in Los Angeles. Soon after, he joined Lena Horne’s band, and began seven years of touring Europe during the summers. In 1952, Mr. Hamilton joined Gerry Mulligan’s quartet, which became one of the standard-bearers for the new, smoother cool jazz or West Coast jazz movement, as did Mr. Hamilton’s own quintet which he formed soon after. In fact, Mr. Hamilton’s band became one of the most popular jazz groups; it appeared in the 1957 Burt Lancaster movie “Sweet Smell of Success.” For another movie, Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion,” Mr. Hamilton wrote the music.

That decade was perhaps the peak of his popularity, but for the rest of his career, Mr. Hamilton continued to perform, record and teach at the highest levels. For more than 20 years, he taught at the New School jazz program here in NYC. He was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2004, and the Kennedy Center Living Legend Award in 2007. At the time of his death, he was still recording and performing.

Mr. Hamilton is survived by his daughter Denise, brother Don, a granddaughter and two great-granddaughters.

Burt Lee

Burt Lee, 101, a multi-woodwind player, died last May 15, 2013. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1935.

Born Benjamin Lieberman, Mr. Lee learned to play at a young age. He earned degrees from the City College of New York, and later the Brooklyn Law School. During the 1940s, he formed his own orchestra, Lee Burton Associates, and played numerous corporate and society events. He also taught lessons. By the late 1950s, Mr. Lee reluctantly gave up the music to practice law full time. However, he always retained his loyalty to – and membership in – the union, and he became concerned about the effect of recorded music on employment opportunities for all musicians.

He was married for 65 years; his wife, Carolyn, died in 2005. He is survived by his son Arthur, daughter-in-law Nancy, grandchildren Alexander and Kate, great-grandchildren Chloe and Daniel, and sister Mildred.

To send a note to the family, please e-mail Arthur_Lee_629@comcast.net.

Kermit Moore

Kermit Moore, 84, the cellist, composer and conductor, died on Nov. 2. He had been a Local 802 member since 1948.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Mr. Moore studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music while still in high school. He moved to New York to attend Juilliard, were he studied with Felix Salmond. While in NYC, he played solo recitals, and studied musicology and composition at NYU, from which he eventually earned a master’s degree. Mr. Moore later spent time in France, where he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and took lessons from Nadia Boulanger. During his career, he also studied with Paul Bazelaire, Gregor Piatigorsky, Pablo Casals and Serge Koussevitzky.

Mr. Moore won the principal cello chair of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in 1949, and also taught at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford and the Harlem School of the Arts. At various times, he conducted the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, the Berkeley Symphony (in California), and Opera Ebony. He was one of the founders of the Symphony of the New World and also founded the Classical Heritage Ensemble.

Mr. Moore was well-known for performing 20th century and contemporary repertoire. He was also a talented composer himself, and wrote soundtracks for two PBS documentaries, among many other works. He backed up many pop and jazz musicians, including McCoy Tyner and Ron Carter, and was a member of the Philip Glass Ensemble. He is survived by his wife, the composer Dorothy Rudd Moore, and his sister, Mary Moore Nelson, a pianist.

Bobby Thomas

Robert (Bobby) Charles Thomas, 80, a drummer and a composer, died last Oct. 20. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1958.

Mr. Thomas served in the Army Band from 1953 to 1955 before earning a degree from Juilliard in 1961. He went on to enjoy a top musical career, working with Wes Montgomery, Carmen McCrae, Cy Coleman, Charles Aznavour, Jimmy Heath, Herbie Mann, Junior Mance, Gigi Gryce, Ray Charles, Gloria Lynn, Dionne Warwick, Gerry Mulligan, Oliver Jones, Hubert Laws and Billy Taylor. His compositions were recorded by Hubert Laws, Wayne Shorter, Attila Zoller, Dave Pike, Junior Mance and David Frost.

In addition to his work in jazz, Mr. Thomas performed on numerous Broadway shows, including “Promises Promises,” “Company,” “Coco,” and “A Chorus Line,” for which he served as the musical coordinator, collaborating closely with Michael Bennett. He also worked on the David Frost television show.

