In Memoriam

James Lee Preiss, a long-time member and principal percussionist of the American Composers Orchestra and the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and a founding member of the Westchester Philharmonic, died on Jan. 21, 2014 at age 72. He also performed with the Riverside Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the American Symphony Orchestra. A founding member of…

Percussionist and educator Jerry Steinholtz died on Dec. 7, 2013 at age 76. Steinholtz played live and recorded with such studiodrummers and percussionists as Emil Richards, Harvey Mason, Peter Erskine, JohnGuerin, Joe Porcaro, Steve Schaeffer, Larry Londin, Ralph Humphrey, EarlPalmer, Louie Bellson, Chester Thompson, Roy McCurdy, Buddy Rich, and MelLewis, just to name a few….

Foreststorm ”Chico” Hamilton, who played an integral role in the formation of the West-Coast-based “cool jazz” style of the 1950s, died on November 25, 2013 at age 92. Born in 1921, Hamilton began working professionally with such musicians as Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet, and Charles Mingus while still in high school. He toured with Lionel…

By Rick Mattingly Frame drummer Layne Redmond died on October 28, 2013. She was known for her virtuoso abilities on tambourine and her authorship of the influential book When the Drummers Were Women, and she also produced a number of recordings and instructional videos. Born in 1952 in Florida, Redmond attended art school, first at…

Drummer, teacher, and author Sam Ulano died on January 2, 2014 at age 93. Ulano started playing drums at age 13 and studied with Alfred Freize and Fred Albright. By age 17 Ulano was teaching drums. He spent four years playing in an Army band and then attended the Manhattan School of Music. He began…