
by Scott Yanow

During a period when so many significant veteran jazz artists have passed away (Benny Golson, Roy Haynes, Martial Solal, Lou Donaldson and Quincy Jones to name just five), this is a very good time to celebrate the greats of the past who are still with us. Jazz is always evolving and there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of brilliant young musicians active today who will make their mark in future years. While many of the middle-aged and up-and-coming players will hopefully get the headlines that they deserve, we should not wait until the oldest jazz survivors pass on before celebrating their lifelong contributions to jazz. They deserve to hear our applause and thanks for what they have accomplished while they can still enjoy our praise.
Listed below with brief summaries are 52 jazz artists who, as of March 1, 2025, will be at least 90. Their ages and birth dates are included. None of these artists recorded before 1940 (the 1920s and ‘30s are completely gone) unless one counts a surviving radio broadcast of Terry Gibbs playing classical music in the 1930s as a kid. There are only a handful of greats left from the 1940s, and the ranks of those from the 1950s, ‘60s and even the ‘70s are thinning out.
Ray Anthony – trumpeter-bandleader (103 – Jan. 20, 1922) The last living member of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra, nearly the only instrumentalist left from the swing era, and one of only two performers on this list who recorded before 1945, Anthony (who made his recording debut in 1940) headed his own big bands from 1946 on. While he arrived too late to be the Harry James of his time, he did his best to keep swing popular in the 1950s and appeared in several movies.
Annette Warren – singer (102 – July 11, 1922) An influential vocal coach and a versatile singer who “ghosted” for many Hollywood actresses in movies of the 1940s and ‘50s, Warren (who was married to pianist Paul Smith for 54 years) sang swing standards on an occasional basis and last year sang a song (“What Wouldn’t I Do For That Man”) at Catalina’s.
Marshall Allen – alto-saxophonist (100 – May 25, 1924) Although he started out playing bop, Allen has been an avant-gardist throughout much of his career, the Johnny Hodges of free jazz. He was a key member of Sun Ra’s Arkestra during 1958-93 and has been its leader since 1995, recording recently and still touring at the age of 100.
Terry Gibbs – vibraphonist (100 – Oct. 13, 1924) One of the greatest vibraphonists of all time, Gibbs retired in recent years but he loves to talk about his many musical experiences, often online. An exciting bebopper, Gibbs became famous as a member of Woody Herman’s Second Herd, worked with Benny Goodman, led his Dream Band in the late 1950s, was an integral part of Steve Allen’s television shows, and had a great musical partnership with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. His memoirs Good Vibes is filled with hilarious stories.
Marjorie Hughes – singer (99 – Dec. 15, 1925) The last living singer from the Swing era, Marjorie Hughes is the daughter of pianist Frankie Carle, sang with his band starting in the early 1940s, and later worked on radio and television. She has not been heard from in decades but apparently is still with us.
Joe Negri – guitar (98 – June 10, 1926) A member of the Shep Fields Orchestra during 1943-44, a fixture on the Pittsburgh jazz scene for many decades, an important educator, and a skilled guitarist who was in his seventies when he led his first record date, he acted as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for nearly 40 years.
Dick Hyman – pianist (97 – Mar. 8, 1927) Able to play in virtually every jazz style and a writer of some of Woody Allen’s film scores, Hyman is an inventive virtuoso who has been one of the giants of stride and swing piano since the 1950s.
George Freeman – guitarist (97 – Apr. 10, 1927) Part of the Chicago jazz scene since the late 1940s, Freeman played twice with Charlie Parker, worked with Gene Ammons, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, and his older brother Von Freeman, and is still active and recording for the Southport label today.
Doc Severinsen –trumpeter, bandleader (97 – July 7, 1927) A technically dazzling trumpeter and a busy studio musician before he became famous for his nightly appearances as the bandleader on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, Severinsen played with Charlie Barnet in 1949 and only retired from playing two years ago.
Lloyd Arntzen – clarinetist (97 – Sept. 19, 1927) Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Arntzen (the grandfather of clarinetist Evan Arntzen and banjoist/guitarist Arnt Arntzen) played in New Orleans for many decades including with Sweet Papa Lowdown, his own group Blackstick, and on records with Chris Barber.
