OBITUARIES

This folder includes obituaries for jazz musicians or persons of significance to the Australian jazz community, written by several contributors. Click on the INDEX box to access a list of obituaries contained in this folder.

DON BURROWS 1928-2020: A TRIBUTE

by Ros McMillan

ASME Victoria, Volume 29, No 1, March 2020

The music community, including many music educators, has been saddened by the death on 12 March, 2020, of Don Burrows, one of Australia’s best-known jazz musicians. Don was inspired by music at the age of seven when he heard two buskers on the beach at Bondi, followed by a visit to his school in 1937 by flautist Victor McMahon, who was also Director of Music in New South Wales schools and who performed for the students…

OBITUARY: TONY ANSELL 1945-2000

by Peter Wall

JazzChord, Feb/Mar, 2001

Tony Ansell was born in Sydney on February 21, 1945. He died in Sydney on November 13, 2000, after a long battle with cancer, aged 55. Without Tony’s involvement many records made in this country over the past 30 years would never have made it out of the studio door to the pressing plant! “Tony was patient with those less blessed, generous with his time and talent and modest about his accomplishments - almost to a fault. But he always knew in his own quiet way that he could cut it with anyone, He had nothing to prove least of all to himself”. So says recording artist, advertising man and one of his colleagues, Mike McClellan…

OBITUARY: ANDY BROWN 1938-2004

by John Pochée

Jazz Action Society of NSW newsletter, February, 2005

Many of us have been saddened by the news of the death of New Zealand double bassist Andy Brown in early January at his home in Auckland, aged 66, after a long illness. Andy had a long career in NZ, Australia, London and Europe. I first played with Andy when he came to Melbourne from Auckland to join Dave MacRae, Bernie McGann and myself at the Fat Black Pussycat venue in 1964. The band was known as The Heads and played at the club five nights a week.