Music Of Our Heart Blog

I received an e-mail from Maria Schneider yesterday informing me of the death of jazz composer, Bob Brookmeyer. I was very moved by Maria Schneider’s sentiment for Bob Brookmeyer. This is what Maria Schneider wrote:

Dear Ed,
It’s with great sadness that I share news of Bob Brookmeyer’s death.  I’ve loved Bob’s compositions and arrangements and his playing since the moment I first heard his music in the ’70s.  It turned my life around.  Bob became a wonderful teacher, mentor and dear friend.  And he was enormously generous to those lucky enough to be his friend.

Oddly, Bob’s newest recording came out last week–an astoundingly beautiful vocal album of arrangements where every cut is a perfect gem.  It’s one of those that you just want to listen to again and again.  I’ve received calls from Jim Hall, Scott Robinson–numerous musicians who are in disbelief at the depth of it.  His musicians give a spectacular performance that’s vividly full of love.  I was asked by Bob to write the liner notes, which was easy to do, and at one point I wrote:

“… there are two silent gaps that come near the end of this arrangement that are almost painful they’re so sudden.  It leaves you scared it’s over.  What a wonderful feeling to not want it to be over.”

The same could be said by all of us about Bob and his music.  It’s so sad there won’t be more.  On the other hand, what a gift Bob has been giving us all for decades.  There’s so much to be grateful for.  And here is one final, spectacular little gem that he’s left with us.

Thank you, Bob.  What a life!  What an incredible life.  Thank you for making this world a better place.  You will be deeply missed.

Wishes of love, peace and happiness for your holidays.
Maria

To be very honest until Maria Schneider’s e-mail I wasn’t aware of Bob Brookmeyer in the theater of jazz. I have made it a point to correct that grievous error.

I have purchased and downloaded from artistShare (an organization I support and believe in strongly, again thanks to Maria Schneider) Bob Brookmeyer’s recording Standards. It is a breathtaking work that you owe it to yourself to own and learn from..

We are very fortunate to have been left with Bob Brookmeyer’s legacy of jazz music. I count myself among the newly blessed to know him and his gift of music. God bless your soul Bob Brookmeyer.

Related articles

• TT: A master’s music (artsjournal.com)
• RIP Bob Brookmeyer (secretsocietymusic.org)
• TT: Bob Brookmeyer, R.I.P. (artsjournal.com)