Cleo Laine – singer (97 – Oct. 28, 1927) Her remarkable range, beautiful tone and versatility made her a major attraction for many decades, often performing a wide variety of material with her late husband alto-saxophonist Johnny Dankworth.
Ted Brown – tenor-saxophonist (97 – Dec. 1, 1927) The cool-toned tenor-saxophonist worked with Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Art Pepper, and Lee Konitz, leading at least 13 albums of his own.
Bill Crow – bassist (97 – Dec. 27, 1927) The prolific bassist worked with Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Clark Terry, Benny Goodman and many others. Crow is also an author who wrote his memoirs From Birdland To Broadway and collected together many of the funniest stories in jazz history (Jazz Anecdotes).
Dick Nash – trombonist (97 – Jan. 26, 1928) The brother and uncle of two major saxophonists both named Ted Nash, he appeared on a countless number of studio and jazz dates through the years, was on many of Henry Mancini’s soundtracks and still occasionally sits in with bands.
Marilyn Maye – singer (96 – Apr. 10, 1928) The jazz and cabaret singer and actress, Marilyn Maye appeared on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show 76 times. She still performs regularly.
Gene DiNovi – pianist (96 – May 26, 1928) Equally comfortable playing with swing and bop musicians, DiNovi (long based in Canada) worked with Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Boyd Raeburn, Artie Shaw, Lester Young, Peggy Lee, Sonny Rollins and Ruby Braff among many others.
Sheila Jordan – singer (96 – Nov. 18, 1928) Inspired directly by her friend Charlie Parker and married to pianist Duke Jordan in 1952, Jordan recorded an excellent album for Blue Note in 1962 but was not a fulltime jazz singer until the mid-1970s. Since then she has pioneered the voice-bass duo, made many rewarding recordings, and become a beloved and very encouraging educator.
Frank Tiberi – tenor and alto-saxophonist (96 – Dec. 4, 1928) A member of the Woody Herman Orchestra during much of 1970-87, after Herman’s death Tiberi became its leader; he also recorded some fine bop-oriented albums of his own.
Eiji Kitamura – clarinetist (95 – Apr. 8, 1929) An excellent swing clarinetist from Japan, Kitamura recorded for Concord, held his own on sessions with Buddy DeFranco, and was a regular at the Monterey Jazz Festival for years.
Ronnie Lang – alto-saxophonist (95 – July 24, 1929) Lang started his career with Hoagy Carmichael’s Teenagers in the mid-1940s, worked with Earle Spencer, was a busy studio musicians for many years, and is best known for his playing with Les Brown (1949-50, 1953-56) and the Dave Pell Octet.
Betty Bryant – pianist-singer (95 – Nov. 7 1929) A delightful singer and a swinging pianist, Betty Bryant has come into her own during the past 20 years and is still active in the Los Angeles area.
Toshiko Akiyoshi – pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader (95 – Dec. 12, 1929) Born in China, Akiyoshi began playing piano in Japan, was inspired most by Bud Powell, was discovered by Oscar Peterson, moved to the U.S. in the mid-1950s where she recorded some excellent albums for Norman Granz and the Verve label, and in 1973 formed a big band with her husband Lew Tabackin that was a perfect outlet for her composing and arranging talents for decades.
Johnny Varro – pianist (95 – Jan. 11, 1930) A superior swing pianist inspired by Teddy Wilson, Varro worked with Phil Napoleon, Pee Wee Erwin, Eddie Condon, Eddie Miller and Ed Polcer, recording several very good albums for the Arbors label as both a leader and a sideman, and was a regular at jazz parties.
Pinky Winters – singer (95 – Feb. 1, 1930) A fixture in the jazz scene in Los Angeles since the mid-1950s, the warm singer has worked with such notables as Lou Levy, Hampton Hawes, Zoot Sims, and Gerald Wiggins in addition to leading 11 albums of her own.