Mr. Thomas taught at Rutgers and also the University of Massachusetts “Jazz in July” program. He conducted master classes at universities and other venues around the world.

He is survived by his wife Nicole, son Marc, daughter Lorna, son-in-law Eli, daughter-in-law Erin, and grandchildren Mia, Ani, Raia and Zephyr.

Herman “Trigger” Alpert

Herman “Trigger” Alpert, 97, the jazz bass player, died on Dec. 21. He first joined Local 802 in 1940.Mr. Alpert played bass with the original Glenn Miller band and was one of its last surviving members. He performed on such Miller classics as “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Anvil Chorus” and “Song Of The Volga Boatman.” He even played in Miller’s Army/Air Force Band.

After the war, Mr. Alpert worked as a freelance musician in recording, radio and television. He was a regular on many of Frank Sinatra’s East Coast recordings and radio programs in the late 1940s and performed with jazz and popular music icons including Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and Ella Fitzgerald. In 1950, he joined the staff of CBS in New York where he worked on various radio and TV programs, most notably the “Gary Moore Show.” In 1956, he recorded his only album as leader – entitled “Trigger Happy” – for Riverside. While at CBS he became acquainted with Carol Burnett, Dick van Dyke and Barbara Streisand. He continued to work outside of CBS on scores of record dates and commercials until leaving the music industry altogether in 1968. He then began an extremely successful career as an outdoor color portrait photographer.

Mr. Alpert moved to Florida in the 1980s and continued a busy schedule as a photographer until he finally retired in 2000 after the passing of his wife Connie. He is survived by a daughter. This obituary edited from an original written by Rob Ronzello (RonSwaylo@sbcglobal.net).

Gaudencio Thiago de Mello

Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, 80, a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, died on Nov. 11. He had been a Local 802 member since 1985. After studying architecture and then physical education, Thiago (as he preferred to be called) enjoyed a successful career in professional soccer in his native Brazil. Then, without being able to read a note, he came to New York at age 33 to pursue his dream of becoming a musician. He studied classical guitar and founded the Guitar Society at the United Nations in 1970, which he directed for 10 years. He founded his band, Amazon, and released his first of many recordings in 1973. He also founded and directed the jazz ensemble at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City, where he taught for 29 years. In 2000, DownBeat voted him among the 10 best percussionists in the U.S. Thiago taught “organic percussion” and created many of his percussion instruments out of gourds and discarded wood. He collaborated with Sharon Isbin, Paul Winter and many others. He was a member of Local 802’s Jazz Advisory Committee and was an endorser of the union’s Justice for Jazz Artists campaign. He is survived by his children Janine, Ayla, Pedro Paulo and Fernando; son-in-law Eckart; former wives Mary and Bette; sister Maria do Ceul; and brother Amadeu. For more on Thiago, see www.Thiago-Amazon.com. The family suggests donations in his memory to the Rain Forest Alliance (www.ra.org) or Madre (www.madre.org). Information in this obituary from a paid death notice in the New York Times.

Joseph Diamante

Joseph Diamante, 91, a violinist and a member of Local 802 since 1951, died on Nov. 17. Mr. Diamante studied music at the Curtis Institute of Music. He was a regular member of the New York City Opera orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre orchestra, and the New York Pops with Skitch Henderson. He also worked as a sub with the Met Opera and performed in many Broadway shows. He is survived by his wife Irene and stepdaughter Susan.

Solomon Flum

Solomon Flum, 88, a saxophonist and a member of Local 802 since 1946, died on Jan. 8. Mr. Flum was among the first class of classical saxophone students to graduate from Juilliard. He later earned master’s degrees from both Columbia and Stonybrook. Mr. Flum performed with the Goldman Band, the Long Island Pops and the American Concert Band. He served as a band director for 32 years with the Farmingdale (Long Island) school system. Mr. Flum was also an accomplished performer, arranger and music educator who performed all over the New York metropolitan area. A veteran, he served in the Army during World War II and in the Naval Reserve Band during the Korean War. He is survived by his partner Ann Schlesinger; his siblings Leonard and Rhoda; his sons Neal, Judah and David; his daughters-in-law Jeanne, Lisa and Jodi; and his grandchildren Alexander, Michael and Rebecca.

