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Jazz organist and trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco recently passed away at the age of 51. The news was revealed by his wife and manager on social media, but they didn't disclose the cause of his death.
DeFrancesco released more than 30 albums and recorded as a sideman with famous performers like Miles Davis, Houston Person, and John McLaughlin. He signed his first record deal when he was 16 and recorded and toured with artists like Larry Coryell, Danny Gatton, Elvin Jones, Pat Martino, Joe Lovano, David Sanborn, and more.
Everything we know about Joey DeFrancesco
Born on April 10, 1971, Joey DeFrancesco was born into a musical family. His grandfather Joseph DeFrancesco was a jazz musician while his father “Papa” John DeFrancesco was an organist. He studied music at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
Joey signed his first record contract with Colombia Records when he was just 16 before releasing his first record All of Me. He toured with Miles Davis and played the keyboard on Davis’ album, Amandla. Following his record deal with Colombia Records, he released five more albums including Where Were You, Part III, Reboppin, and Live at the 5 Spot.
Joey toured with his quartet when he was 18 and collaborated with John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, and the lead of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He founded the group Free Spirits with McLaughlin and Dennis Chambers and they toured for four years.
The Springfield, Pennsylvania native recorded his album Incredible! Live at the San Francisco Jazz Festival in 1999 which also featured Jimmy Smith. This was followed by another album, Legacy, in 2004 and he also appeared as Frank D in the 2009 musical romance film, Moonlight Serenade. DeFrancesco was also the composer and producer of the film.
He was nominated at the Grammy Awards for his album Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music for Michael Jackson, a tribute to Michael Jackson. He also paid tribute to Frank Sinatra, with Joey DeFrancesco plays Sinatra his way, followed by a tribute to Jimmy Smith. He released his 29th recording, 40, on his 40th birthday in 2011.
He was a multi-instrumentalist and recorded on keyboards and trumpets alongside performing as a singer and saxophonist. He was nominated four times at the Grammy Awards and won the Down Beat Critics Poll (organ) nine times. He was an inaugural member of the Hammond Hall of Fame and was inducted with other musicians in 2013.
Netizens pay tribute to the legendary musician on Twitter
Throughout his career as a musician, Joey DeFrancesco has gained recognition for being a flawless jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and singer. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise.
He is survived by his wife Gloria DeFrancesco and daughter Ashley Blue DeFrancesco. As mentioned earlier, the cause of the musician's death wasn't revealed until the time of writing.