Marty Grosz – guitarist, singer (95 – Feb. 28, 1930) A triple threat as a chordal acoustic guitarist inspired by Carl Kress and Dick McDonough, a singer inspired by Fats Waller, and as an always-humorous ad-libber, Grosz consistently performed highly enjoyable sets of superior obscurities from the 1930s.
Eph Resnick – trombonist (94 – 1930) He started on records in 1947 with the Stuyvesant Stompers and the Washboard Wonders, and recorded as a trombonist with the Dixieland Rhythm Kings, Ruby Braff, Pee Wee Russell, and Bob Greene, plus a duet album with guitarist Marty Grosz in 1982. Resnick has mostly played piano during the past 20 years.
Sam Noto – trumpeter (94 – Apr. 17, 1930) The bop-oriented soloist first became known as a soloist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra of the mid-1950s. He also worked with Count Basie, Rob McConnell, and in many all-star combos including in the 1980s on several albums for the Xanadu label.
Ruth Price – singer (94 – Apr. 27, 1930) An excellent jazz singer who worked with Philly Joe Jones, Charlie Ventura, Billy Taylor, Charles Mingus, and Harry James, she started running the Jazz Bakery (one of Southern California’s top jazz clubs) in 1991. After the club lost its lease, she turned the Jazz Bakery into a “movable feast” and has continued to book top jazz talent at a variety of venues.
Bob Havens – trombonist (94 – May 3, 1930) While he was a longtime member of the Lawrence Welk Show (1960-82), Havens is best known in jazz for being a very talented Dixieland trombonist, one who worked with George Girard, Al Hirt, and Pete Fountain and appeared at many classic jazz festivals.
Helen Merrill – singer (94 – July 21, 1930) Virtually every recording by this creative jazz singer has had a purpose and many memorable moments including sets with Clifford Brown, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Thad Jones, Teddy Wilson, Ron Carter (a duet album) and Stan Getz, plus many albums made in Japan.
Sonny Rollins – tenor-saxophonist (94 – Sept. 7, 1930) Rollins is one of the greatest of all jazz improvisers of all time whether it is his 1950s classics for Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary and Blue Note, his adventurous 1960s recordings for RCA and Impulse, or his later work for Milestone. Forced to retire from playing after 2012 due to respiratory problems, Sonny Rollins’ presence on the jazz scene is still missed.
Nancy Harrow – singer (94 – Oct. 3, 1930) Although she made two excellent albums during 1960-62, Harrow left the jazz world for a long time to raise a family. Returning in 1975, she has since recorded many underrated gems including standards, her own originals, and tunes taken from unusual sources.
David Amram – French horn, pianist, pennywhistle, flutist (94 – Nov. 17, 1930) A true Renaissance man, throughout his career Amram has given one the impression that he could enthusiastically jam with musicians from any culture. He recorded with Lionel Hampton, Bobby Jaspar, Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Dorham, Mary Lou Williams, and Dizzy Gillespie, wrote film scores, was involved in the Jazz & Poetry movement, composed classical works, and led a wide variety of fascinating recordings, often teaming up with unusual groups of musicians.
Dizzy Reece – trumpeter (94 – Jan. 5, 1931) One of the top trumpeters based in England during the 1950s, Reece was less prominent after moving to the U.S. but virtually all of his recordings are worthy.
Gérard Badini – tenor-saxophonist (93 – Apr. 16, 1931) After beginning his career in France in the early 1950s by playing New Orleans jazz clarinet including with Sidney Bechet and Bill Coleman, Badini switched to tenor while working with Claude Bolling in 1958. As a top swing player who also played piano, Badini worked with Alice Babs, Duke Ellington, Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry, and his own Swing Machine.
Dick Garcia – guitar (93 – May 1, 1931) Primarily active in the 1950s, the guitarist was a member of the George Shearing Quintet during 1952 and 1959-61, performed with Charlie Parker in 1953, and worked with Tony Scott, Milt Buckner, Aaron Sachs and Kai Winding. While he led two albums of his own, Garcia made his last recordings in 1963.
Plas Johnson – tenor-saxophonist (93 – July 21, 1931) A busy studio musician in both New Orleans and Los Angeles and most famous for playing Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme,” Johnson was always a top-notch and soulful straight ahead jazz soloist.
