One cannot acknowledge the year's creative contributions without noting its losses. This year seemed unusually disproportionate in the number of creative voices that moved onto another plane. Here, I note only those whose artistry has had particular impact on my life. I certainly recognize that many, many others have departed the Earth this year. But I hope this feeble remembrance repays a small portion of the enrichment these creative voices have provided to me.
December
28: Billy Taylor, 89, American jazz pianist and composer, heart attack. 26: Teena Marie, 54, American singer and composer. 24: John Warhola, 85, American museum founder (The Andy Warhol Museum) and brother of Andy Warhol, pneumonia. 21: Jack Tracy, 83, American editor (Down Beat) and music producer (Chess, Mercury). 19: Harold Blanchard, 80, American jazz pianist, arranger and composer. 19: Trudy Pitts, 78, American jazz organist, pianist and vocalist, pancreatic cancer. 15: Blake Edwards, 88, American film director, producer and screenwriter (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's), pneumonia. 9: James Moody, 85, American jazz saxophonist and flautist, pancreatic cancer.
November
27: Irvin Kershner, 87, American film director (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back), lung cancer. 12: Henryk Górecki, 76, Polish composer, after long illness. 3: Hotep Idris Galeta, 69, South African jazz pianist, composer and lecturer, asthma attack.
October
28: Walter Payton, 68, American jazz bassist and sousaphonist, complications from a stroke (father of Nicholas Payton). 20: Harvey Phillips, 80, American tuba player, Parkinson's disease (Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, Quincy Jones, Gil Evans, Orchestra USA, Pat Williams, Gary McFarland). 18: Marion Brown, 79, American jazz saxophonist. 7: T Lavitz, 54, American musician (Dixie Dregs).
September
28: Arthur Penn, 88, American film director and producer (Bonnie and Clyde, The Missouri Breaks), heart failure. 27: Buddy Morrow, 91, American jazz musician and bandleader. 27: Ed Wiley, Jr., 80, American jazz and R&B saxophonist and singer, injury from a fall. 19: Buddy Collette, 89, American jazz saxophonist. 12: Claude Chabrol, 80, French film director (Madame Bovary, Story of Women). 8: Hadley Caliman, 78, American jazz saxophonist, liver cancer.
August
23: George David Weiss, 89, American composer ("What a Wonderful World," Can't Help Falling in Love," The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), natural causes. 14: Herman Leonard, 87, American jazz photographer. 14: Abbey Lincoln, 80, American jazz singer and actress (For Love of Ivy, Nothing But a Man). 10: David L. Wolper, 82, American film and television producer (North and South, Roots, The Thorn Birds), heart failure and Parkinson's disease. 8: Jack Parnell, 87, British musician and bandleader (The Muppet Show), cancer. 1: Robert F. Boyle, 100, American art director and production designer (North By Northwest, The Birds), natural causes.
July
29: Martin Drew, 66, British jazz drummer (Oscar Peterson), heart attack. 14: Gene Ludwig, 72, Pittsburgh-based jazz organist. 12: Paulo Moura, 77, Brazilian saxophonist (Herbie Mann, Cannonball Adderley) and clarinetist, lymphoma. 6: Harvey Fuqua, 80, American rhythm and blues singer (The Moonglows), and record producer (Marvin Gaye), heart attack.
June
26: Benny Powell, 80, American jazz trombonist (April in Paris), heart attack following spinal surgery. 24: Francis Dreyfus, 70, French record producer (Disques Dreyfus). 16: Garry Shider, 56, American musician (Parliament-Funkadelic), complications from brain and lung cancer. 15: Busi Mhlongo, 62, South African singer. 9: Harold Ivory Williams, 60, American jazz musician (with Miles Davis on On the Corner, Big Fun). 5: Danny Bank, 87, American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist.
May
16: Hank Jones, 91, American jazz pianist. 9: Lena Horne, 92, American singer and actress (Stormy Weather, The Wiz). 7: Francisco Aguabella, 84, Cuban-born American jazz percussionist, cancer. 1: Rob McConnell, 75, Canadian jazz musician, cancer.
April
22: Gene Lees, 82, Canadian jazz historian, critic, editor, lyricist, singer and author, heart disease. 13: Steve Reid, 66, American jazz drummer (James Brown, Arthur Blythe, Miles Davis' Tutu), throat cancer. 8: Malcolm McLaren, 64, British musician and band manager (Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Bow Wow Wow), mesothelioma. 2: Mike Zwerin, 79, American jazz musician and jazz critic, after long illness.
March
27: Peter Herbolzheimer, 74, German jazz musician. 20: Erwin Lehn, 90, German composerand conductor.
February
15: Art Van Damme, 89, American jazz musician and accordionist, pneumonia. 15: Gloria Coleman, American jazz organist, married to tenor great George Coleman. 13: Jamil Nasser, 77, American jazz musician, cardiac arrest. 6: Sir John Dankworth, 82, British composer, conductor, jazz musician.
