Passings: Dave Carpenter, Ronnie Mathews

Yes, two great musicians, Ronnie Matthews and Dave Carpenter are gone. It seems we never get enough of the great performances that are out there. We must enjoy every minute of everyday that we are blessed to have.

Ronnie Mathews was, to me, a giant. The number of essential records he was on speaks for itself, and the records he made as a leader should really be checked out too: "Doin' The Thang", with Freddie Hubbard, "Roots, Branches and Dances" with Frank Foster and Al Foster as sidemen, and, my favourite, the trio "So Sorry, Please" with Alvin Queen. But he was also a greatly, greatly loved and centrally valuable member of New York's jazz community. He was the centre of a lot of the city's musical life - he was very great!
Also, does anyone know how it came to be that this great bassist, Dave Carpenter, died of a heart attack at such an improbable age? What a marvellous musician.

I'm a chilean professional bass player. I met Dave Carpenter in LA in 1997 while is was living and playing there. This is a terrible loss for the bass scene, even more tragic considering that he was only 48 years old. Such a talented and gifted bass player and musician.

I have a lot of Buddy Rich vids and Dave Carpenter is on some of the ones from 84' He was sooooooo good. What a terrible loss! He is swinging hard up there with Buddy!!

DAVE CARPENTER WAS GREAT.

Ronnie Mathews' death was expected, though of course a saddening event nonetheless.
But Dave Carpenter's is a genuine shock. I met him during his days on Buddy Rich's big band in the early '80s.

In 2000, I was in L.A. for a week, and guitarist John Stowell had a trio gig at a club there and invited me to come and sit in (on soprano saxophone). He had Dave on bass and Kendall Kay on drums, plus guitarist Paul Bollenback also was in town and sat in. I'll never forget the sound of that ad hoc quintet.