Compiled by Tom Hull

For many years now, we’ve collected brief lists of important jazz figures who passed in the previous year. This year it might suffice simply to point you to Andrey Henkin’s remarkable Jazz Passings website, which has much more depth on the jazz musicians listed below, and many others.

So what follows is effectively just a cryptic index. The first list covers individuals specifically involved with jazz — musicians, of course, but also songwriters, producers, some label operators, and several writers and media people. The second list looks beyond jazz, but is much less comprehensive. Some more sources are cited at the end.

The late tenor saxophonist, innovative lyricist, composer, arranger, and gifted music educator Benny Golson. Photo: WikiCommon

• Jean-Philippe Allard, 67, French producer (Polygram) [05-18]
• Bill Allred, 87, American trombonist, vocalist [11-19]
• Bruno Amstad, 59, Swiss singer [01-25]
• Derek Ansell, 90, British critic and jazz writer [12-13]
• Charles Austin, 93, American saxophonist [01-19]
• Giorgio Azzolini, 96, Italian bassist [04-12]
• Danny Bacher, 48, soprano saxophonist, vocalist [12-16]
• Peter Bastian, 68, German photographer and critic [03-10]
• Jim Beard, 63, American keyboardist [03-02]
• Warren Benbow, American drummer [09-29]
• Casey Benjamin, 45, American saxophonist [03-30]
• Bob Bertles, 85, Australian saxophonist [12-30]
• Terje Bjørklund, Norwegian pianist [10-03]
• George Bohanon, 87, American trombonist [11-03]
• Jordi Bonell, 66, Spanish guitarist [11-18]
• Dean Brown, 68, American guitarist [01-26]
• Jewel Brown, 86, American jazz and blues singer [06-25]
• Tony Cedras, 71, South African musician [01-29]
• James Chance, 71, American saxophonist (Contortions) [06-18]
• Jerry Coker, 91, American saxophonist [01-14]
• Eleanor Collins, 104, Canadian singer [03-03]
• Michael Cuscuna, 75, American producer, label head (Mosaic) [04-20]
• Claire Daly, 66, American baritone saxophonist [10-22]
• Barbara Dane, 97, American folk/blues/jazz singer-songwriter [10-20]
• Palle Danielson, 77, Swedish bassist [05-18]
• “Papa” John DeFrancesco, 83, American organist and singer [06-25]
• Ron Dewar, 82, American saxophonist [01-03]
• Toumani Diabaté, 58, Malian kora player [07-19]
• Gail Dobson, 81, American vocalist [04-17]
• Lou Donaldson, 98, American saxophonist [11-03]
• Arthur Edghill, 98, American drummer [09-10]
• Christian Escoudé, 76, French Gypsy guitarist [05-13]
• Tom Evered, 69, American producer, executive (Blue Note) [08-03]
• Charles Fishman, 82, producer (Dizzy Gillespie, DC Jazz Festival) [11-12]
• Martin France, 60, British drummer [09-03]
• Artt Frank, 91, American drummer, biographer (Chet Baker) [11-27]
• Brahim Fribgane, 58, Moroccan oud player (Clud D’Elf) [03-05]
• Nikki Giovanni, 81, American poet, spoken word artist [12-10]
• Benny Golson, 95, American saxophonist [09-21]
• Carl Grubbs, 79, American saxophonist [01-05]
• Dan Haerle, 86, American pianist [03-02]
• Dag Häggqvist, 83, Swedish producer [10-31]
• Satoshi Hayashi, 60, Japanese producer, visual artist (Nomart Editions)?, [11-01]
