I received the following announcement by e-mail on April 16th. I reproduce it here in its entirety. Dear IAJE Family, "It is with a great sense of loss that I inform you that despite drastic efforts to cut expenses and raise emergency funds, the IAJE Board has voted to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Federal Bankruptcy Law. I want to thank profusely those who responded with their generous donations and offers of assistance following my last communication. While over 250 individu …

Washington area jazz vocalist and educator Ronnie Wells-Elliston passed away March 7 at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 64. Ms. Wells-Elliston was a pillar of the Washington jazz scene for more than three decades. Born Veronica Burke, she was a 1960 graduate of Washington's Cardozo High School. She attended Howard University and held administrative jobs over the years with federal agencies and private businesses. Ronnie began singing p …

National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, bebop pioneer, and one of the pillars of the jazz drum tradition, Max Roach has passed away at 83 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. One of only four drummers among the N.E.A. list of greats--he is joined by Kenny Clarke, Louis Bellson and Elvin Jones--Roach enjoyed a career that began with the Ellington Orchestra, flowered in the company of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and went on to embrace several of the music's later generation …

On Saturday Nov 10th, a memorial service, including a funeral processional, will be held for multi-instrumentalist Tim Eyermann as part of the Cape May Jazz Festival. Eyermann passed away May 1, after a battle with lung cancer that was complicated by pneumonia. A great favorite at the festival, Eyermann opened up the first one in April '94, and appeared there on many subsequent occasions, until his last performance in November 2006. Tim played flute and saxophones with the Cape May All …

Clarinetist, saxophonist, occasional flutist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Giuffre has died in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, two days before his 87th birthday. A victim of Parkinson's disease, he had been inactive as a performer for several years. Giuffre is survived by his wife of 47 years, Juanita. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Giuffre received a Bachelor of Music degree from North Texas State University before joining the Army, where he played in the official Army band. After his discharge …