Obituary,
Ronnie Cuber (1941-2022)
American baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, whose versatile playing style saw him contributing to not only jazz, but also pop, rock and blues sessions, has died aged 80. While Cuber was known for playing a number of different wind instruments - tenor and soprano sax, clarinet and flute were among his arsenal - he was a rare case of instrumentalists who specialised in the baritone sax, a skill that naturally put him in high demand.
Cuber's sideman credits span a number of high-profile musicians, including popular artists like B.B. King, Paul Simon and Eric Clapton, while he was also close with jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri with whom he collaborated with on a number of recordings, can be heard on Hammond organist Dr. Lonnie Smith's 1970 album Drives, and was even a member of the Mingus Big Band from its beginnings in 1990 until his passing. The list of credits goes on; Maynard Ferguson, George Benson and even Frank Zappa all called on Cuber's services from time to time.
Cuber's busy sideman career didn't stop him from working on his own music, clocking in roughly eighteen albums as bandleader, often with Danish label SteepleChase from the mid-90s onwards, from small combos to big bands.
His death was announced by longtime friend Palmieri, and is survived by his manager and former wife Roberta Arnold, and his two sons Baird and Shain Cuber.
Joshua Lee - Jazz Content
