RIP Billy Bang

[ep1str0phy]

I love/loved his playing--such an intense emotional edge. There's a Sweet Space/Untitled Gift twofer floating around that is just sublime--a great place to get a sense of his range and energy. The Vietnam albums are of course extremely intense (if not musically, then vibe-wise). Billy was an amazing player, but--on top of that--an amazing conceptualist and artistic mind. What a loss, and what a legacy.

[clifford_thornton]

Huh. Never did get that Frank Lowe disc he was on when it was around.

[Clunky]

I attended a Bang quartet concert in 1987/8 in Edinburgh with Frank Lowe on tenor sax. I had heard of none of the members of the band. I think I had experienced only a handful of jazz records by that point. Bang swung so hard it was a really revelatory experience that drew me to modern jazz. He was very modest when I thanked him at the end and I asked if he had any releases available. He mentioned Soul Note which meant nothing to me. A trip a few weeks later to Tower in Piccadilly Circus yielded Live at Carlos 1, my first Bang disc indeed the first modern jazz ( ie. new release) I had ever bought. Bang on.

[JohnS]

I attended a Bang quartet concert in 1987/8 in Edinburgh with Frank Lowe on tenor sax. I had heard of none of the members of the band. I think I had experienced only a handful of jazz records by that point. Bang swung so hard it was a really revelatory experience that drew me to modern jazz. He was very modest when I thanked him at the end and I asked if he had any releases available. He mentioned Soul Note which meant nothing to me. A trip a few weeks later to Tower in Piccadilly Circus yielded Live at Carlos 1, my first Bang disc indeed the first modern jazz ( ie. new release) I had ever bought. Bang on.

This was probably the same group I saw in London. They were billed as the Jazz Doctors. The lineup escpes me now but was Geri Allen on piano?

[paul secor]

I attended a Bang quartet concert in 1987/8 in Edinburgh with Frank Lowe on tenor sax. I had heard of none of the members of the band. I think I had experienced only a handful of jazz records by that point. Bang swung so hard it was a really revelatory experience that drew me to modern jazz. He was very modest when I thanked him at the end and I asked if he had any releases available. He mentioned Soul Note which meant nothing to me. A trip a few weeks later to Tower in Piccadilly Circus yielded Live at Carlos 1, my first Bang disc indeed the first modern jazz ( ie. new release) I had ever bought. Bang on.

This was probably the same group I saw in London. They were billed as the Jazz Doctors. The lineup escpes me now but was Geri Allen on piano?

Billy Bang, Frank Lowe, Rafael Garrett, and Dennis Charles recorded in London in 1983 as The Jazz Doctors for the Cadillac label. Perhaps the name Jazz Doctors was used for other lineups at other times.

[Lazaro Vega]

Dear Lazaro,

We are devastated by the loss of the irreplaceable violin legend Billy Bang - his spirit, his music, his presence.

Now he has joined with other angels o f music

Maria Arias and Billy Bang's children have asked Arts For Art to set up the Billy Bang Memorial Fund to help with funeral costs.

For those who would like to contribute, Please mail your tax deductible contribution to Arts for Art at 107 Suffolk Street, NYC, NY 10002.

You can also make a contribution on the AFA paypal account on the contribute page www.visionfestival.org

Please make a note whichever way that you contribute, this is for the Billy Bang Memorial Fund. This fund will not be mentioned on the AFA contribute page / as it is a temporary fund.

Thank you

Patricia and William Parker

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday April 19th, 2011

Viewing at the Funeral Home

11am-8pm

Benta Funeral Home

630 St Nicholas Avenue

[corner of 141st St]

NY NY 10030

212-281-8850

Wednesday April 20th 2011

Funeral Service

9am-10am-viewing

10am-11:30am--Funeral Service

Mount Olivet Baptist Church

201 Lenox Avenue [ corner of 119th St.]

NY NY 10027

212-864-1155

Burial at Woodlawn Cemetery

Immediately following the service

[around 1pm]

Webster Avenue and 233rd St

Bronx, New York 10470

718-920-0500

[JohnS]

I attended a Bang quartet concert in 1987/8 in Edinburgh with Frank Lowe on tenor sax. I had heard of none of the members of the band. I think I had experienced only a handful of jazz records by that point. Bang swung so hard it was a really revelatory experience that drew me to modern jazz. He was very modest when I thanked him at the end and I asked if he had any releases available. He mentioned Soul Note which meant nothing to me. A trip a few weeks later to Tower in Piccadilly Circus yielded Live at Carlos 1, my first Bang disc indeed the first modern jazz ( ie. new release) I had ever bought. Bang on.

This was probably the same group I saw in London. They were billed as the Jazz Doctors. The lineup escpes me now but was Geri Allen on piano?

Billy Bang, Frank Lowe, Rafael Garrett, and Dennis Charles recorded in London in 1983 as The Jazz Doctors for the Cadillac label. Perhaps the name Jazz Doctors was used for other lineups at other times.

Thanks Paul, that's probably the group. My memory is likely to be at fault. Nice gig irc, White lab coats were worn.

I've just checked my old diary and found that I saw Billy at the London School Of Econmics in 1981 with Charles Tyler, Michelle Rosewoman, Wilber Morris, Denis Charles. I have absolutely no memory of this concert. But it's there in the diary.

Edited April 16, 2011 by JohnS

[mike casinghino]

i just saw that mr. bang passed.what a shame.saw billy a number of times,but one of my favorite shows ever,by any artist,was b.b. solo at umass a few years back.took ma to the show,she's a big jazz fan,sat front row center,and as i said,a great show.at half time we talked to mr. bang,very friendly,and he kindly signed my concert poster,to mike and connie,thanks for coming out to the concert.peace,billy bang.may he rest in peace.imo,a big loss to the jazz world.

Edited April 29, 2011 by mike casinghino