| The New York jazz family is mourning the loss of our dear friend and brother, Bob Bowen. Bob passed away Monday night, August 30th at 11:40PM with his family present and love all around him. He was tragically hit by a truck in a hit and run accident on Thursday, August 26th, and while he fought hard and rallied over the following weekend (the doctors placed him in a medically-induced coma, so he felt little pain in the process), the injuries were eventually too much for him to overcome. We will miss him, his spirit, his warmth, his superior musicianship, and his enthusiasm dearly. Bob’s passing leaves a gaping hole in both the Brooklyn and Astoria jazz scenes and with the countless musicians who had the honor of playing with him. Bob performed in the house band at Blackbird’s in July and came and sat in and supported the music with his usual fervor on many other occasions. He probably did more to promote the session than I did, forwarding my emails to his entire e-mail list more than once, whether he was on the gig or not! I have frequently bragged about the quality of the bass players |
| hanging out at our session, saying there are usually two or three who can play any tune you want in any key, but it will be harder to say that now because Bob was one of those guys. His musicianship was formidable, he knew almost any standard you could think of, but if not, he’d learn it in a single hearing. You couldn’t throw a harmonic curve or even a knuckle-ball that he wouldn’t catch. He could swing as hard as anyone and had the most adventurous spirit of anyone I’ve ever played with. If you wanted to take it a little out, Bob would not only grab the reins, he’d loose the horses and jump off the wagon! |
| Bob was a grounding presence to many around him. I’ve seen it with both his kids and his fellow musicians. (Donations are being accepted for his children via paypal @: forbobbyandstella@gmail.com). He may not have been an i-dotter or a t-crosser, but his spiritual warmth enveloped everyone with whom he crossed paths. I’ve seen him say to many musicians “I really wanted to play that tune with you, because I remember how good it was the last time we played it.” He once called me |
| after a session to tell me “he was still on a high from that session we played the other day” at a time I felt like an outsider, and it gave my confidence a huge lift. That was over ten years ago and Bob has been doing the same thing ever since, because many have told me in the past few days that they shared the same kind of experiences with him. Bob always made the people who felt like they were on the periphery feel like they belonged. |
| Rest in Peace Robert Emmett Bowen III, June 18, 1965 - August 30, 2010 Thanks to all who attended Bob's memorial service at the Irondale Center. It was nice to see so many people who loved him and nice to hear the many good things that people had to share about Bob. The wide variety of great music played was a testament to Bob's open spirit and formidable musical talent. We miss you Bob! We will love you and remember you always. |