Mulgrew Miller, 1955 - 2013

Here is the blog post I did yesterday for the SFJAZZ Blog as a result of the unfortunate news of Mulgrew Miller's passing. I thought this was an important post to also share with the readers of this site. I highly recommend taking some time this week to listen to some of Miller's music. He was a great artist that deserves much praise for his important and inspiring contributions to jazz.

POST FROM MAY 29, 2013
-------------------------------------------
We were saddened to learn that jazz pianist great Mulgrew Miller passed away today at the age of 57. Miller suffered a stroke this past Friday and had been in critical condition ever since. Over the last 30+ years, Miller was a widely accomplished artist, leading both his trio and his Wingspan band, as well as playing alongside some of jazz's most notable names like Art Blakey, Woody Shaw, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Barron, Tony Williams and many others. Younger generations of jazz musicians were also heavily inspired by the pianist including Robert Glasper, who recorded in 2007 an original ballad titled “One for ’Grew,” as a tribute to his primary influence. SFJAZZ is proud to have presented the dynamic pianist several times over the years. He leaves behind an incredible legacy and will truly be missed.

Here is a great photo of Mulgrew Miller when he performed alongside Javon Jackson, Jimmy Cobb and Nat Reeves during the 2011 San Francisco Jazz Festival.

Photo by Greg Toland