jan 02, 2015
Ronnie Bedford was looking for a change of scenery in the 1980s. The jazz legend had lived and worked in New York, touring the country and the world as one of jazz’s premier drummers.
Bedford and his wife wanted to move west, so he sent applications full of vinyl records and resumes to universities in the region.
The goal? Transition to a new stage and teach what he loved: music.
Neil Hansen, a Northwest College music instructor, received the package.
He hadn’t heard of Bedford, but he certainly knew of the major jazz musicians Bedford was playing with on these records. He called and told Bedford to come on out.
By 1986, Bedford was a percussion instructor at Northwest College, performing with students, teaching, telling stories and strengthening the jazz culture in Wyoming.
Bedford died Dec. 20 at the age of 83.
“He just loved performing. He always played with a smile on his face, just loved music. It was infectious. He had a great laugh,” said Hansen, who is now director of bands at Northwest College. “When he was out in New York, he played on the road with some great bands. It was always fun just being around the guy.”
Bedford has a laundry list of accomplishments in his jazz career. He once toured with legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman, playing concerts as close as Central Park in New York and as far away as London’s Royal Albert Hall.
He performed in two Broadway shows. He played with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, Benny Carter, Eddie Condon and many more.
Michael Lange, manager of the Wyoming Arts Council, was close with Bedford. Part of the reason he decided to attend Northwest College to pursue jazz music was he knew he’d get to learn from a legend.
read more: http://trib.com/lifestyles/weekender/jazz-legend-northwest-college-instructor-ronnie-bedford-dies/article_ed788312-eccd-5179-a0b5-b78cae65e748.html
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