WE ALSO REMEMBER . . .

Ronald Austin, trumpet
Leonard Balaban, tuba
Dwayne Burno, bass
Roy Campbell Jr.*, trumpet
Peter S. Chido, trumpet
Philip N. Darois, bass
Jeaneane Dowis, piano
Herbert A. Geller, saxophone
Frank Jackson, alto sax
Chet Kruley, guitar
Lillian Marino, violin
Philip Ramone, violin
Buryl A. Red, piano
Alan Schackner, harmonica
Sam Ulano*, drums
F.G. Verrill, bass
Christopher Von Baeyer, cello

 

*See tribute letters in The Musicians’ Voice.

Ruth Alsop and
Keith Lamar Alsop

Ruth Alsop, 82, a member of Local 802 since 1952, died on Jan. 23. Her husband of 49 years, Keith Lamar Alsop, 85, died just over a week later, on Feb. 3. He had been a Local 802 member since 1953.

Ms. Alsop played cello for over 50 years with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, where her husband was the concertmaster. She also performed with her husband in the Alsop-Bernstein Trio. Ms. Alsop played at Radio City Music Hall, taught music at Brooklyn College and SUNY (Potsdam), and toured with the Gotham Trio. When the Statue of Liberty was renovated and rededicated in 1986, Ms. Alsop played with Frank Sinatra at the ceremonies. Ms. Alsop held a master’s degree in music from Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart and also studied at the Yale School of Music.

Her husband began his career at 17 in the Utah Symphony Orchestra, under conductor Maurice Abravenal. Mr. Alsop mastered the violin, viola, clarinet, flute and saxophone before completing his musical studies at Columbia University. He was a member of the Beaux Arts String Quartet, the American String Quartet, the Carnegie String Quartet and the Philadelphia Piano Quartet with Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster Norman Carol. Mr. Alsop taught at Brooklyn College, SUNY Potsdam and Luzerne Music Center. In addition to his career in symphonic music, he toured the country with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians.

Mr. Alsop was one of the most well-recorded studio artists of his generation. He collaborated and recorded with Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Tony Bennett, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Peter Paul and Mary, Ricky Martin, Wynton Marsalis, Gloria Estefan, Spyro Gyra and many others. He can be heard on the soundtracks of over 50 movies, including “Fargo” and “Fame.” Among his avocations was the art of whistling, and he was featured on numerous albums and commercials as whistler.

The Alsops are survived by their daughter Marin (who is also a member of Local 802), Marin’s partner Kristin, and grandson Auden. In addition, Ruth Alsop is survived by her sisters M. Elaine Love, Clair Meuse and Nancy Green. A memorial service to honor the Alsops will take place later this year. Tax deductible donations can be made to the Alsop Family Foundation at P.O. Box 70185, Springfield, OR 97475.

Richard “Richy” Barz

Richard “Richy” A. Barz, 74, died on Dec. 25, 2013. A graduate of the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, Mr. Barz served in the U.S. Army Field Band until his honorable discharge in 1964. An accomplished musician, he began his professional big band career with the Les and Larry Elgart Orchestra. He was the road manager and woodwind player with the Glenn Miller Orchestra for many years, traveling the world 50 weeks a year and recording numerous albums.

Mr. Barz also contracted musicians and played in many other famous big bands. After a long career on the road he settled down in Rye, N.Y., and became a booking agent for the prestigious Willard Alexander Agency. He represented jazz and big band artists. Mr. Barz recently produced, directed, played and contracted on three Glenn Miller Orchestra Christmas albums, which each sold over one million copies.

His journey ended with a move to the Poconos in 1986, where he and his wife, Nancy, opened their own company, Big Band Productions, producing, directing and marketing top-name big band shows at various resorts in the area. Most recently, Mr. Barz was a woodwind instructor. He dearly loved teaching his craft to others.

