Tribute to Gary Niewood
I just got an email from our friend (and my homeboy) Rochester Conservative;
Jonn,
I posted a tribute to saxophonist Jerry Niewood, one of the victims of the crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence, NY, on RochesterConservative. Gerry and guitarist Coleman Millett were to meet Chuck Mangione for a concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Gerry was a hometown Rochester guy and he and Chuck made some beautiful music together. I’d appreciate it if you mentioned the tribute on TAH.
http://rochesterconservative.com/blog/a-tribute-to-gerry-niewood/
Thanks!
RV
Category: Politics
Thanks for posting this Jonn. Although there were 49 people on Flight 3407, there was a considerable number of achievers and individual tragedies that tug at your heart:
Victims include human rights expert, 9/11 widow, family of 4
Needless to say, a tragedy like this hits a chord in the psyche of folks in my area.
Here’s a link to another article on Gerry Niewood that’s another must read:
Buffalo crash silences Gerry Niewood, Rochester native and saxophonist
I’m not a musician, but one of my best friends from high school was (and still is) a jazz musician that was highly influenced by Gerry Niewood, Chuck Mangione and drummer, Steve Gadd. My buddy introduced me to that great jazz scene that was happenin’ in Rachacha in the 70’s. Gerry Niewood conducted jazz workshops (as a volunteer, BTW) in local area high schools, which is how my high school friend met Gerry Niewood. Imagine being a young musician and getting tips and playing with a legendary saxophonist such as Gerry Niewood!
Hey TAH folks, head on over to the RochesterConservative blog and check out:
A Tribute To Gerry Niewood
There’s a great video featuring Gerry and the Chuck Mangione Quartet at the 1975 Monterey Jazz Festival!
Prayers and thoughts go out for all of the families and friends of those lost in this tragic event.
Jerry Niewood’s passing was a great personal loss to me. I had the good fortune to have him play some gigs with my combo when he was an undergraduate at the Eastman School of Music. He was a joy to play with because of his great ability and willingness to play any style that you asked of him. Despite his youth, he knew most of the standard jazz & commercial tunes. Also, because some of the engagements he played with my group were Jewish weddings, traditional Jewish music and Latin music were necessary as part of the festivities. He played these with enthusiasm that gave my band a lift. I am thankful for my brief musical association with Jerry Niewood.
Sincerely,
Dick Mullaney