[Dixielandjazz] Jazz amputees

[fred spencer]

Dear Rob,
Thanks, and I am stupid. I had forgotten about Woody Shaw, although I
have two
pages about him in my book "Jazz and Death. Medical Profiles of Jazz
Greats". I
think it was a combination of my age, and that I was thinking of
amputees who continued to play that made me forget. You are absolutely
correct about him,and
this is a summary of what I wrote, with some quotes -
"In 1989 Shaw returned to the United States from an extended stay in
Europe,
emaciated and missing his front teeth; he had to be met at the airport
with a
wheelchair." He was depressed and went to stay with his parents in
Newark, NJ,
but Max Roach sent a limousine for him to come to the Village Vanguard
where
Roach was playing. At about midnight, Lorraine Gordon, the owner's wife,
says
that "He [Shaw] was put in the cab with enough money to get him back
home". The
next thing known is that Shaw fell under a subway train at about 7 a.m.
in
Brooklyn's De Kalb Avenue station. He had an above elbow amputation of
his left
arm in Bellevue Hospital, and had "also sustained head and other
injuries".
Shaw was legally blind. He had "retinitis pigmentosa", a hereditary
disorder
that results in tunnel vision. "Six weeks later one kidney has stopped
working,
so he requires dialysis, and he also needs a respirator. He's also been
unconscious for more than a month...If the loss of an arm was Shaw's
only
catastrophic ailment, perhaps there would be room for optimism. But
Woody Shaw
has had a longtime drug dependency". Shaw is reported to have died from
heart failure. Presumably, his homeostasis (bodily balance) gave out and
his
heart failed, after years of substance abuse,and two months of post
traumatic
illness". The web site you name says he died of kidney failure. My
information came from the alphabetical file at the Institute of Jazz
Studies at Rutgers. Both accounts could be true, kidney and heart
failure.
I didn't find anything more about Jaki Byard than was in the press at
the time.
Regards to all.
Fred



Rob McCallum wrote:

> Hi Fred and evereyone,
>
> Woody Shaw lost an arm after falling onto a subway track in New York City (I
> don't recall if it was the left or right), and eventually died of
> complications from it (though there was quite some time in between).  I've
> heard that this incident happened because he was losing his eyesight, though
> when I related this story to a musician more in the know, he just sort of
> smirked and said that it was because of drugs (possibly heroin?), though I
> certainly don't want to start any rumors.  I apologize that my details are
> rather sketchy, maybe there's a website that has some info (I haven't yet
> checked).  It was a great loss, musically, as he was one of the true
> innovators in modern jazz.
>
> BTW, does anyone know the circumstances surrounding pianist Jaki Byard's
> murder?  Was this a random incident or was there something more going on?
> That's still fairly recent news (within the past couple of years).  I
> believe he was from Philadelphia (maybe Steve has some more info).
>
> All the best,
> Rob McCallum
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: fred spencer <drjz@bealenet.com>
> To: DJML <dixielandjazz@ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 3:41 PM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Jazz amputees
>
> > I am writing a short piece on jazz musicians who have had limb
> > amputations. So far, I have Wingy Manone (arm - street car accident),
> > Nat Adderley (leg - diabetes), Ella Fitzgerald (both legs - diabetes),
> > Cecil Scott (leg - trauma/gangrene), Ernie Cagnolatti (leg - anyone know
> > the cause?), and "Hooknose" Joe Loyocano (leg - anyone know the cause?).
> > I would be grateful for any additions to this list. Thanks.
> > Fred
> >
> >
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