He is survived by his wife Nancy, daughter Lisa, son-in-law Chris, grandson Cody, sister Barbara, niece Michele and nephews Robert and Michael.

Richard Hayman

Richard Hayman, 93, the conductor and arranger, died on Feb. 5. He had been a Local 802 member since 1953.

Mr. Hayman was best known as the chief arranger and guest conductor for the Boston Pops for over 50 years, where his arrangements are still used today. He also served as the conductor of pops concerts in St. Louis and led other pops orchestras around the country.

Mr. Hayman started out as a harmonica player and arranger for Borrah Minnevitch and His Harmonica Rascals before moving to Hollywood and becoming an arranger for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. He also served as musical director for the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra and worked for Mercury Records. Along the way, Mr. Hayman kept up his harmonica profile, including a 1953 hit “Ruby,” which sparked a renewed public interest in the harmonica. Another hit, “Dansero,” became an international favorite, as well as his rendition of “Night Train.” His 1957 album “Havana In Hi-Fi” was the first in the Mercury label’s pop music stereo LP series.

Mr. Hayman’s last event with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, where he held the title of pops conductor emeritus, took place on June 27, 2010, to honor his 90th birthday. The St. Louis Metro Singers, who performed with him at many Pops concerts, were also on stage at the event.

Mr. Hayman is survived by his wife Maryellen, daughters Suzy and Olivia, and four grandchildren.

Edited from Wikipedia.

Jerome Jolles

Jerome Jolles, a virtuoso accordionist and a member of Local 802 since 1953, died on Jan. 9. Mr. Jolles was a native of Romania. Upon arriving in the U.S., he was immediately invited to be part of a band in the Catskills. Mr. Jolles soon formed his own club date band, working in the Catskills while continuing his education at Juilliard in the field of composition. In 1961, he decided to devote himself to composition and teaching. Nonetheless, he continued to perform and record both classical and popular music. Mr. Jolles was beloved by his students, several of whom are members of Local 802. Jerome is survived by his wife Susan, daughters Renee and Annette, and five grandchildren. An interview with Mr. Jolles’ wife Susan, who is also a member of Local 802, appears in this  issue.

James Preiss

James Preiss, 72, a percussionist and a member of Local 802 since 1968, died on Jan. 21. Mr. Preiss studied at Eastman under William Street before winning a chair in the U.S. Marine Band (“The President’s Own”), where he had the honor of playing snare during President Kennedy’s funeral procession. After leaving the Marine Band, Mr. Preiss earned a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Morris “Arnie” Lang and Fred D. Hinger.

Mr. Preiss was a founding member of Steve Reich & Musicians (1971) and Parnassus. He was principal percussionist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the Westchester Philharmonic, and performed with nearly every professional orchestra in New York. Mr. Preiss performed and recorded with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the New Music Consort and numerous others.

Mr. Preiss taught at Mannes and also the Manhattan School of Music, where he formed the Manhattan Marimba Quartet, the first professional marimba quartet in the world. Mr. Preiss himself played bass marimba in the group for 20 years.

After retiring from teaching, Mr. Preiss founded a commissioning project for solo marimba works. Among the composers who wrote works dedicated to him were Dan Levitan, Davide Zannoni and Eva Weiner. He was an inspiration to many generations of students, composers, and colleagues.

Mr. Preiss is survived by his sons Jeffrey and Christopher.

This obituary edited from a longer version written by Bill Trigg (BillTrigg@gmail.com).

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger, 94, the singer-songwriter and activist, died on Jan. 27 after being a Local 802 member since 1942. Mr. Seeger, who marched and sang for civil rights, unions and the environment, was part of every major social justice movement in the past 70 years. His songs and adaptations became folk anthems, including “We Shall Overcome,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “If I Had a Hammer.”

Early on, Mr. Seeger performed with Woody Guthrie as part of the Almanac Singers. Later, as a member of the popular folk group the Weavers, Mr. Seeger was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He proudly defied the House Un-American Activities Committee, risking jail time.

After helping to found the Newport Folk Festival in 1959, Mr. Seeger re-emerged on the public scene as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights and environmental causes. In 1969, he helped found Clearwater, an environmental organization that also operates two sailing vessels on the Hudson River.

