The last few days have seen the passing of three soul, jazz and funk stalwarts – LOU DONALDSON, GEIRGE BOHANON and TYKA NELSON.
Jazz sax man Lou Donaldson (above) died on Sunday, November 9th. It’s reported that he died of pneumonia in Daytona Beach Florda, aged 98. Born in North Carolina, he enjoyed a long and distinguished career becoming known for his distinctive, accessible, soulful, blues-based sax stylings.
After demob from the US Navy, Donalson’s first recordings were in 1952 when he worked with Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk playing hard bop. A protégé of Charlie Parker he went on to work with many American jazz greats while his recorded work with the Art Blakey’s Quintet – notably ‘A Night At Birdland’ -are considered jazz classics. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Donaldson developed a sound that was labelled “soul jazz”. Often working with organists his music was bluesy, and danceable. His 1967 recording ‘’Alligator Boogaloo’ with Dr Lonnie Smith and George Benson was a minor chart hit.
Leading his own ensembles, Donaldson remained active till his early 90. His wife of 56 years and longtime manager, the former Maker Turner, died in 2006, and their daughter Lydia Tutt-Jones died in 1994. In addition to his daughter Carol, survivors include a sister and two grandchildren. His 1970 tune ‘Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky’ became particular popular on the UK/European rare groove/jazz dance scene.
Jazz trombonist George Bohanon died on Saturday 8 November, aged 87. Motown collectors will know him as one of the label’s go-to brass session players. He was also granted his own Motown album – ‘Bossa Bossa Nova’ which was released on Gordy’s unsuccessful Workshop Jazz label, A second Motoen LP remains unreleased. Away from Motown, his career took a jazzier trajectory. He worked with people like Ernie Wilkins, Chico Hamilton and Sarah Vaughan. He eventually went on to work with Frank Sinatra.
Soul and jazz singer Tyka Nelson died on Monday; November 4th aged 64. It’s reported that she’d been ill since the summer. She was the only full sister of Prince and, like him, brought up in a musical family – father and mother were both jazz singers.
Between 1988 and 2011 she released four albums with, maybe, her best known song being ‘Marc Anthony’s Tune’ which as produced by Larry Graham. In recent years she was mired in legal issues with her half-brothers over the estate of Prince,