• Michel Hausser, 96, French vibraphonist [01-26]
• Roy Haynes, 99, American drummer [11-12]
• Albert “Tootie” Heath, 88, American drummer [04-03]
• Bill Holman, 96, American saxophonist, composer and arranger [05-03]
• Zakir Hussain, 73, Indian percussionist (tabla) [12-15]
• Takeshi Inomata, 88, Japanese drummer, bandleader [10-03]
• Reuben Jackson, 67, American broadcaster, poet, and jazz historian [02-16]
• Quincy Jones, 91, American bandleader, producer [11-03]
• John Kelman, 68, Canadian jazz writer [08-10]
• Calvin Keys, 82, American guitarist [04-14]
• Peter Leitch, 80, Canadian guitarist [12-30]
• Sylvain Luc, 58, French guitarist [03-13]
• Russell Malone, 60, American guitarist [08-23]
• Willem van Manen, 84, Dutch trombonist [09-26]
• Shaun Martin, 45, American keyboardist, producer (Snarky Puppy) [08-03]
• Chris May, 78, English jazz critic (All About Jazz) [11-20]
• Patty McGovern, 95, American vocalist [02-06]
• John McNeil, 76, American trumpeter [09-27]
• Lloyd Miller, 86, American producer, writer (Oriental Jazz) [12-27]
• Dan Morgenstern, 94, German-American journalist, archivist [09-03]
• Ray Mosca, 91, American drummer [06-12]
• Lars Martin Myhre, 68, Norwegian guitarist/pianist [12-28]
• Eli Newberger, 83, American tubaist [10-24]
• Phil Nimmons, 100, Canadian clarinetist [04-03]
• Zé Nogueira, 68, Brazilian saxophonist [04-26]
• Makaya Ntshoko, 84, South African drummer [08-27]
• Barre Phillips, 90, American bassist [12-28]
• Anthony Pinciotti, 49, American drummer [12-24]
• John Pisano, 93, American guitarist [05-02]
• Ben Powell, 38, British violinist [10-22]
• Bill Ramsey, 95, American saxophonist, bandleader [03-03]
• Sly Randolph, 79, American drummer [12-02]
• Ed Reed, 94, American vocalist [01-31]
• Kim Richmond, 84, American saxophonist, arranger [09-20]
• Georg Riedel, 90, Swedish bassist [02-25]
• Alex Riel, 83, Danish drummer [06-03]
• Herb Robertson, 73, American trumpeter [12-10]
• Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez, 78, American bongo player (Tito Puente) [08-17]
• Pete Rodriguez, 89, American pianist, bandleader [03-11]
• Jim Rotondi, 61, American trumpeter [07-03]
• Bob Rusch, 80, American critic, publisher (Cadence), producer (Cadence Jazz/CIMP), distributor [11-14]
• David Sanborn, 78, American alto saxophonist [05-12]
• Sigi Schwab, 83, German guitarist [01-11]
• Irène Schweizer, 83, Swiss pianist [07-16]
• Wally Shoup, 80, American saxophonist [03-05]
• Doug Sides, 82, American drummer [10-10]
• Jimmie Smith, 86, American drummer [09-17]
• Martial Solal, 97, French pianist [12-12]
• Alan Tomlinson, 76, British trombonist [02-13]
• Kevin Toney, 70, American pianist [03-18]
• Marta Valdés, 90, Cuban guitarist [10-03]
• Rashid Vally, 85, South African producer, label owner (As-Shams/The Sun, Soultown) [12-07]
• Joe Viera, 91, German saxophonist, founder of Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen [04-03]
• Patty Waters, 78, American vocalist [06-29]
• Don Wise, 81, American tenor saxophonist [03-01]
• Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, 88, Polish saxophonist [05-03]
• Kiane Zawadi, 91, American trombonist [05-21]

