Tom 1960 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I happened to run across this sad news over at the Jazzcorner Speakeasy: It is with great sadness that I let you all know that David Newman succumbed to pancreatic cancer yesterday. A kind and gentle man, and a heck of a sax player, he will be missed by many. More information will follow. Ray Osnato HighNote Records 106 West 71st Street New York, NY 10023 tel: 212.873.2020 www.jazzdepot.com Quote
Dan Gould Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Damn, damn, damn. Terrible news, but he left so much behind for us to enjoy and remember him by. Quote
sidewinder Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Shocking and extremely sad news. I agree with Dan though that he left a fine legacy and I will be spinning the 'House of David' collection tonight in recognition. RIP and thanks for some great music. Quote
makpjazz57 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I happened to run across this sad news over at the Jazzcorner Speakeasy: It is with great sadness that I let you all know that David Newman succumbed to pancreatic cancer yesterday. A kind and gentle man, and a heck of a sax player, he will be missed by many. More information will follow. My heart goes out to David and his friends and family, especially David's wife, Karen. Incredibly sad to hear this. Marla Quote
jazzbo Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Sad sad news. All the best to his family. Quote
Tom 1960 Posted January 21, 2009 Author Report Posted January 21, 2009 I had no idea he was so ill. I attended a concert this past summer which was to celebrate I believe David's 75'th birthday. He was unable to perform due to illness. Joe Lavano and Frank Wess stood in for him. R.I.P. David. Quote
Guest Bill Barton Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues too. This news hit me hard. A great loss. I'll have to find some of those classic sessions with Ray Charles to play later in his memory. "Hard Times" . . . Quote
mikeweil Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Very sad news. I loved his soulful, powerful and ,at the same time, gentle tone from the first time I heard him. It took me some time to hunt down his first Atlantic LP back then ... Just last week when putting my LPs on to the shelves in my new music room I pulled this LP, showed it to my wife and told her how much I loved this photo and the sound of this sax player ... so it goes. R.I.P. - your playing will always ring in my soul. Quote
ghost of miles Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Pretty stunned by this news, as I had no idea that he was ill. Here's a 75th-birthday tribute that I did last year on Afterglow: Happy birthday, Fathead Quote
Dan Gould Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 That's a great record, Mike, one of his best in fact; too bad it seems to have slipped past a lot of people. Quote
kh1958 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I was afraid he might be ill since he had cancelled his scheduled January 31 Dallas concert. I always thought he was the perfect balance of jazz sophistication and raw blues power. Quote
CJ Shearn Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 damn, totally unexpected. I like the twin tenor attack of he and Red Holloway on Jimmy McGriff's "The Dream Team" Quote
Dan Gould Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I'd never heard of that record, CJ, but your description and the AMG review makes me want it, badly. Thanks! Quote
ejp626 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I was afraid he might be ill since he had cancelled his scheduled January 31 Dallas concert. I always thought he was the perfect balance of jazz sophistication and raw blues power. He also cancelled an appearance at the Jazz Showcase in early Jan. Sheldonm and I showed up only to find out that he wasn't making the gig. Very sorry I didn't get the chance to hear him previously. Will spin Life and Captain Buckles later today. Quote
DMP Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Despite some progress in curing cancer, pancreatic cancer is still a tough one, almost a death sentence. I talked to his wife a few months back to inquire if he was available for a fall concert - she said he was no longer accepting dates in 2008, but was open for 2009, so we were optimistic about his health.. Quote
stevebop Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 This is a strange coincidence but Fathead's section mate in the Ray Charles band, Leroy "Hog" Cooper died about a week ago in Orlando, Florida. I don't have any more details than that. RIP Fathead and Hog! Quote
Peter Friedman Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 This was a shock. I was unaware that he was ill. Glad I had an opportunity to hear him live at a Jazz party about 5 years ago. Will play something by him today to reflect on how good a player he was. Quote
kh1958 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) This is making me think back to the various occasions where I saw him live-- He used to play once or twice a year at the Caravan of Dreams over quite a few years, and I saw him play there in groups with Ellis Marsalis, Leon Spencer, Cedar Walton, Roy Hargrove, Larry Willis, James Clay, Cornell Dupree... The Leon Spencer engagement was electrifying, the Texas Jazz Reunion concert was really nice in person, the engagement with Roy Hargrove was an excellent one that was recorded but never released (with Larry Willis, Walter Booker and Idris Mohammed). Then there was an exciting Texas Tenors concert with Marchel Ivery at the Texas State Hall. In the last few years, he's played a couple of fine concerts at the University of Texas at Dallas. He was very consistently of high quality. Edited January 21, 2009 by kh1958 Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Oh! I'm shocked! I had no idea. David was the first jazz musician who really got through to me; I was a Ray Charles fan, but from getting his first LP in 1960, I was a David Newman fan. Damn near fifty years. I don't know what to say. I was thinking today that he ought to be getting a new album out. Just put on Don Patterson's "Mellow soul" with Fathead. RIP my man! MG Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 I'd never heard of that record, CJ, but your description and the AMG review makes me want it, badly. Thanks! It's a great album, Dan. It was meant to be a conceptual follow up to "The starting five", with the same personnel, but Rusty Bryant had died in the intervening decade, so Red took his place. MG Quote
Shannon Dickey Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Sad, another one gone.... R.I.P. Mr. Newman! Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 And Hog Cooper too! Trying to get into my first Ray Charles concert in 1961, huge crowd in the foyer of the Hammersmith Odeon, I was crushed up against this huge black man in evening dress. What a surprise later, to see him playing baritone in the band. What was he doing in the foyer? I don't know. A GREAT band baritone player. He didn't solo much, but what a firm yet soft bottom he provided! Particularly in Hank Crawford's band. RIP Hog. MG Quote
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