Mort Fega RIP

[ghost of miles]

Saw this posted over at AAJ this a.m.:

Mort Fega, New York jazz radio personality, dies at 83

Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Mort Fega, the hip, mellow-voiced New York radio personality who brought the music of jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane to the masses, has died.

Fega, 83, died Jan. 21 of complications from back surgery. He had been living in suburban Delray Beach after retiring from radio, his wife of 60 years, Muriel Fega, said Thursday.

Fega's radio career began in 1955 in his hometown of New Rochelle, N.Y. He went to New York City, where he started his Saturday show "Jazz Unlimited," becoming popular for his music selection and use of "jazz slang."

Fega hosted jazz shows at Carnegie Hall, Birdland and the Apollo Theater in New York, and at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island.

He can be heard introducing Davis and the trumpeter's rhythm section - pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Tony Williams and bassist Ron Carter - in Davis' "The Complete Concert: 1964: My Funny Valentine and Four & More," recorded at Carnegie Hall.

"I was friendly with most of the giants in jazz," Fega said in 1994. "I've had a most fortunate life experience in theater and on stage."

Fega worked as a jazz disc jockey in Phoenix from 1969 to 1975 before moving back to New York. He moved to Florida in 1986, hosting a radio show, writing a column for The Palm Beach Post and teaching jazz history appreciation at Palm Beach Community College.

Fega served in World War II, performing air raids over Germany and France.

Survivors include his four sons and eight grandchildren.

[chris olivarez]

I remember listening to him on KXIV in Phoenix. It was a pleasure. He was one of the best.

[Roz R]

I remember listening to Mort Fega when I was growing up. I lived in New Rochelle. I was 12 years old in 1955. There was a station in New Rochelle, but I forget the call letters. I don't remember any jazz programming on it. I didn't start appreciating jazz until I was in my twenties. I listened to Mort on a station in NYC.

Roz

[Jim Alfredson]

Hey Roz, welcome to the board and thank you for sharing your memories.

[Brownian Motion]

We did Mort a few weeks back.

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...57&hl=mort+fega

I grew up in Nyack NY, and I used to listen to Mort when I was in high school. Since his show didn't begin until midnight, I was never able to catch more than 20 or 30 minutes of him before I'd fall asleep; unfortunately, he wasn't around on the weekends when I could have listened until signoff at 3. Still, Mort's taste in jazz was impeccable and he taught by example. He was a good egg.