Harry Whitaker, 68 - jazz pianist
Pat Peeve
Ayers, Has Passed Away
http://revivalist.okayplayer.com/2010/11/18/jazz-pianist-harry-whitaker-who-worked-with-roberta-flack-and-roy-ayers-has-passed-away/
Pianist Harry Whitaker, a staple of the downtown NYC jazz scene passed
away on Wednesday 11/17/10 from what appears to have been a heart
attack. Although his health had been declining over the last couple of
years, Mr. Whitaker performed frequently at Fat Cat Billiards and
Smalls, both religious institutions in the West Village jazz scene.
Born in 1942, Whitaker cut his teeth playing with Slide Hampton in
1965 at the young age of twenty-two before joining vibraphonist Roy
Ayers band in 1970.
Harry can be heard on the breakthrough Ayers recording “We Live in
Brooklyn Baby” and went on to work with vocalist Robert Flack during
her most commercial and successful years beginning in the mid-1970s.
Known for his blistering technical command of various styles of music,
the passing of Harry Whitaker marks the end of an era. An era in which
jazz musicians blurred the lines between jazz, funk, R&B and gospel
and did so without apologies or explanation.
Mr. Whitaker was one of the original performers at the first Small’s
and up until recently he continued to perform with his quartet which
featured drummer Brandon Lewis, bassist Renee Cruz and alto
saxophonist Sharel Cassity. R.I.P. Harry!!!! You’ll be missed.
==========================
http://blog.napster.com/napster/2010/11/harry-whitaker-19422010.html
The history of jazz is packed with discographies of career sidemen
that are as impressive as those of the session leaders they supported.
Keyboardist Harry Whitaker, who suffered a heart attack and died on
Nov. 17, is an example of a musician whose influence was felt deeply
by both fans and fellow artists, though few knew his name outside of
New York, where he played and participated in the scene up until his
death. Whitaker was a crucial member of Roy Ayers' early jazz-funk
group Ubiquity and also played with Roberta Flack, Eugene McDaniels,
Gary Bartz, Mtume, and a long list of others. The chords of "We Live
In Brooklyn" and "Feel Like Makin' Love" were his, and that's what
most know, but his life was a testament to patience and love for
American soul music in all of its forms.
John M.
<pat....@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Jazz Pianist, Harry Whitaker, Who Worked with Roberta Flack and Roy
>Ayers, Has Passed Away
Part of 'Black Renaissance':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpozN-_STlo
More links of the same tune:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Black+Renaissance&aq=f
--
John M.