Trumpeter Lew Soloff died earlier today, March 8, 2015, his family reports.
Born in Brooklyn on 20 February 1944, Soloff was brought up in Lakewood, New Jersey and began on piano as a young boy taking up trumpet when he was 10 studying at Juilliard Preparatory and later the Eastman School of Music.
After graduating he played in practice bands with fellow students such as Chuck Mangione, and continued in graduate school at Juilliard before embarking on a full blown musical career playing latin-jazz with Machito, and jamming with the likes of Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, and Elvin Jones.
Performing with Maynard Ferguson and the Joe Henderson / Kenny Dorham Big Band he joined the Gil Evans Group and his other credits in the 60s included Clark Terry, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri. With Blood, Sweat And Tears from 1968 to 1973, he racked up nine Gold records and a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1969.
