In Sadness: Geri Allen (1957 - 2017)

The jazz world suffered a huge loss this week after the passing of renowned pianist and innovator Geri Allen. She was 60.

Her career is an exceptional record of an artist deeply rooted in her culture, heritage and the power of music to make powerful statements. Moving to NYC in the 80s, she worked with Charlie Haden, Ron Carter and Tony, as well as being one of the first pianists since the 50s to record with Ornette Coleman.

A celebrated educator and academic, she worked for a decade at the University of Michigan and was director of the Jazz programme at the University of Pittsburgh. She also set up an All Female Jazz Residency designed to support young musicians in their teens grow and push their music forward.

For more information, read the New York Times' obituary.

Ornette Coleman 1930 - 2015

Ornette Coleman, one of Jazz's most innovative and unique voices, has died aged 85. A representative of his family reported that Coleman suffered a cardiac arrest in the morning of Thursday June 11th.

A major contributor to the free jazz movement in the 1960s, his approach to melody and harmony inspired generations of jazz musicians and works of his like The Shape of Jazz To Come are celebrated as seminal recordings in jazz history. In 2007, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album Sound Grammar.

Tributes and full obituaries are expected in the jazz media across the world in the coming days.

RIP Lew Soloff

Renowned jazz musician and session trumpet player Lew Soloff passed away on Sunday 8th March aged 71.

Soloff worked tirelessly as a trumpet player in the USA, building impressive CVs both as a pop sideman and jazz musician. His work with Blood, Sweat and Tears brought him international acclaim, as did his playing Paul Simon's hit, You Can Call Me Al.

As a jazz musician, he worked for many years with luminaries like Gil Evans and Carla Bley, and was a member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet. He taught at Manhattan School of Music for over 20 years.

His passing comes shortly after the sad deaths of Kenny Wheeler and Clark Terry. The world of jazz trumpet has lost three greats.