All articles tagged with #saxophone
Walter Parazaider, co-founder and longtime saxophonist/flutist of Chicago, died at 81 after a battle with Alzheimer’s. A driving force behind the band’s signature horn section since 1967, he contributed to hits like Saturday in the Park and 25 or 6 to 4 and remained with Chicago until his 2018 retirement, with tributes pouring in from the band and his daughter.
Walter Parazaider, a co-founder of Chicago and a key saxophonist whose horn-driven sound helped shape the band since 1967, has died at 81 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He contributed iconic parts on tracks like Colour My World and Just You ’n’ Me, and Chicago—inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016—paid tribute to his vision and lasting legacy.
Walter Parazaider, a founding member of Chicago and a cornerstone of the band's horn-driven sound, has died at 81 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A multi-instrument horn player who helped form the group in 1967, Parazaider appeared on nearly all Chicago albums and remained a key member until stepping away in 2018 for health reasons; he and the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, and Chicago mourned his contributions to bringing people together through their music.
A concise tour of Sonny Rollins’ defining recordings—from 1950s landmarks like Tenor Madness and Saxophone Colossus to influential live sets at the Village Vanguard and later masterpieces such as The Bridge, This Is What I Do, and the 9/11 concert—highlighting his fearless improvisation, calypso-influenced voice, and lasting impact on jazz.
Jazz icon Sonny Rollins died at 95 at his Woodstock, NY home. A towering tenor saxophonist behind works like Saxophone Colossus, his career spanned bebop to avant-garde and fusion. Health issues slowed him in the 2010s, with his last concerts in 2012 and a 2006 studio album as his final record. He received the National Medal of Arts in 2010 and Kennedy Center Honors in 2011.
Sonny Rollins, one of jazz’s defining saxophonists and a driving force behind bebop’s evolution, has died at 95. A prolific recording artist since the 1950s with landmark albums like Saxophone Colossus, Rollins collaborated with giants such as Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, endured a late-career comeback, and remained a force in jazz through his later years before retiring in 2014 after a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.
Jazz legend Sonny Rollins, whose bold, boundary-pushing tenor saxophone helped shape postwar improvisation and defy easy classification, died at 95 at his Woodstock, New York home. A fearless explorer who bridged bebop with calypso, avant-garde flavors, and even rock-backed textures, Rollins produced landmark albums such as Saxophone Colossus and Tenor Madness, endured sustained hiatuses to refine his craft, and remained an influential figure in jazz through decades of recording and performances, earning numerous honors including a lifetime Grammy and Kennedy Center Honor.
Dick Parry, the saxophonist whose playing anchored Pink Floyd classics such as Money, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here and Us and Them, has died at 83, announced by David Gilmour who called him a dear friend. Parry was a studio mainstay and a live performer with the band in the mid- to late 1970s, later reuniting for The Division Bell era (Wearing the Inside Out) and the Pulse tour. He also contributed to recordings with artists like John Entwistle, Rory Gallagher and Lightnin’ Slim.
Shabaka Hutchings, a prominent British jazz musician known for his work on the saxophone, has recently transitioned to playing the flute, a change that surprised even himself. His journey with the flute began during the pandemic, and he has since developed a deep connection with the instrument, exploring its diverse range and origins. Hutchings, who sees himself as a multi-instrumentalist, will be showcasing his flute skills at New York's Winter Jazzfest as an artist in residence, marking a significant shift in his musical career.