A second, briefer list looks beyond jazz to other forms of music:

Singer, songwriter and composer Angela Bofill. Photo: WikiCommon

• Steve Albini, 61, American rock musician and producer [05-03]
• Alfa Anderson, 78, American singer (Chic) [12-17]
• Aston “Family Man” Barrett, 77, Jamaican bassist (Wailers, Upsetters) [02-03]
• Dickey Betts, 80, American guitarist (Allman Brothers) [04-18]
• Frankie Beverly, 77, American singer (Maze) [09-10]
• Angela Bofill, 70, American singer-songwriter [06-13]
• Stanley Booth, 82, American music journalist [12-19]
• Anita Bryant, 84, American singer [12-16]
• Eric Carmen, 74, American singer-songwriter (Raspberries) [03-11]
• Tommy Cash, 84, American country musician [09-13]
• Joe Chambers, 81, American singer (Chambers Brothers) [08-15]
• C. Clark, 84, American blues singer-guitarist [03-02]
• Larry Collins, 79, American guitarist (The Collins Kids) [01-03]
• Egidio Cuadrado, 71, Colombian accordionist [10-21]
• Alain Delon, 88, French-Swiss actor, singer [08-18]
• Sugar Pie DeSanto, 89, American singer [12-20]
• Paul Di’Anno, 66, English heavy metal singer (Iron Maiden) [10-21]
• Slim Dunlap, 73, American guitarist (The Replacements) [12-18]
• Duane Eddy, 86, American guitarist [04-30]
• Abdul “Duke” Fakir, 88, American singer (Four Tops) [07-22]
• Henry Fambrough, 85, American singer (Spinners) [02-03]
• Kinky Friedman, 79, American singer-songwriter [06-27]
• Mitzi Gaynor, 93, American actress, singer and dancer [10-17]
• Nick Gravenites, 85, American blues singer-guitarist [09-18]
• Françoise Hardy, 80, French singer [06-11]
• Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson, 73, British vocalist (The Selecter) [06-11]
• Clarence “Frogman” Henry, 87, American singer (“Ain’t Got No Home”) [04-03]
• Cissy Houston, 91, American singer [10-03]
• Frank Ifield, 86, Australian singer [05-18]
• Doug Ingle, 78, American musician-songwriter (Iron Butterfly) [05-24]
• Tito Jackson, 70, American singer (Jackson 5) [09-15]
• Ella Jenkins, 100, American folksinger-songwriter [11-03]
• Tom Johnson, 85, American minimalist composer, Village Voice writer [12-31]
• Jack Jones, 86, American singer [10-23]
• Ka [Kaseem Ryan], 52, American rapper [10-12]
• Toby Keith, 62, American country singer [02-03]
• Greg Kihn, 75, American singer-songwriter [08-13]
• Donald Kinsey, 70, American blues singer-guitarist [02-03]
• Wayne Kramer, 75, American guitarist-singer (MC5) [02-02]
• Kris Kristofferson, 88, American singer-songwriter, actor [09-28]
• Steve Lawrence, 88, American singer (Steve & Eydie) [03-03]
• Phil Lesh, 84, American bassist (Grateful Dead) [10-25]
• John Mayall, 90, English blues bandleader [07-22]
• Maurice El Médiouni, 95, Algerian pianist-singer [03-25]
• Melanie [Melanie Safka], 76, American singer-songwriter [01-23]
• Sérgio Mendes, 83, Brazilian pianist, bandleader [09-03]
• Bob Newhart, 94, American comedian [07-18]
• Phill Niblock, 90, American composer, filmmaker [01-03]
• Don Nix, 83, American musician, producer [12-31]
• Mojo Nixon [Neill McMillan Jr.], 66, American singer-songwriter [02-03]
• Seiji Ozawa, 88, Japanese conductor [02-03]
• Liam Payne, 31, English singer (One Direction) [10-16]
• Richard Perry, 82, American producer [12-24]
• Martin Phillipps, New Zealand singer-songwriter (Chills) [07-28]
• Rich Homie Quan [Devonte Lamar], 34, American rapper [09-03]
• Dexter Romweber, 57, American rockabilly guitarist [02-16]
• Jack Russell, 63, American singer-songwriter (Great White) [08-03]
• Peter Schickele, 88, American composer and satirist (P.D.Q. Bach) [01-16]
• Mansour Seck, 69, Senegalese singer [05-29]
• Marlena Shaw, 81, American singer [01-19]
• John Sinclair, 82, American poet/writer, activist [04-02]
• Peter Sinfield, 88, English singer-songwriter [11-14]
• Margo Smith, 84, American country singer [01-23]
• Jo-El Sonnier, 77, American accordionist, singer-songwriter [01-13]
• JD Souther, 78, American singer-songwriter [09-17]
• Roni Stoneman, 85, American bluegrass banjo player [02-22]
• Damo Suzuki, 74, Japanese singer (Can) [02-03]
• Evelyn Thomas, 70, American disco singer [07-21]
• Happy Traum, 86, American folk singer-songwriter [07-17]
• Mary Weiss, 75, American singer (The Shangri-Las) [01-19]
• Phil Wiggins, 69, American blues musician (Cephas & Wiggins) [05-03]
• Maurice Williams, 86, American singer (Gladiolas, Zodiacs) [08-05]

Some sources for more extensive and detailed lists:

• Jazz Passings. Also there: 2024 in Review.
• All Music: Artists who died in/bands disbanded in 2024.
• Best Classic Bands: Musician Deaths of 2024.
• Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2024.
• Consequence: Remembering the Musicians, Actors, and Other Pop Culture Figures Who Died in 2024.
• On This Day: Musicians Who Died in 2024.
• That Eric Alper: Musicians Who Died in 2024.
• We Heart Music: Musicians and singers who died.
• List of 2024 deaths in popular music.

Tom Hull studied sociology and worked in engineering, but also wrote rock criticism in the 1970s, and the Village Voice’s Jazz Consumer Guide from 2005 to 2011. He continues to blog, and has over 20,000 short reviews on his website