[Rackety Sax]

Ira Sullivan, a Chicago jazz icon despite living in Florida for the last six decades, died September 21 at age 89 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Miami: https://www.chicagotribune.com/ente...0200923-odjefa2owzegrflmtz2obedelu-story.html

Contrary to the comments in the article, I remember when I saw him years ago that he talked about the enormous challenges of developing and maintaining his chops on so many varied instruments: trumpet, saxophone, flute, and so on, and understandably so.

 

[Rackety Sax]

Amazing photo from Twitter from the Beehive in Chicago. The Tweet says it's from 1953 but Sullivan played with Bird there in 1955 according to the article above. Either way, great photo - Ira is second from left. He would have been in his early-mid 20s.

 

[mrpeebee]

Another great musician gone.

Have some nice recordings from him with Red Rodney and Johnny Griffin.

I saw him live with Red Rodney on 12 July 1981 at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

See this link to the concert scheme of that day:
https://www.northseajazz.com/nl/programma/1981/zondag-12-juli/blokkenschema/tijd/

 

[bruce bailey]

Yep a good friend of the students here too. I haven't seen him for a few months and this was a surprise. I did his repairs and he has been a big part of the Miami scene.

 

[dextor]

I saw Ira numerous times in Miami between 1975 and 1980, he played each song like it was the last one. Tremendous influence on me when I began playing. Still listen to his records today. The last time I saw him was in NY playing alongside Eric Alexander probably 8-9 years ago, we spoke for a minute he recalled the UNIFICATION CHURCH, once a shows with Steve Bagby and Joe Donato. Those from Miami who saw these gigs know how special Ira was then and today. A humble soul who will be missed by me.

 

[Tharruff]

I heard him play as a duo with Red Rodney at Gilly's Jazz Club in Dayton, Ohio probably sometime in the early 1980's. A great concert.