From the New York Times:
Dennis Irwin, who for more than 30 years was a much-in-demand New York jazz bassist and whose recent illness became a rallying point for jazz musicians without medical insurance, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 56.
The cause was liver failure as a result of cancer, said his son, Michael Irwin.
He died the same day as a benefit concert was presented in his honor, staged by Jazz at Lincoln Center and including performances by Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, Jon Hendricks, Mose Allison, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, and many others. Part of the concert’s proceeds will go toward Mr. Irwin’s medical expenses. The rest, in line with his stated wishes, will go to other musicians in need, through the Jazz Foundation of America, which has helped many uninsured musicians — including Mr. Irwin — pay for healthcare.
{Continue reading from The New York Times}
The Seattle Jazz Scene.com has covered saxophonist and former Seattle resident Andrew D’Angelo and his battle with brain cancer. The New York Times had a story just last week centered around both D’Angelo and Irwin and the larger issue of the lack of affordable medical insurance within the music community.
Again, from The New York Times:
The health of jazz, as a topic of conversation, has long inspired a lot of hand wringing among sympathetic parties. When the focus turns toward the health of jazz musicians, the discussion assumes a different, less abstract character: solicitous and supportive. Most people who play jazz for a living are accustomed to self-reliance. When that system fails, they lean on one another. {read the full story}
For local Seattle musicians, please make sure and check out our post earlier this week about the free heath screenings offered by MusicCares. Click here for more info.