# Living Jazz Players over 90 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258 "2012-12-07T02:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/1 "2012-12-07T02:04:46Z")
With the recent passing of Dave Brubeck at age 91 (a day short of 92) I started wondering how many of his generation are still around and perhaps even active. The first to come to mind is [Marian McPartland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_McPartland) who is 94. Help build a list of others. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/2 "2012-12-07T02:49:45Z")
Hmm. Hank Jones died recently. Sonny Rollins is in his 80’s - is that close enough? Same with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and piano player Ahmad Jamal… ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/3 "2012-12-07T06:26:34Z")
Ramsey Lewis is a young pup: born May 27, 1935 (age 77) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/4 "2012-12-07T06:39:12Z")
Never heard of him, but how about “The Fiddling Viking” - [Svend Asmussen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svend_Asmussen), born 28 February 1916 (age 96) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/5 "2012-12-07T07:30:58Z")
He’s not as big a name as the ones that have been mentioned so far, but [Lionel Ferbos](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Ferbos) is 101 and still working. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/6 "2012-12-07T13:32:49Z")
Not everybody on [List of jazz musicians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_jazz_musicians) has an age listed but at least these do: [Clark Terry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Terry) [Chico Hamilton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_Hamilton) [Yusef Lateef](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusef_Lateef) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/7 "2012-12-07T15:12:03Z")
[Eugene Wright](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Wright), Brubeck’s old bassist, will be 90 next year. Sonny Rollins is still a youngster at 82, as is Ornette Coleman and Pete Fountain. Fats Domino is 84. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/8 "2012-12-07T15:48:32Z")
I’m blanking on his name but there’s a guy that still plays every Saturday night in New Orleans who is 100 years old. He played with Louie Armstrong. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/9 "2012-12-07T16:00:38Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Ramsey Lewis is a young pup: born May 27, 1935 (age 77) Just a few years ago, my wife and father-in-law got to see him here in Austin at the Paramount Theater as opening act for… Dave Brubeck! ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/10 "2012-12-07T19:29:26Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m blanking on his name but there’s a guy that still plays every Saturday night in New Orleans who is 100 years old. He played with Louie Armstrong. Is it Lionel Ferbos, whom I mentioned in post #5? I never heard that he played with Armstrong, although he did play with some other greats such as Mamie Smith and Captain John Handy. He is 101 years old and leads the Palm Court Jazz Band in New Orleans every Saturday night. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/11 "2012-12-07T19:30:32Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Is it Lionel Ferbos, whom I mentioned in post #5? I never heard that he played with Armstrong, although he did play with some other greats such as Mamie Smith and Captain John Handy. He is 101 years old and leads the Palm Court Jazz Band in New Orleans every Saturday night. Yes, him. He was on a recent episode of Treme. Maybe I’m misremembering him talking about playing with Armstrong. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/12 "2012-12-07T22:16:37Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m blanking on his name but there’s a guy that still plays every Saturday night in New Orleans who is 100 years old. He played with Louie Armstrong. Louis. Louis Armstrong. And he pronounced it “Lewis”. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/13 "2012-12-07T22:51:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Louis. Louis Armstrong. And he pronounced it “Lewis”. Not according[to this.](http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Louie%20Bellson_12.htm) > [@](#): > > It’s like Louis Armstrong-he spelled his name Louis, but he liked it to be said as Louie, too, instead of the “s” being sounded. And also here from the Wiki citations: > [@](#): > > Armstrong was registered as “Lewie” for the 1920 U.S. Census. On various live records he’s called “Louie” on stage, such as on the 1952 “Can Anyone Explain?” from the live album In Scandinavia vol.1. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-jazz-players-over-90/643258/14 "2012-12-08T00:18:13Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Not according[to this.](http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Louie%20Bellson_12.htm) > > And also here from the Wiki citations: “This is Louis, Dolly.” And in any case, it’s not spelled “Louie”.