Legendary trumpeter and jazz educator Gil Askey has died at the grand age of 89 on 9 April. The essence of the man is captured in the following extract from an article by Claire Halliday entitled Can You Dig It? published in The Age on 2 May 2005: Expatriate American Gil Askey, [then] 80, breaks his beaming smile to stoop into his trumpet and really get the crowd moving. With a history of composing and producing music for such stellar names as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five, Askey returned to jazz trumpeting 12 years ago, and cant seem to stop. Down Mornington Peninsula way, Askey is regarded as something of a legendary music teacher — the man responsible for turning Melbournes youth on to the licks and beats of the jazz world, in the hope that a greater awareness of jazzs history will keep young people playing into the future. Jazz, Askey says, goes on forever. Gil continued to be a great player and mentor right until the end; a jazz life well lived. VJAs condolences to his family.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 23:56:28 +0000