Up until his death, he was actively leading songs and attending rallies. In 2011, Local 802 honored Mr. Seeger at the union’s 90th birthday gala. That same year, Mr. Seeger marched in the street as part of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Mr. Seeger won three Grammys during his career, as well as the country’s highest arts honor, the National Medal of Arts. He is survived by his son Daniel, daughters Mika and Tinya, half-sisters Peggy and Barbara, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mr. Seeger’s life and career were far too rich to condense into this short space. Please see our additional tributes by John O’Connor and Dave Elsila in this issue.

Background information from the New York Times and Wikipedia.

WE ALSO REMEMBER…

Ottavio Derosa, French horn
William Green, clarinet
Al Lerner, piano

Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014)

by Todd Bryant Weeks

April is jazz Appreciation Month, so it’s an appropriate time to remember Amiri Baraka, who died on Jan. 9 at the age of 79. He was poet laureate of New Jersey and an acclaimed playwright and activist who wrote about music, politics, race and art. He was drawn to jazz in particular. His stance on a number of issues sometimes isolated him as an extremist in the eyes of the public, and alienated more than a few of his literary peers. But he loved music and could be an insightful critic. He was also a supporter of the union’s Justice for Jazz Artists campaign. At a 2009 jazz rally, Baraka told us to “stay together and stay strong.” (The full speech can be heard at www.bitly.com/baraka-jazz.)

Baraka wrote with outrage and authority (though not always with complete accuracy or absence of bias) about the black experience in America. He understood the essential relationships between politics and culture, between race and personal expression, between psychology and sociology.

His ability to cut through stereotypes and expose the profound suffering and dislocation at the heart of black life under slavery, Reconstruction, the Great Migration, two world wars, the Depression and the Civil Rights Movement distinguished his thinking and writing as being at once deeply personal and ultimately comprehensive in its depiction of black Americans and their claim of full citizenship and – most important – of cultural autonomy.

Baraka’s “Blues People” (1963) is a history of the black experience in America between 1619 and the earliest 1960s, but it is also more accurately a discussion of the relationship between the human spirit and the institution of slavery. It is about oppression and the answering life force which took its expression in work songs, spirituals, the blues in its many iterations, and especially in jazz.

The book is not rooted in a deep knowledge of music theory, but Baraka drew on his wide knowledge of such diverse genres as boogie woogie, country blues, the classic blues of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, the black big bands of the 1930s and 1940s, bebop and the then avant garde expressions of Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor. He also well understood the relationship between the development of a particular musical form and its role in and interaction with the marketplace, and the interrelationship of art and commerce as viewed through the lens of race politics – and he theorized as to how these factors impacted black and white society in America.

His gifts as a writer and orator were rooted in an insistent fondness for speaking truth to power, a charismatic resilience that was part street tough, part poet, part comedian, part intellectual/critic. He had a keen mind, and an expansive ability to process information and complex political and philosophical thought, that was also inclusive of a highly developed self awareness and a seemingly sure sense his own emotionality. But he was also never shy about weaving his personal viewpoint into larger historical narratives, and illustrating his opinions and beliefs about American society with anecdotal evidence from his own life. If those qualities sometimes got him into hot water, he will nevertheless be remembered as a tough talker in an era of tough talkers, a truly militant voice in an era characterized by its militancy.

Al Lerner

Al Lerner (1919-2014)

by Tad Calcara

Al Lerner, 94, the sole surviving member of the Harry James Orchestra of the early 1940s, died on Jan. 19. Al was a pianist, composer, arranger and conductor, and he first joined Local 802 in 1959. He wrote music for several artists, including Allan Sherman and Liza Minnelli, and also wrote the music for “So Until I See You,” the closing theme for “The Tonight Show” with Jack Paar.

Al grew up in Cleveland. As a boy, he settled on the piano after he realized transporting a set of drums to each job was quite a chore! His piano education was given a boost when he met Art Tatum, who was also from Ohio. Al met Art at a Cleveland club, and Art became a lifelong friend and mentor to Al.

