2024

Tabla master Zakir Hussain died on December 15, 2024 from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in San Francisco at the age of 73. The following information was sent out by his family. The son of legendary tabla master Ustad Allarakha (Ravi Shankar’s longtime accompanist), Zakir Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation….

Jazz drummer and educator Jack Mouse died on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 at age 79. Born and raised in Emporia, Kansas, he began playing drums at age four, and longtime friend Karen Sommers told KVOE News that he was a “true child prodigy.” By his late teens he was performing with such musical greats as…

PAS Hall of Fame member and longtime Chicago Symphony Orchestra percussionist Al Payson died on June 23, 2024. Albert Eugene Pisoni was born January 15, 1934 in Springfield, Illinois. The family changed their name to Payson when Al was in grade school. When Al was five years old, he started taking private drum lessons from the…

Stuart Saunders Smith died on June 3, 2024. He composed more than 300 works, with instrumentation that included percussion and non-percussion instruments, and ensembles of various sizes from small to large. According to Robert McCormick, “The music of Stuart Saunders Smith is unique, eclectic, often esoteric and always full of surprises. Perhaps even more important…

By Rick Mattingly Ed Mann, best known for being a percussionist with Frank Zappa from 1977 to 1988, died on June 1, 2024. Born January 14, 1954 in Great Barrington, Mass., Mann began playing piano at age 3 and acquired a drumset at age 11. During his teenage years he played in a variety of…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss Born on February 9, 1927, Jim Sewrey devoted his life to music education for more than six decades. He was an instrumental music educator, teaching general music to 3rd and 4th graders, band and orchestra to middle schoolers, as well as directing high school bands. He was also a former college…