Author: Hillary

by Rick Mattingly

Jack DeJohnette died on October 26, at age 83. He was usually labeled as a “jazz drummer,” and gigs with Charles Lloyd, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, John Abercrombie, Ornette Coleman, Pat Metheny, and others put him at the top of the jazz elite. But he also worked with members of the rock band Living Colour and a variety of world music artists, and much of the music he released under his own name defied easy categorization, save for the fact that there was always an emphasis on improvisation.

Charlotte Mabrey, former principal percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and head of the University of North Florida percussion area, died on sept. 7, 2025. Mabrey arrived in Jacksonville after she received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the University of Illinois in 1977. What was supposed to be a one-year…

Walfredo de los Reyes Sr., a Cuban-born musician who blended hand percussion instruments from his native country with drumset, died August 27, 2025 at age 92. During his six-decade career, de los Reyes performed with such artists as Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Wayne Newton, Tito Puente, Tony Bennett, George Burns, Sammy Davis Jr., Cachao, La…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Kenneth Harold “Ken” Green, an accomplished rudimental drummer and percussion educator, died at age 64 on July 4, 2025 after a diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2024. “Not only did the world loose a truly gifted musician and educator, but I lost a friend and mentor,” stated Mark Reilly, President/CEO of The…

Salvatore Rabbio died on May 12, 2025 at the age of 90. He was the Principal Timpanist for the Detroit Symphony from 1958–98. During that time he played under numerous world-renowned conductors and on dozens of recordings on the Mercury, London, Chandos, Columbia, and RCA labels. He was known for his sound, intonation, and musical playing. His…

Keith Alfred Larson (67) of Kernersville, North Carolina, unexpectedly passed away peacefully in his home on April 17, 2025.  Keith was born in Pottstown, PA to the late Alfred and Doris Larson. His passion was music from a very young age. Keith attended the University of Alabama where he met his beloved wife of 42…

Marco Soccoli, 62, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 12, 2025. He was a loving devoted husband of Carolann Soccoli and proud son of Tina and Francesco Soccoli. He loved his brothers Johnny, Frank and wife Chris, his sister Rita and husband Joe, his nephews, Steven, Keith, Francesco, Matthew, Nico and his nieces Chessy and…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Richard Brown, a percussionist who performed with the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera, as well as his own dance band, died on March 19, 2025 in Houston at age 77. “The world is darker without Richard Brown in it,” stated Brian Prechtl, a percussionist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, in…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Kalman Cherry, longtime timpanist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (1958–2009), died on March 24, 2025 at the age of 87. “I don’t believe that Kalman Cherry ever received enough credit for the musician and timpanist that he was,” stated Doug Howard, former Principal Percussionist with the DSO, who played alongside Cherry…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Dr. Dennis George Rogers, who taught percussion at the college level in Missouri for almost 45 years, died on February 25, 2025 at age 77.  “The percussion world lost a great man,” stated Julie Davila, PAS Immediate Past President and a former student of Rogers. “Many of us have people who…