At age 20, Al got the call to play piano with the Harry James Orchestra, and as a result he got the chance to appear in many Hollywood films in which Harry’s band was featured. Harry and Al also wrote the tune “Music Makers” together, which became the band’s theme. When the James band broke up in 1944, Al stayed in Los Angeles and joined with singer Dick Haymes, with whom he worked for the next 13 years as musical director.

Al also worked with many of the other great big band leaders, including Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Charlie Barnet. He was a particular favorite of Benny Goodman, who would frequently call Al up and invite him over to his home to jam for hours. He also worked with top singers, like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Martha Tilton, Frankie Laine, Rosemary Clooney, Kay Starr and Jimmy Rogers.

Al played and conducted in every major concert hall all over the world. In 1954 he was conductor at a royal command performance for Queen Elizabeth at the London Palladium. He later moved to California and continued a busy schedule as a pianist and conductor.

In 2007 Lerner wrote a colorful autobiography about his life in music, entitled “Vamp ‘Til Ready.” He remained an active composer and arranger until shortly before his passing.

Al Lerner will be remembered not only for his music but also as a kind and gentle soul. He was a loving husband, father and bandleader. We will all miss him. I will particularly miss how Al and I played piano for each other at his home. He was always very generous with sharing his musical gifts.

He is survived by his wife Jonné, daughters Ann and Cecilie, and grandson Jason. He is also survived by Jonné’s children Spencer and Cynthia and their kids Emma and Sophie.

Tad Calcara is principal clarinet with the Utah Symphony. This article contains some information from Wikipedia.

We also remember . . .

Herb Davidson, piano
Floyd J. Gussack, drums
George Lee, guitar
Stud Staley, electric guitar

To report the death of a member, call Avelon at (212) 245-4802, ext. 128. Ask about a refund of Local 802 membership dues and the union’s death benefit. Also ask about the pension fund.

Joe Wilder
(Photo: courtesy Ed Berger)

Joe Wilder, 92, a trumpeter and a member of Local 802 since 1949, died on May 9. In tribute, we’d like to reprint below an edited version of an article we first published about Mr. Wilder in the February 2004 issue of Allegro. The article was written by the late Leo Ball, a fellow trumpeter, who died in 2007. (Leo worked at Local 802 for 20 years and interviewed many jazz greats for us.)

Trumpeter Joe Wilder walked into my office for his Allegro interview immaculately dressed, as always; suit neatly pressed, matching tie, shoes shined, truly a picture of sartorial splendor. I mentioned to him that I couldn’t ever remember his being dressed otherwise, and he told me a cute story. It seems he went to hear a Jazzmobile concert in Harlem featuring some of his longtime playing buddies, and he wore only a T-shirt with slacks. When they spotted him, there was no “Hi Joe, how’ya doing, Joe,” only “Hey, guys, look at Joe Wilder without a jacket and tie – it is him, isn’t it?”

In all the time we’ve been friends, I’ve never known Joe – like Bobby Hackett – to put down any other player. It seems he’s always able to find something redeeming in even the worst of us. He turns the word “gentleman” into two words – he’s truly a “gentle man.”

Joe was born in Colwyn, Penn., in 1922, and the family moved to Philadelphia when Joe was still a young boy. His dad, who played cornet, tuba and bass, started Joe on cornet when he was very young, and Joe enrolled in his junior high school band program when he was only 12. His dad lived to be almost 101.

Joe had three brothers, the eldest being a fine bassist. The two best cornet players in the band were Joe – and Rosario Pino, his best friend in school. The head of the music program, Ms. Alberta Lewis, made arrangements for Joe to audition at the University of Pennsylvania for the music program at Jules E. Mastbaum High School in Philadelphia, considered to be one of the best in the country. Alumni include Red Rodney, Buddy DeFranco, Leon Cohen, Ralph Shapey, Ralph Clemson, John Palma and John LaPorta – all destined to become top professional players.

Joe’s friend Rosario was not interested in pursuing a professional career in music, and went on to other pursuits; he remains Joe’s close friend to this day. But Joe himself aced the audition, and was enrolled at Mastbaum High.

