Buddy DeFranco RIP

[scooby]

Just heard via Terry Gibbs's Facebook page that Buddy passed last night.

[jlhoots]

Love the Buddy albums with Sonny Clark.

R.I.P.

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP Buddy. Thanks for the music.

[Brad]

Buddy and Sonny were great. Thanks Buddy. RIP.

[BeBop]

I first heard him live in the late 70s. Several times since. Pretty much kept the clarinet for me until a new generation came along.

And Buddy, sorry if I inadvertently stirred some bad memories of the Basie sextet.

[mjzee]

RIP.

[Larry Kart]

My memory may have scrambled this up a bit (perhaps Chuck Nessa can straighten it out, if needed), but when DeFranco last performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival a few years ago he played a beautiful version of "Memories of You," which led Muhal Richard Abrams to say (either within my range or that of someone else who later mentioned it to me) that it was the best solo on that piece that he had ever heard.

[B. Clugston]

RIP. Glad he had a wonderful productive life. Those sides with Sonny Clark are great.

[gmonahan]

A fairly lonely voice for a long time playing modern jazz on the licorice stick. I always enjoyed his work. He will be much missed.

gregmo

[colinmce]

RIP. A good life but a sad loss.

[sgcim]

Another of the greats has passed. RIP, Buddy.

[jazztrain]

Sad news to wake up to seven time zones from home.

I had the pleasure of seeing Buddy several times over the years beginning in the late 1970s. He never failed to impress.

I also remember him playing "Memories of You" (which Larry mentioned) as well as some other lesser known tunes that he liked, such as "This is All I Ask" and "Moon Song."

I had the opportunity to interview him in the mid to late 1980s and asked him if there was some particular project that he wanted to pursue and he mentioned wanting to record some big band charts by Rob Pronk. Thankfully, that came to fruition with some memorable results.

Many years ago Buddy opened the Regattabar (which still operates) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He announced and started to play one of the etudes that he had recorded with Jim Gillis. About thirty seconds into the tune, a fire alarm went off and the room was cleared. When everyone returned, the group played something else. I never heard him play any of the etudes live thereafter.

A few favorites that come to mind after the obvious fine series of work that he did for Norman Granz on various labels including his recording with Art Tatum include: the duo album with Dave McKenna, the album of etudes with Jim Gillis, the two albums that were released on Pablo (a later Granz connection, although I think they were recorded privately), and one on Progressive.

[JohnS]

Sad news. RIP.

[Stereojack]

We can be thankful that Buddy had such a lengthy and prolific career. He was a phenomenal musician. Glad I got to see him several times.

[Cyril]

RIP Buddy

[soulpope]

Thank you for the music RIP

[Clunky]

A fine musician with an extended career of the highest quality . RIP

[mikeweil]

Never was much of a clarinet fan, but I really love his one album on bass clarinet with Blakey, Blues Bag.

R.I.P.

[sidewinder]

Sorry to hear this - RIP. I have CDs for several of his 50s Verve albums stacked up ready to play.

Never was much of a clarinet fan, but I really love his one album on bass clarinet with Blakey, Blues Bag.

R.I.P.

A great album.

[Ted O'Reilly]

I met Buddy and interviewed him for radio in the years when he directed the Glenn Miller Orchestra. (He always worked in a short real jazz quartet set with the rhythm section, just for self-satisfaction I suppose.)

I recall he seemed quite surprised, as though he'd never thought of it, when I pointed out he had led the GMO longer than Miller had!

[GA Russell]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/27/arts/music/buddy-defranco-versatile-jazz-clarinetist-dies-at-91.html?_r=0

[Big Beat Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/27/arts/music/buddy-defranco-versatile-jazz-clarinetist-dies-at-91.html?_r=0

Am a bit surprised about what that Dan Mrogenstern quote claimed in that interview?

Buddy De Franco the only clarinetist who "caught on to the new jazz language"??

Jimmy Giuffre?

Tony Scott?

Who else (even if not of the stature of Buddy De Fraco)?

And who knows where Stan Hasselgard would have gone if he had not died an untimely death?

Certainly Buddy De Franco would not have been considered a major swing clarinetist per se who made the "transition" to modern jazz? What he did before modern jazz came along only were his first flings with professional music and when he made a name for himself he WAS part of modern jazz? For all the merits he had, at any rate he really cannot be considered the "only" clarinetist in modern jazz?

[Carl Baugher]

Sorry to hear it. He made a real contribution.

[scooby]

I like that last line in the NYT obit.

[Larry Kart]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/27/arts/music/buddy-defranco-versatile-jazz-clarinetist-dies-at-91.html?_r=0

Am a bit surprised about what that Dan Mrogenstern quote claimed in that interview?

Buddy De Franco the only clarinetist who "caught on to the new jazz language"??

Jimmy Giuffre?

Tony Scott?

Who else (even if not of the stature of Buddy De Fraco)?

And who knows where Stan Hasselgard would have gone if he had not died an untimely death?

Certainly Buddy De Franco would not have been considered a major swing clarinetist per se who made the "transition" to modern jazz? What he did before modern jazz came along only were his first flings with professional music and when he made a name for himself he WAS part of modern jazz? For all the merits he had, at any rate he really cannot be considered the "only" clarinetist in modern jazz?

By "new jazz language," Dan means Bop. Guiffre on clarinet eventually went straight on to his avant-garde thing but never had much of a clue about or interest in Bop. As for Scott, he sure tried hard, but I for one can't stand his playing, with rare exceptions. Good point about Hasselgard, but the evidence sadly is lacking. Aaron Sachs to some extent. Sam Most. Some Europeans, like Putte Wickman and Rolf Kuhn. But Buddy was a veritable colossus.