Detroit jazz scene legend Marcus Belgrave has died at the age of 78. The Detroit Free Press reports the news here.

The trumpeter had been in and out of hospital for the past month since he last played a concert. He died of heart failure.

Belgrave was an original faculty member of the Oakland University Jazz Studies programme, and founder of the Jazz Development Workshop in Detroit. He toured with Ray Charles for years, basing himself in Detroit from 1963 onwards. As a teacher his students included many future luminaries including pianist Geri Allen and saxophonist Kenny Garrett. His own records include cult 1970s Tribe release Gemini II (above), and he contributed material including his own tune ‘Space Odyssey’ to Geri Allen’s musical love letter to Detroit Grand River Crossings: Motown & Motor City Inspirations released in 2013.
In the Detroit Free Press report of Belgrave’s passing linked to at the top of this piece the paper sums up his legacy to jazz in the city: “It’s impossible to overstate the impact that Belgrave has had on musical culture in Detroit as a musician, teacher and standard-bearer of jazz. Like an African griot, he came to embody the soul and mythology of the city’s jazz history, handing down the values of swing and blues to multiple generations of students — many of whose fame would eventually outshine his own.” SG