Joe blossomed into a fine classical player, but always had an interest in swing bands. Shortly after his freshman year, he left school to help support his family. He played first trumpet with the Les Hite Orchestra, considered a top band of the day. Joe’s section mate, playing the jazz chair, was Dizzy Gillespie, a longtime friend of Joe and his family.

Joe was launched on his career, and never looked back.

His credits are endless, but a brief history of his musical travels after the Hite band includes a short stay with Lionel Hampton. Then, due to World War II, he was drafted into the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune.

Joe was part of the first group of 1,000 black people recruited into the Marines, and after boot camp, was trained in special weapons. It so happened that Captain Bobby Troup – later to gain fame as the author of the tune “Route 66″ – was the morale officer at the base, and was aware of Joe’s trumpet-playing abilities. He pulled the necessary strings to get Joe into the band.

Joe was later promoted to assistant bandmaster, and remained in the band for the whole three years he spent in the Corps.

After discharge, he rejoined Lionel Hampton, followed by stints with Jimmy Lunceford, Herbie Fields, Sam Donahue, Lucky Millinder, Noble Sissle and finally Count Basie in 1954.

Joe left the road to settle in New York and bring up his family, playing one of the trumpet chairs with the Noble Sissle orchestra at a famous club called the Diamond Horseshoe. During this engagement, Joe was called to play a Broadway show called “Alive and Kicking.” Sissle told Joe that he would hold his chair for him for four weeks, but no more. The show actually lasted around six or seven weeks, but when it closed, Sissle was kind enough to give Joe back his job.

Broadway soon beckoned again, this time with “Guys and Dolls.” Sissle gave Joe the same deal, but, of course, the show was a major hit, and Joe never returned to the Diamond Horseshoe.

After this, he was hired on first trumpet for the show “Silk Stockings,” the first time a person of color was allowed to play a principal chair on a Broadway show. This was a Cole Porter show, and when Cy Feuer, the producer, asked Cole how he felt about the show having a black principal trumpet player, Cole’s answer defined the man. “Can he play my music?” The answer was, of course, “yes,” and Cole replied, “Well, that’s all that matters.”

Joe played first trumpet on one more hit show, “The Most Happy Fella,” before leaving the Broadway scene for riper fields.

By this time, he was recognized as one of the outstanding trumpet players in town, and the top work followed – recordings, jingles, and thanks to friend Billy Butterfield, a chance to sub on a show at ABC, where his playing caught the attention of contractor Frank Vagnoni. Joe went on staff at ABC in 1958, and stayed for 17 years.

Joe told me he didn’t really consider himself a jazz player, but of course he was widely sought after in that venue. I heard him in person, and have his albums, and, Joe, I hate to contradict you, but you were indeed a jazz player, and one of the best.

He had two major hobbies, one of which was photography, and he did some beautiful work over the years. You almost never saw him without the camera strapped around his neck.

His other talent was that of being a “punster,” which elicited many groans on many dates with his bandmates, but he did come up with some true winners, one of which was once repeated to me by fellow trumpeter Burt Collins.

It seems Burt and Joe were on a two trumpet jingle date where the music called for a slightly intricate unison to be played by the trumpets and the percussionist, who was playing chimes.

The percussionist made a couple of incorrect entrances, at which point Joe turned to Burt and said, “This fellow should be awarded the ‘No Bells’ prize in music!” Get it?

Mr. Wilder is survived by his wife Solveig and their daughters Elin, Solveig and Inga-Kerstin. Mr. Wilder is also survived by his son Joseph Jr. and six grandchildren. In 2008, four years after this article was first published, Mr. Wilder was named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts. Readers will be interested in a new book about Joe Wilder, “Softly, With Feeling,” by Ed Berger, which was recently published by Temple University Press.

Herb Davidson

Herb Davidson, 83, a member of Local 802 since 1946, died on Feb. 7. Mr. Davidson was a pianist, accordionist, vocalist, composer, arranger and producer.

