Dennis Irwin - R.I.P.

[Lois Gilbert]

I'm so very sad to inform you that Dennis passed away a little while ago.

I'll give you further details in a little while

[Mike Schwartz]

OMG!

One of the fundraisers to help with his medical efforts is tonight at Lincoln Center.

Life is precious.....the cat was in the prime of life.
So sorry for his family and his closest circle, including the many amazing musicians in his life, who must be hurting, big time.

[makpjazz57]

Dennis was an outstanding musician and a wonderful man.

R.I.P., Dennis.

Marla

[Cymbal groove]

This is a horrible!! My heart goes out to his brother and family!! Dennis was one of the greatest bass players anywhere and a super human being!! RIP Dennis!!

[gonzo]

this is very sad news. my heart goes out to his family and friends. i have so many wonderful perforemances by him on various projects. so sorry to hear this. RIP brother dennis.

[Ron Thorne]

What a damn shame. He's gone much too young.

Sincere condolences to Dennis' family and friends.



R.I.P., Dennis Irwin~

[rene]

He put in a lot of verve in the groups of Scofield and Lovano!

RIP, Dennis...thank you for the wonderful music you shared us!

[bionicleboy]

Rest In Peace

thanks for your music

[Dr Dave]

He was a giant among giants. I saw him twice with Scofield/Lovano; an incredibly sympathetic player.

[Tom Storer]

R.I.P. to a superb musician.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I saw Scott Robinson with his Doctette last night at UNH in Durham and he dedicated the set to Dennis, who was Scott's regular bassist. The crowd gasped when he told us he was likely "already gone". He was choked up.

RIP Dennis.

[Gary Sisco]

I'm sorry to hear this.

RIP

[bigtiny]

I received email this morning from David (Dennis' brother) who assured me that Dennis' passing was as peaceful as one could have hoped for. I've lost another friend....


bigtiny

[steve(thelil)]

That sucks, although good to hear that his passing was peaceful.

Dennis was a great musician. Matt Wilson once introduced me to him, and he seemed like a very nice man as well.


Rest in Peace.

[Jason Bivins]

RIP, Mr. Irwin.

[hornplayer]

I heard the news on BGO this am. It made me cry. Not often that I cry for someone I've never met, but it just seems so, so sad.

RIP, Dennis Irwin.

[gonzo]

great review of the benefit show @ jazztimes.com

[José Domingos Raffaelli]

I've heard Dennis Irwin with the Joe Lovano Nonet on last October in the TIM Festival. He looked so happy and joyfull, without any signal of sickness. He delighted the audience when played "Camisa Amarela", a very old Brazilian samba, as an introduction to one of the compositions.

First time I heard him alive was in 1977 with the Jazz Messengers. Its line-up was Valeri Ponomarev, Bobby Watson, David Schnitter, Walter Davis Jr., Dennis Irwin and Buhaina. They played 8 wonderful concerts.

RIP Dennis Irwin.

[Capt.W./TX.]

A beautiful, totally listening and supportive player. And-as the YouTube video shows-always the delightful hipster character!

I saw him play a few times; with Mel Lewis, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, John Scofield and Joe Lovano. In each of these situations, he was the consummate musical team player, always ready to do exactly what the music needed.

I marvelled at his stamina, patience and dependability in the VJO, particularly on the lengthy and musically demanding up-tempo charts of Jim McNeely's (like "Off The Cuff" and "Extra Credit").

I played many times in Dallas with his former room mate at North Texas State (now UNT), the late bassist Bob L'Roy. He helped Dennis make the transition from clarinet-his original instrument-to bass. At a gig in Deer Isle, Maine with Lovano a few years ago, I mentioned to Dennis that I knew & played with L'Roy. His reply was succinct & immediate: "I sure learned a lot from Bob."

R.I.P to both!

[Lois Gilbert]

this is from Wendy Oxenhorn from the Jazz Foundation of America

Remember the bass player we were helping who you just read about in the Times a few weeks ago...
Well, he did pass, just hours before the very night of our Jazz at Lincoln Center Benefit they were having for him and the Jazz Foundation this past Monday.

I guess it was the only way he could "make the gig..."

But something huge happened because of it...
The Obit didn't have space to mention was that we were the ones who got him on Medicaid, making ALL his medical treatment free, and because of our Angels at Englewood, he got his Neurosurgeon who charges $140,000 for that operation, completely FREE.

But here's the biggest news of all- that the Times did find space to mention- and it's the most beautiful thing that came from all this sadness -

The night of the Benefit, after we learned that Dennis had just died, I called up our board member Mike Pietrowicz, of Englewood Hospital, the man who has made sure our partnership continued all these years, and said, "Can we do something so that no uninsured musician we know ever has to die again from 4th stage cancer because they didn't get tested early on?"
Mike said "Yes."

We named it the Dennis Irwin Memorial Fund and from now on, no veteran musician with symptoms and without insurance, will ever die as unnecessarily or as young as Dennis did.

This is the most amazing news I could ever report, and I thank you all for being part of this organization that not only saves people from losing their homes, but more and more, is saving them from losing their lives. Special congratulations to the Miracle workers at Englewood Hospital who are always there for us and are keeping the music alive.

The other big news, is that Adrian Ellis, the wonderful executive director at Jazz at Lincoln Center, has committed to doing this Benefit Concert for us each year.

Hope this brightens your day knowing what we are able to do when we come together.

Yours in service,
Wendy

[jazzy mary]

It' so sad about Dennis. RIP.

But thank you so much, Lois, for posting Wendy's encouraging news about J@LC being committed to hosting this sort of benefit concert every year.

[Ron Thorne]

What a fabulous bit of positive news (see post #20) from Wendy Oxenhorn following the sadness of losing Dennis Irwin.

The Jazz Foundation of America is doing wonderful things for wonderful people. We should all support their efforts in whatever way(s) we can.

Kudos to Wendy and JFA.

[Capt.W./TX.]

The Dennis irwin Memorial Fund is a beautiful, fitting and timely tribute.

And its stated mission and purpose will be a godsend to many musicians.

Kudos and warmest wishes to everyone that made it happen!

[Chris D]

He had a great, full sound that harkened back to Wilbur Ware. Had the great fortune to see him with Lovano, Scofield and Mel Lewis' band. Rest well, Dennis.

[TomB]

A great person and a great playier.
In additoin to the gigs others have listed, I saw Dennis with Pepper Adams, Michael Weiss, Mike Leonne, Lew Tabakin, Diana Krall,(with kenny Wahington as a warm up for Stanely Turrentine!) Tom Harrell , Larry Goldings ,and others whom I cannot remember right now

It a a terrible loss but I'm happy to hear he went peacefully.
as others have noted Dennis was a guy who could converse in great detail on so many subjects....

does anyone have any info on a memorial service?

[Deke Thornton]

I saw him live several times between 1978, with the Messengers, and 2004, with Joe Lovano's "52nd Street" Nonet. One gig in particular stands out in my memory: a night a Bradley's, a few nights before Christmas 1993, with Tom Harrell and Kirk Lightsey. A wonderful gig, with lyrical playing from all. They played a really sweet version of "Namely You."

Happy Trails, Dennis Irwin.

[stevebop]

Here's a nice video tribute to Dennis from Bret Primack:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmlu_u-dxtk

[TomB]

Has anyone heard anything about a service?