Richard Cook, Journalist And Author Of Books On Jazz, 50

[DGH]

-

Richard Cook, Journalist and Author of Books on Jazz, Dies at 50

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Richard Cook, a veteran British music journalist and the author of
several acclaimed books on jazz, died in London [England] on August 25
[2007]. He was 50.

The cause was bowel and liver cancer, said Brian Morton, who
collaborated with Mr. Cook on his best-known book, "The Penguin Guide
to Jazz Recordings."

That book, intended as a comprehensive survey of jazz albums in print,
was first published in 1992 as "The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP
and Cassette." It was extensively revised seven times under various
titles, most recently last year.

Mr. Cook also wrote the critically praised jazz books "Blue Note
Records: The Biography," "It's About That Time: Miles Davis On and Off
Record" and "Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia," an idiosyncratic work
whose title reflected the fact that it was one man's take on the
subject rather than a definitive overview.

As a staff writer for the British weekly New Musical Express in the
early 1980s, Mr. Cook wrote about a range of music in addition to
jazz, a practice he continued as editor of The Wire, a magazine
originally devoted to the jazz avant-garde. He broadened its focus to
include not just other kinds of jazz but also rock, hip-hop and
contemporary classical and electronic music.

He was the jazz catalog manager for PolyGram Records in Britain from
1992 to 1997 and later the editor of Jazz Review magazine. He also
wrote for other publications and produced jazz documentaries for BBC
Radio.

Survivors include his wife, Lee Ellen Newman.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/arts/music/13cook.html?ref=obituaries

[Hyfler/Rosner]

"DGH" <peri...@eudoramail.com> wrote in message
news:1189779290.0...@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...

> -
>
> Richard Cook, Journalist and Author of Books on Jazz, Dies
> at 50
>
> By THE NEW YORK TIMES
>
> Richard Cook, a veteran British music journalist and the
> author of
> several acclaimed books on jazz, died in London [England]
> on August 25
> [2007]. He was 50.

I posted at least one, maybe two obits on this guy from the
English papers. Far better obits than this one. Look 'em
up, if you're interested.