Kenny Burrell – guitarist (93 – July 31, 1931) Burrell recorded with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951, was part of the 1950s Detroit jazz scene, spent 20 years working steadily in New York, and was a longtime educator at UCLA. The always in-demand guitarist made some of his finest recordings with Jimmy Smith and Stanley Turrentine.
Lalo Schifrin – arranger, composer, pianist (92 – June 21, 1932) Best known for composing a huge number of film scores, Schifrin has always been a very skilled jazz pianist. He worked with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet in the early 1960s (composing “Gillespiana”) and made a notable series of “Jazz Meets The Symphony” recordings many years later.
Sadao Watanabe – alto-saxophonist (92 – Feb. 1, 1933) The Japanese jazz saxophonist had a dual career as a Charlie Parker-inspired bebop altoist and a pop/jazz recording artist, somehow sounding like himself in both settings.
John Handy – alto-saxophonist (92 – Feb. 3, 1933) Handy became known due to his work with Charles Mingus in the 1950s, was the hit of the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (a set that was recorded), had a hit with “Hard Work,” and was always able to hit stratospheric notes on the alto with ease.
Joe Licari – clarinet (91 – Jan. 10, 1934) A skilled swing and New Orleans jazz clarinetist, Licari worked with Roy Eldridge, Wild Bill Davison, Bob Haggart, Vic Dickenson, Doc Cheatham and more recently Jon-Erik Kellso, He led three albums of his own and performed each Monday night at Arthur’s Tavern in Greenwich Village for decades.
Lanny Morgan – alto (91 – Mar. 30, 1934) The bop-oriented altoist worked with Maynard Ferguson, Supersax, Bill Berry, Bob Florence and Bill Holman, led several albums of his own, and played “Cherokee” with as much fire as anyone.
Warren Chiasson – vibes (90 – Apr. 17, 1934) – The Canadian vibraphonist worked with the George Shearing Quintet (1959-61 and 1972), Chet Baker, Tal Farlow and in a duo with guitarist Chuck Wayne in addition to leading four albums of his own.

Warren Smith – percussion (90 – May 14, 1934) – The versatile percussionist worked with Gil Evans, Sam Rivers, Janis Joplin, Tony Williams, Max Roach’s M-Boom, Julius Hemphill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Count Basie, Anthony Braxton, Charles Mingus, Henry Threadgill, Joe Zawinul and countless others.
John Picard – trombone (90 – May 17, 1934) – The British trombonist, one of the last major figures left from English’s trad jazz movement of the 1950s and ‘60s, worked with Humphrey Lyttelton, Tony Coe and the Charlie Watts Big Band.
Dave Grusin – piano, arranger, composer (90 – June 26, 1934) – Among Grusin’s countless number of accomplishments are close to 100 film scores and quite a few for television, co-founding and running the GRP label with Larry Rosen, leading the GRP All-Star Big Band, and playing jazz piano on many sessions over the past 65 years.
Bobby Bradford – trumpet (90 – July 19, 1934) – The last surviving member of Ornette Coleman’s groups of the 1960s, Bradford had an adventurous style that is made more accessible by his mellow tone. He had a longtime musical association with clarinetist John Carter and taught jazz at Pomona College for 44 years.
Oliver Jones – piano (90, Sept. 11, 1934) – He studied piano extensively with Oscar Peterson’s sister Daisy, worked with Jamaican calypso singer Kenny Hamilton during 1964-80 and in the 1980s emerged as a brilliant pianist from Canada, recording a long series of rewarding albums for the Justin Time label.
Abdullah Ibrahim – piano, composer (90 – Oct. 9, 1934) – After working with the Jazz Epistles in his native South Africa, Ibrahim (whose original name was Dollar Brand) fled the apartheid regime, moving to Europe in 1962 (where he recorded an album sponsored by Duke Ellington) and the U.S. in 1965. His picturesque music, inspired by Ellington and Thelonious Monk, always looks back to his early life in South Africa. He has led many versions of his group Ekapa since the 1980s.
