Photo: Purnell Steen | By John Moore, Denver Gazette | Storied piano player Purnell Steen, a member of Denver’s first family of jazz, died Tuesday (Nov. 18), it was announced today on his website. Steen, 84, was a first cousin to legendary bassist Charles Burrell, who died on June 17 at age 104. Five-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves, pianist George Duke and saxophonist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson were relatives as well.
Steen was considered a cultural ambassador for the city of Denver and the main keeper of the flame for the Five Points sound.
Steen simply loved jazz. “It is the only art form created in the Western Hemisphere,” he told the Denver Gazette at the promotional launch of the city’s Denver Arts Week on Nov. 1, 2024, at Dazzle Denver. “And it came out of the African American church. It is ours. We created it, and this is the best cultural export the United States has.”
Steen was the founder and frontman for The Five Points Ambassadors, a band that played its regular gig at Dazzle Denver’s Friday Lunch Brunch as recently as Nov. 7th. They were also frequent performers at annual summer outdoor traditions like the Five Points Jazz Festival and the summer City Park Jazz series.
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Information on a celebration of life has not yet been finalized.
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Go here to read the full story:
https://www.denvergazette.com/2025/11/19/purnell-steen-the-elder-statesman-of-jazz-music-in-denver-has-died/
John Moore is the Denver Gazette’s Senior Arts Journalist. Email him at john.moore@denvergazette.com.
[Purnell was going to speak to COMBO about the changes to the music scene, some music business pointers, and Five Points history. We just couldn’t find a compatible date. Darn.]Video story:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/legendary-musician-purnell-steen-leaves-behind-legacy-of-dedication-to-jazz-in-five-points/vi-AA1QK9Ao?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=691dcbf9c5414137bad780356c8fcd47&ei=34
Chris Zacher on Fb: My friend, Denver Jazz legend Purnell Steen, passed away yesterday at the age of 84. When I was with City Park Jazz I spent a lot of time with Purnell. He was a staunch advocate for Five Points, Jazz, and Black Artists in Denver. He wasn’t shy with a phone, calling me often to share his ideas. We would talk about CPJ, Five Points Jazz Fest, KUVO, music, and life. Somewhere in my archives I have a video I took of Purnell playing the grand piano in KUVO’s old studio on Welton Street. The day I took it, he was sitting alone, playing to an audience of himself, unaware that I was there. It’s a memory I greatly treasure. It tells a story of a musician spending time alone with his one true love. Purnell will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his music.
Mark Diamond: Hearing about the passing of Purnell Steen really breaks my heart, although it is not a surprise, as he has been ailing for quite a while. I am so glad we played a gig together just a few weeks ago, and he was his usual totally upbeat, positive, play his ass off , and have a great time self! Whenever we played a gig together, which was over many years, we always had some deep and meaningful conversation. He could sure tell some stories, because stories he certainly had, of a long life well spent, and amazing connections with people, musically, and personally!
I was honored to be on the gig when he received an honorary doctorate for public service. He was so touched and moved by this! He will certainly be missed by all who knew and loved him!
OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Services for Greg Carr Announced for December 6th
We are gathering to celebrate the life and kindness and joy and art of Greg Carr at Swallow Hill Music on December 6th at 2:00 p.m. If you knew Greg or just loved his art and videos from all the Lodo Festival posters to Steve Martin’s “Rare Bird Alert” to Hazel Miller’s “Icons”, please come help us celebrate our dear friend’s life. We’d love for you to be there.
Big Hugs, CD (Chris Daniels)
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
Posting for my Veteran/singer/songwriter/musician friend Troy Hoss: Heavy on my heart so here goes: This is a very real problem … 22 Veterans a day surrender to their demons. #SuicideAwareness | Call Veteran’s Hotline: 988 #1 or 844-647-1354
From Care2 via Jock Bartley on Facebook: Trump shut down our LGBTQ+ suicide and mental health hotline, but CANADA opened a US toll-free number to theirs… so our citizens can get help anytime, at no cost: 1-877-330-6366
Kindness & empathy have no borders.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
November 2025
19: Walt Aldridge, 70, American singer-songwriter (The Shooters).
17: Alice Kessler, 89, German singer (Kessler Twins) and actress (Love and the Frenchwoman, Dead Woman from Beverly Hills), assisted suicide; Ellen Kessler, 89, German singer (Kessler Twins) and actress (Love and the Frenchwoman, Dead Woman from Beverly Hills), assisted suicide; Grigoriy Korchmar, 77, Russian pianist and composer; Jards Macalé, 82, Brazilian singer-songwriter, cardiac arrest; Humane Sagar, 34, Indian playback singer (Baby, Kabula Barabula, Tu Mo Hero), liver failure.
16: Sara Jordan Powell, 87, American gospel singer; Maxon Margiela, 21, American rapper, suicide.
15: Hilly Michaels, 77, American musician (Sparks); Jean-Max Rivière, 88, French singer- songwriter.
14: Lasse Norres, 73, Finnish music and entertainment industry producer; Encarnita Polo, 86, Spanish singer, strangulation; Todd Snider, 59, American singer-songwriter (“Trouble”).
13: Fosforito, 93, Spanish flamenco singer; J. D. King, 74, American artist and musician (The Coachmen); Sir Donald McIntyre, 91, New Zealand opera singer, Grammy winner (1983), AFNZ Icon (since 2004).
12: Muazzez Abacı, 78, Turkish singer, multiple organ failure; Juraj Lexmann, 84, Slovak musicologist and composer; Bereket Mengisteab, 86–87, Eritrean musician; Horia Moculescu, 88, Romanian pianist and composer.