One of the great and most influential exponents of the clarinet in jazz, Buddy DeFranco, died in Panama City in Florida on Wednesday, Christmas Eve, at the age of 91. He made great recordings with Art Tatum, Sonny Clark and Oscar Peterson, ran the Glenn Miller band from 1966-1974, won twenty Downbeat awards, was enrolled as an NEA Jazz Master in 2006.

LINKS:  Howard Reich’s report in the Chicago Tribune.
Official website
John Fordham’s Guardian obituary