The Chicago Tribune has reported that one of the greatest of jazz clarinetists, Buddy DeFranco, passed away at age 91 last night on Christmas Eve.
Buddy was a virtuoso whose dazzling skills brought the clarinet decisively into the bop era, and whose consistent excellence over the decades had few parallels or equals in the world of jazz.
According to the article, DeFranco had not performed in the past two years, and there will be a celebration of his career sometime next year. May he rest in peace, and may his loved ones be comforted this Christmas season.