January
27: J. D. Salinger, 91, American author (The Catcher in the Rye), natural causes. 13: Ed Thigpen, 79, American jazz drummer, after long illness.
December
28: Billy Taylor, 89, American jazz pianist and composer, heart attack. 26: Teena Marie, 54, American singer and composer. 24: John Warhola, 85, American museum founder (The Andy Warhol Museum) and brother of Andy Warhol, pneumonia. 21: Jack Tracy, 83, American editor (Down Beat) and music producer (Chess, Mercury). 19: Harold Blanchard, 80, American jazz pianist, arranger and composer. 19: Trudy Pitts, 78, American jazz organist, pianist and vocalist, pancreatic cancer. 15: Blake Edwards, 88, American film director, producer and screenwriter (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's), pneumonia. 9: James Moody, 85, American jazz saxophonist and flautist, pancreatic cancer.
November
27: Irvin Kershner, 87, American film director (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back), lung cancer. 12: Henryk Górecki, 76, Polish composer, after long illness. 3: Hotep Idris Galeta, 69, South African jazz pianist, composer and lecturer, asthma attack.
October
28: Walter Payton, 68, American jazz bassist and sousaphonist, complications from a stroke (father of Nicholas Payton). 20: Harvey Phillips, 80, American tuba player, Parkinson's disease (Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, Quincy Jones, Gil Evans, Orchestra USA, Pat Williams, Gary McFarland). 18: Marion Brown, 79, American jazz saxophonist. 7: T Lavitz, 54, American musician (Dixie Dregs).
September
28: Arthur Penn, 88, American film director and producer (Bonnie and Clyde, The Missouri Breaks), heart failure. 27: Buddy Morrow, 91, American jazz musician and bandleader. 27: Ed Wiley, Jr., 80, American jazz and R&B saxophonist and singer, injury from a fall. 19: Buddy Collette, 89, American jazz saxophonist. 12: Claude Chabrol, 80, French film director (Madame Bovary, Story of Women). 8: Hadley Caliman, 78, American jazz saxophonist, liver cancer.
August
23: George David Weiss, 89, American composer ("What a Wonderful World," Can't Help Falling in Love," The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), natural causes. 14: Herman Leonard, 87, American jazz photographer. 14: Abbey Lincoln, 80, American jazz singer and actress (For Love of Ivy, Nothing But a Man). 10: David L. Wolper, 82, American film and television producer (North and South, Roots, The Thorn Birds), heart failure and Parkinson's disease. 8: Jack Parnell, 87, British musician and bandleader (The Muppet Show), cancer. 1: Robert F. Boyle, 100, American art director and production designer (North By Northwest, The Birds), natural causes.
July
29: Martin Drew, 66, British jazz drummer (Oscar Peterson), heart attack. 14: Gene Ludwig, 72, Pittsburgh-based jazz organist. 12: Paulo Moura, 77, Brazilian saxophonist (Herbie Mann, Cannonball Adderley) and clarinetist, lymphoma. 6: Harvey Fuqua, 80, American rhythm and blues singer (The Moonglows), and record producer (Marvin Gaye), heart attack.
June
26: Benny Powell, 80, American jazz trombonist (April in Paris), heart attack following spinal surgery. 24: Francis Dreyfus, 70, French record producer (Disques Dreyfus). 16: Garry Shider, 56, American musician (Parliament-Funkadelic), complications from brain and lung cancer. 15: Busi Mhlongo, 62, South African singer. 9: Harold Ivory Williams, 60, American jazz musician (with Miles Davis on On the Corner, Big Fun). 5: Danny Bank, 87, American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist.
May
16: Hank Jones, 91, American jazz pianist. 9: Lena Horne, 92, American singer and actress (Stormy Weather, The Wiz). 7: Francisco Aguabella, 84, Cuban-born American jazz percussionist, cancer. 1: Rob McConnell, 75, Canadian jazz musician, cancer.
April
22: Gene Lees, 82, Canadian jazz historian, critic, editor, lyricist, singer and author, heart disease. 13: Steve Reid, 66, American jazz drummer (James Brown, Arthur Blythe, Miles Davis' Tutu), throat cancer. 8: Malcolm McLaren, 64, British musician and band manager (Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Bow Wow Wow), mesothelioma. 2: Mike Zwerin, 79, American jazz musician and jazz critic, after long illness.
March
27: Peter Herbolzheimer, 74, German jazz musician. 20: Erwin Lehn, 90, German composerand conductor.
February
15: Art Van Damme, 89, American jazz musician and accordionist, pneumonia. 15: Gloria Coleman, American jazz organist, married to tenor great George Coleman. 13: Jamil Nasser, 77, American jazz musician, cardiac arrest. 6: Sir John Dankworth, 82, British composer, conductor, jazz musician.
January
27: J. D. Salinger, 91, American author (The Catcher in the Rye), natural causes. 13: Ed Thigpen, 79, American jazz drummer, after long illness.