This is the page where Steve Gadd remembers his good friends and colleagues who have passed on. Please read on and learn about these astounding musicians. Also, feel free to click on their photos to find out more and check out their music.

Don Grolnick was a very talented pianist and composer whose death in 1996 at the age of 48 from cancer was a major loss. In a short time Don became a sought-after session musician. Don eventually worked on hundreds of recordings with artists like Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, and Bonnie Raitt. In 1974, he began what was to become a long musical partnership with James Taylor.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com

"During those years, actually throughout most of the '70s, I was very proud to have been associated with the music of Randy & Michael Brecker and they, along with all the core members of that group: David Sanborn; Don Grolnick; and Will Lee all had a tremendous influence on my musical tastes, and growth as a person. At the time, I truly believed that we were involved in making some of the best music coming out of New York. "

-Steve Khan
http://www.stevekhan.com/tightropea.htm

1.13.07

NEW YORK -- Michael Brecker, a versatile and highly influential tenor saxophonist who won 11 Grammys over a career that spanned more than three decades, died Saturday at age 57.

Brecker died in a hospital in New York City of leukemia, according to his longtime friend and manager, Darryl Pitt.
In recent years, the saxophonist had struggled with myelodysplastic syndrome, a cancer in which the bone marrow stops producing enough healthy blood cells. The disease, known as MDS, often progresses to leukemia.

Throughout his career, Brecker recorded and performed with numerous jazz and pop music leaders, including Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, according to his Web site. His most recently released recording, Wide Angles, appeared on many top jazz lists and won two Grammys in 2004.

His technique on the saxophone was widely emulated, and his style was much-studied in music schools throughout the world. Jazziz magazine recently called him "inarguably the most influential tenor stylist of the last 25 years," according to a press release from his family.

Though very sick, Brecker managed to record a final album, as yet untitled, that was completed just two weeks ago. Pitt said the musician was very enthusiastic about the final work.

"In addition to the love of his family and friends, his work on this project helped keep him alive and will be another jewel in his legacy," Pitt said.

Brecker, who had a home in Westchester County's Hastings-on-Hudson, was born in 1949 in Philadelphia to a musically inclined family. His father would take his sons to performances of jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.

Brecker, who first studied clarinet and alto saxophone, decided to pursue the tenor saxophone in high school after being inspired by the work of John Coltrane, according to his Web site. He followed his brother, Randy, a trumpet player, to Indiana University, but he left after a year for New York.

In 1970, he helped found the jazz-rock group Dreams. He later joined his brother in pianist and composer Horace Silver's quintet. Michael and Randy also started the successful jazz-rock fusion group the Brecker Brothers. The two also owned the now-defunct downtown jazz club Seventh Avenue South.

His solo career began in 1987, when his self-titled debut was voted "Jazz Album of the Year" in both Down Beat and Jazziz magazines.

His struggle with the blood disease led him and his family to publicly encourage people to enroll in bone marrow donor programs. His own search for a donor led to an experimental blood stem cell transplant that "did not work as hoped," according to a May 2006 entry on his Web site.

His illness silenced his music at times, but raising awareness of bone marrow drives gave him a new focus.

"It's something that doesn't come naturally. ... I obviously miss playing and writing music," Brecker told The Associated Press in 2005. "On the other hand, this whole experience has allowed me to be a conduit to attract attention for a cause that's much larger than me ... for people to go get tested (for the marrow donor program) because I know a lot of lives will be saved."

Brecker's survivors include his wife, Susan; his children, Jessica and Sam; his brother, Randy; and his sister, Emily Brecker Greenberg. Memorial services are being planned.

www.newsday.com

Richard Tee was a highly regarded R&B and funk session keyboardist, who's worked on hundreds of sessions by every major name in the rock, soul and R&B worlds. A top rate keyboardist in studio. Richard Tee died in 1993 after an extensive and impressive career as a keyboardist.

Steve Gadd and Richard Tee in 1982

Mark Manetta died far too soon. You'll probably know Mark best from his work as the guitarist on many of Chuck Mangione's recordings. He also played with Ben Vereen, the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestras, and many others.

Mark taught and/or influenced dozens of the gifted guitarists who've come out of Rochester.

Michel Petrucciani was a pianist, national hero in France, and his records were best sellers in Europe. French President Jacques Chirac was among the many who paid tribute to him, praising his ability to "renew jazz, giving himself up to his art with passion, courage and musical genius." He called him an "example for everyone."

Eric Gale was a guitarist who was used for many R&B-oriented dates and occasionally played jazz, Eric Gale had an appealing sound and was best while performing lazy melodic blues. He
was most significant to the jazz world in the early '70s, when he recorded often as a sideman for CTI, later on with the group Stuff, and on isolated tracks on his own sessions. Gale's fine 1987 EmArcy set In a Jazz Tradition shows what he could really do.

Vinnie Ruggiero was incredible drummer from New York who recorded with Slide Hampton and taught legions of drummers.
He moved up to Rochester, N.Y. to work with Chuck & Gap Mangione, and raise his family. He also recorded with Sal Nistico and The Jazz Brothers.

"Vinnie was a hell of a player. He had an understanding of Philly Joe, Elvin and Tony and he had a great pocket. So it was real exciting watching him play."

Tony Williams

Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was a famous and influential Polish-American jazz and big band drummer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.

Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987.

Mel Lewis

Ronnie Davis was a terrific drummer who's recorded performances are currently out of print. if you can find Chuck Mangione's "Quartet", you'll hear his crisp tasty small group playing and amazing latin chops (always a requirement with Chuck). Then another side of his playing is with The Bill Watrous Big Band, both The Manhattan Wildlife Refuge and Tiger Of San Pedro feature his explosive big band concept.

Ronnie was also a great latin percussionist playing on both of Chuck's Together & Land Of Make Believe concerts, he did return to play in Chuck's 1994 "Hat Is Back" concerts. He also played extensively in the Rochester area in the early 70's with Gap Mangione, Joe Romano and Louis Macintosh. You can find his percussion work on several of Gap's earlier recordings such as, And The Kids Call It Boogie and Sing Along Junk. Sadly Ronnie passed away in 1996, hopefully these recordings will eventually be reissued because his playing certainly deserves documentation.

For some twenty-five years, Grover Washington, Jr.,
who died in December 1999, was among the most beloved instrumentalists in popular music. He maintained the middle ground between jazz and rhythm-and-blues with great
style and grace.