John Abercrombie, a guitarist of stylistic flexibility and uncompromising musical vision, died today in a hospital in New York’s Hudson River Valley. He was 72. Abercrombie suffered a stroke early this year and succumbed to heart failure. For an extensive obituary that incorporates videos and a lengthy transcribed interview, see Peter Hum’s article in the <em>Ottawa Citizen</em>.
Bea Wain, who achieved popularity in the late 1930s when she sang with Larry Clinton’s band, died today in Los Angeles. She was 100. Wain had a succession of hit records that began when she recorded a swing adaptation of Debussy’s “Reverie.†As “My Reverie,†it became a best-seller. For more, see her obituary in The Los Angeles Times.