Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
In Memoriam: Jack DeJohnette, 1942–2025
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
Hal Gaba, who, along with Norman Lear helped to build Concord Records from a small independent jazz label to one of the largest independent record labels in the world, died at his Los Angeles home on March 9 of prostate cancer. He was 63.
Gaba and Lear bought Concord Records in 1999, and immediately began to expand the company. From the purchase of Fantasy Records and Telarc to the company’s partnership with Starbuck’s that led to releases such as the Grammy winning Ray Charles album Genius Loves Company—in addition to a devotion to signing and promotion jazz artists at a time when few companies are—Concord became the preeminent label in jazz.
“A life-long passion, knowledge and commitment to popular music and film formed the basis of the close friendships he developed with many of the artists and colleagues he worked with and admired, always making sure that the artists’ creativity and careers were properly in the spotlight,” wrote Joel Amsterdam, Concord vice president of publicity, on Concord’s web site. “His genuine love, appreciation and generosity sustained those relationships throughout his life.”
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
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