Photo: Mark Klagstad (by Mark William Raynes) | Benjamin Makinen writes: The passing of a friend and great musician Mark Klagstad on January 16th in Denver after a long and very painful journey with cancer has hit me hard. I played many gigs with him but my post is by no means a comprehensive obit… it simply speaks my praises and links to a video collage of some performances I did with him set to a song.
Mark! Always smiling despite the pain as long as he could play guitar. Able to fit Stairway To Heaven and Pat Metheny quotes in any jazz standard – and they always worked and always brought a lift to the musica d smile to the audience!
He played in my band for over a year with Scott Grove at the Bear Creek Distillery. Scotty and Mark were like gloves of the same master – I would just dance lightly with my drums while hangin’ on, listening and enjoying the interplay they had developed and crafted into a swingin’ and drivin’ repertoire over many years and cocktails of playing together.
Klags was truly one of the kindest souls always eager to laugh and encourage. He sought the beauty and good in any moment – to be so absent of cynicism while carrying so much pain… I believe that is what greatness is.
I will miss you Mark.
{Cue another favorite quote of his: the Opening and Closing theme song to the original Star Trek tv series…}
Here is a video, with photos of so many Denver musicians sitting in with me ‘n Klags ‘n Scotty at the ol’ watering hole the Bear Creek Distillery
https://www.facebook.com/BearCreekDistillery/
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Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths…
More tragic losses of musicians. And so sad that some idiot decided to end the life of Ashling Murphy by murdering her as she was jogging. We are going to miss them so much. If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
January 2022
17: Alexander Dumble, 77, American guitar amplifier manufacturer (Dumble Amplifiers); Armando Gama, 67, Portuguese singer-songwriter (“Esta balada que te dou”); Karim Ouellet, 37, Senegalese-born Canadian singer-songwriter; Neela Wickramasinghe, 71, Sri Lankan singer, heart attack.
16: Ibrahim Ashk, 70, Indian poet and lyricist, complications from COVID-19; Carmela Corren, 83, Israeli singer (“Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder”) and actress (His Best Friend, Don’t Fool with Me); Hana Horká, 57, Czech singer (Asonance), COVID-19; Alleppey Ranganath, 72, Indian composer (Pappan Priyappetta Pappan, Captain), film director and screenwriter (Ambadi Thannilorunni), COVID-19.
15: Ralph Emery, 88, American Hall of Fame disc jockey and television host; Jon Lind, 73, American songwriter (“Save the Best for Last”, “Crazy for You”) and musician, cancer; Rachel Nagy, American singer (The Detroit Cobras) (death announced on this date).
14: *Dallas Frazier, 82, American country musician and songwriter (“There Goes My Everything”, “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)”, “Elvira”); Angelo Gilardino, 80, Italian composer, guitarist and musicologist; Greg Webster, 84, American drummer (Ohio Players).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Frazier
13: CPO Boss Hogg, 52, American rapper (heart attack) (death announced on this date); *Ashling Murphy, 23, Irish music teacher and traditional music performer, homicide; Fred Parris, 85, American musician (The Five Satins) and songwriter (“In the Still of the Night”); Sonny Turner, 83, American singer (The Platters), throat cancer; Fred Van Hove, 84, Belgian jazz musician.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Ashling_Murphy
12: Everett Lee, 105, American violinist and conductor; Waiphot Phetsuphan, 79, Thai luk thung singer; Ronnie Spector, 78, American Hall of Fame singer (The Ronettes), cancer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2021