Jan Allan – trumpet (90 – Nov. 7, 1934) – The cool-toned and boppish Swedish trumpeter has not only worked with the top musicians in his native country but with Benny Carter, Dorothy Donegan, Thad Jones, Lee Konitz and Roger Kellaway.
Houston Person – tenor (90 – Nov. 10, 1934) – The big-toned tenor is always soulful, caresses melodies with warmth, enjoys working with singers (he had a long-time association with Etta Jones that included 16 albums), swings with a smile in his sound, and has led at least 70 albums of his own through the years.
Jazz has been an international music ever since recordings became widely available in the early 1920s. Canada has long had a rich if underrated jazz scene. BG Records, in the first three releases in their Montreal Jazz Series (available as Lps), documents some of the many talents who are active in Montreal today.
The most intriguing of these albums is André Leroux’s Echanges Synaptiques. The tenor and soprano-saxophonist is featured with two different rhythm sections on a pair of sessions. The first three selections have him displaying the influence of John Coltrane circa 1961 in a group with pianist Fred Henke (who sometimes sounds very close to that of early McCoy Tyner), bassist Frédéric Alaire, and drummer André K. White. They perform an uptempo “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes,” the title cut (a ballad by Alaire), and Steve Grossman’s “Take The D Train” which is highlighted by Leroux’s tenor playing over the closing vamp.
The four originals with pianist Francois Bourassa, bassist Rémi-Jean Leblanc and the notable drummer John Hollenbeck are quite a bit different. The Coltrane influence is dropped, the music is much freer (with “E.M.” is quite mystical) and Leroux sounds much more original. The music often swings (particularly the closing “Up and Up”) but is much more unpredictable and adventurous.
Bassist Jean Cyr’s Car Tu Existes is more traditional. He leads a sextet that also includes André Leroux on tenor, BG Records’ president trombonist Benoit Gagné, trumpeter Roger Walls, pianist Gaétan Daigneault, and drummer Alain Bourgeois. Starting with the boppish original “Type Top,” this set is a joy. Other highlights include a feature for Gagné on “Georgia On My Mind” (the only one of the eight songs not composed by the bassist), the goodtime party piece “Salut,” a pretty ballad (“Les Jours Se Suivent”), and the happy funky piece “Par Monts Et Par Vaux.” All six musicians get to solo on “Tout Va S’Arranger” and all are excellent players.
The third release, Straight Ahead’s Gentle Soul, is a quartet set featuring trombonist Muhammad Abdul Al-Khabyyr, pianist Luc Beaugrand, bassist Mathieu McConnell, and drummer Martin Auguste. They perform five of the trombonist’s originals and two standards. On a couple of the tunes when Al-Khabyyr utilizes a mute, he almost sounds like a trumpeter. His solos and that of Beaugrand are fine, falling into the swinging modern mainstream.
These three albums make one look forward to discovering other Montreal-based jazz artists. Hopefully BG Records www.disquesbg.com)will document many more in the future.

The third annual Jazz At Naz Festival (held at the Saroya in Northridge) promises to be a notable event; in fact, five. On both Feb. 5 and 6, the passionate altoist Lakecia Benjamin will be leading Phoenix. Bassist Christian McBride and his band Ursa Major will be featured on Feb. 7 & 8. Pianist Jason Moran will be performing the music of Duke Ellington with the CSUN Jazz “A” Band (Feb. 13), Kurt Elling celebrates Weather Report with Peter Erskine and the Yellowjackets (Feb. 15), and the great Chucho Valdés reunites with Arturo Sandoval in a celebration of Irakere’s 50th year on Feb. 20. More information about this memorable festival can be found at www.thesoraya.org/en/jazz-at-naz
Also highly recommended are the remarkable and very entertaining Gunhild Carling (who plays trumpet, trombone, harp, bagpipes and several other instruments in addition to singing, arranging and composing swinging music) at Catalina’s on Feb. 5, Samara Joy at Disney Hall (Feb. 7), and the piano duo of Mike Wofford and Josh Nelson presented by the Jazz Bakery at the Moss Theater (Feb. 15).
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