[Dixielandjazz] Clarinetist Alvin Baptiste Obit

[Steve Barbone]

He was an avant garde, New Orleans Clarinetist.

Steve Barbone


Alvin Batiste, Clarinetist of New Orleans, Dies at 74

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - Published in The NY TIMES: May 7, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, May 6 (AP) ‹ Alvin Batiste, a clarinetist who toured with Ray
Charles, recorded with Branford Marsalis and taught the pianist Henry
Butler, died here on Sunday only hours before he was to perform with Harry
Connick Jr. and Mr. Marsalis at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He
was 74. 

The cause was apparently a heart attack, festival officials said.

Mr. Marsalis¹s record label, Marsalis Music, released the CD ³Marsalis Music
Honors Alvin Batiste² just a few weeks ago; Mr. Marsalis played on the
album.

Mr. Batiste was born in New Orleans in 1932. He was considered one of the
founders of the city¹s modern jazz scene and wrote for and toured with Billy
Cobham and Cannonball Adderley.

He was a longtime teacher at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., where
he created his own jazz institute, one of the first of its kind in the
country; he also taught jazz at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.
His students included Mr. Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Kent Jordan, Michael
Ward, Herlin Riley, Charlie Singleton and Woodie Douglas.

³He was not only a teacher, he was my father away from home,² Mr. Butler
said. ³He taught us about music, the history of music and the business of
music.² 

Mr. Batiste toured with Charles in 1958, but remained largely unknown to the
public until he recorded with the group Clarinet Summit in the 1980s; it
included John Carter, David Murray and Jimmy Hamilton.

Mr. Batiste¹s albums included ³Bayou Magic² (1988), ³Late² (1993) and
³Songs, Words and Messages, Connections² (1999).

Sunday¹s event, in the jazz tent of festival, was called ³Marsalis Music
Honors Alvin Batiste & Bob French.²

³The show will go on,² Matthew Goldman, a festival spokesman, announced.
³Branford will play the entire show.²