In 1971, Mr. Davidson and his future wife, Charlotte Sanders, founded Charlotte Russe Music. The company wrote and produced songs and jingles, created children’s recordings and videos, and performed at club dates all over. In the past several years, Mr. Davidson and his wife gave lecture-performances on the Great American Songbook.

Mr. Davidson was lucky enough to study piano, theory and composition with Anna Kamien, who had been a pupil of Nadia Boulanger. He attended the High School for Music and Art, studied piano with Frances Dillion and voice with Charles Haywood. He earned a master’s degree in music from Queens College, where he organized the Hillel choir.

During the Korean War, Mr. Davidson enlisted in the Army Field Band as an accordionist. He also sang, wrote and arranged for the Soldiers’ Chorus. Later in his career, Mr. Davidson sang with the Ray Charles Singers on the Perry Como show for five years. He also sang with the Dick Williams Singers, Mitch Miller, the Fred Waring Chorus and the Harry Simeone Chorale.

Mr. Davidson is survived by his wife, Charlotte, children Laura and Josh, stepchildren Jonathan and James, daughters-in-law Lisa, Nadine and Shoshanna, son-in-law Andy, three grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.

Deborah Hoffman

Deborah Hoffman, 53, the principal harpist with the Metropolitan Opera and a member of Local 802 since 1982, died on Feb. 12. As the youngest child in a famous musical family, she grew up hearing superb string playing. This background gave her harp playing a singing tone, inflected phrasing, and variety of tone colors and voicing that transcended the usual limitations of the instrument. As a young child she had such a naturally gifted ear that she was able to memorize pieces on first hearing. Her keen awareness of orchestral texture enabled her to unfailingly know exactly when and how to fit it. Early in her professional career she discovered that she had somehow developed the capacity to mind-read conductors to know exactly what their intentions were. This made her the favorite of many maestros. “I can always count of her for exactly what I want,” said James Levine, music director at the Met. “She’s a great musician, she’s a great harpist, she’s a great colleague, she’s a great citizen in the orchestra.”

Those who knew her can never forget her delightful sense of humor, positive attitude, enthusiasm, animated facial expressions and intellectual curiosity. Ever-present and aware, she could remember details from conversations or events that took place years in the past. A person of impeccable integrity, she had that rare capability of always speaking the truth, yet almost never offending.

She is survived by her mother Esther, father Irwin, brothers Joel, Gary and Toby, husband Roger, nephews and nieces Sascha, Benjamin, Natania, Nasu and Solomon, and stepchildren David and Rachel Nierenberg.

Obituary from Ms. Hoffman’s notice in the New York Times, via www.DeborahBHoffman.com.

Kenneth Schmidt

Kenneth Schmidt, 90, a clarinetist and flutist and a member of Local 802 since 1945, died on April 8. Mr. Schmidt was born and raised in New Orleans and began playing clarinet at 13. He earned a degree from Loyola University, graduating in 1950 after taking two years off to do a tour in the Air Force. In the years following the war, he played in the big bands of Jack Teagarden, Johnny Bothwell, Herbie Fields, Larry Elgar and Charlie Barnet.

Having been introduced to the flute by an Air Force friend, Mr. Schmidt was accepted to Juilliard in 1951 as a flutist, where he also studied composition with Henry Brant. There he met his wife, Fumi Akimoto, who was in Juilliard’s first dance class. Mr. Schmidt played flute in the New Orleans Symphony, New Orleans Opera Company, Brooklyn Philharmonic, New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. He played on TV, recorded for jingles and performed in many Broadway shows. As a composer, he wrote numerous chamber pieces and solos, and he also taught flute privately. He was most proud of his daughter, Rie Schmidt, a flutist who remains an active member of Local 802 to this day.

His hobbies included chess, jogging (including seven marathons) and creating visual art – paintings, collages and sculptures. He is survived by his wife Fumi, daughter Rie, son-in-law Benjamin, and grandchildren John and Mitsuko.

WE ALSO REMEMBER

Arvid Allen, piano
Frank Christian, guitar
Henry S. Golis, trumpet
Joe Kobus, accordion
Dave Kurtzer, saxophone
Kenneth Thornhill, drums