Post by markgifford on Jan 31, 2009 22:58:03 GMT -5
Hi There,
From the D and C:
Ralph Ortiz, perhaps the most-familiar bassist on the local club scene with bands such as Prime Time Funk, died this morning after a short battle with cancer. He was 52.
“It was very quick. He just went into the hospital two weeks ago today,” said Dave Cohen, who played drums with Mr. Ortiz in many bands over the years. “He’s been sick since Christmas; they couldn’t catch it in time. It spread too quickly. Our hearts are really broken about it.”
“A fabulous guy,” said Prime Time Funk saxophonist Jimmy Richmond, pointing out that they called Mr. Ortiz “Thumper” because of the distinctive way he used his thumb to pound the strings.
“Very giving, very humble. Very passionate about his music and about the people he cared for," he said. "He was a great music teacher, he would teach anybody anything if they wanted to sit and listen and learn, and give up all his knowledge. A very caring person. He would give whatever he had for his friends. Loyal is a good word.”
Besides Prime Time Funk, over the last few decades Mr. Ortiz played in dozens of bands, some with long careers, some brief moments of song: Cabo Frio, the Hot Sweets, the Shakes, Mother Freedom, the Believers, Greg Walker & the Powerglide Blues Band, Kicks, Saratoga. Cohen remembers Mr. Ortiz joining him and a handful of other local musicians and flying to Paris a decade ago to back the Louisiana Zydeco bluesman Sherman Robertson, and then Lyle Lovett’s backup singer Francine Reed.
“He used to sit in with us sometimes,” said Steve Lyons of the Legendary Dukes. “He goes way back in the community.” Mr. Ortiz was also in demand in the studio, recording with many performers, including Jeff Tyzik, and teaching bass at Northfield Music.
“Of course, he was a musician, no health insurance,” Cohen said, adding that there would be some kind of benefit assembled soon to address to help cover bills, as well as to set up a scholarship in his name.
Although he was a city resident for years, Mr. Ortiz grew up in Newark, Wayne County, where Richmond first met him. They were teenage musicians, and Richmond remembers being up in Mr. Ortiz’s bedroom, teaching Richmond a song by the jazz-fusion band Weather Report, while they could smell food being cooked for them downstairs by Mr. Ortiz’s mother, Josefina.
In his late teens, Mr. Ortiz’s father passed away, and he moved to Puerto Rico with his mother, where he lived for several years. Mr. Ortiz left Puerto Rico and returned to Rochester when Richmond called him and said that the former Spyro Gyra guitarist Chet Catallo was putting together a new band. Mr. Ortiz lived with Richmond and his wife a 1½ while he played with Catallo and resettled into the scene here.
Josefina Ortiz, who is 88, flew in from Puerto Rico, arriving Saturday afternoon to be with her son. He will be buried in Puerto Rico, where his father is also buried.
“That’s what Ralph wanted, and what his mother wants,” said Richmond, adding there will be a local service. Mr. Ortiz’s girlfriend of several years, Leanne Sarubbi, lives in Rochester, and he has several cousins in the area.
“He was my best friend, and we were music mates for years,” Richmond said. “We’ve never been out of a band together except for a short period when he went to Cabo Frio.”
“He was just a real fun-loving guy with a huge heart,” Cohen said. “A beautiful guy with a very unique style. I know I’m never gonna have the same feeling … that I had playing with him.”
Mr. Ortiz was playing right to the end. Richmond said he was in Mr. Ortiz’s hospital room, singing songs like “Easy Lover” and Jeffrey Osborne’s “Stay With Me Tonight” while Ortiz hummed the bass lines. Even after Ortiz could no longer communicate, Richmond said, “You could see his hands were still moving, like bass figures. That’s how deep it was.”
Please pass this along to anyone who knew Ralph.
Thanks,
Mark Gifford
From the D and C:
Ralph Ortiz, perhaps the most-familiar bassist on the local club scene with bands such as Prime Time Funk, died this morning after a short battle with cancer. He was 52.
“It was very quick. He just went into the hospital two weeks ago today,” said Dave Cohen, who played drums with Mr. Ortiz in many bands over the years. “He’s been sick since Christmas; they couldn’t catch it in time. It spread too quickly. Our hearts are really broken about it.”
“A fabulous guy,” said Prime Time Funk saxophonist Jimmy Richmond, pointing out that they called Mr. Ortiz “Thumper” because of the distinctive way he used his thumb to pound the strings.
“Very giving, very humble. Very passionate about his music and about the people he cared for," he said. "He was a great music teacher, he would teach anybody anything if they wanted to sit and listen and learn, and give up all his knowledge. A very caring person. He would give whatever he had for his friends. Loyal is a good word.”
Besides Prime Time Funk, over the last few decades Mr. Ortiz played in dozens of bands, some with long careers, some brief moments of song: Cabo Frio, the Hot Sweets, the Shakes, Mother Freedom, the Believers, Greg Walker & the Powerglide Blues Band, Kicks, Saratoga. Cohen remembers Mr. Ortiz joining him and a handful of other local musicians and flying to Paris a decade ago to back the Louisiana Zydeco bluesman Sherman Robertson, and then Lyle Lovett’s backup singer Francine Reed.
“He used to sit in with us sometimes,” said Steve Lyons of the Legendary Dukes. “He goes way back in the community.” Mr. Ortiz was also in demand in the studio, recording with many performers, including Jeff Tyzik, and teaching bass at Northfield Music.
“Of course, he was a musician, no health insurance,” Cohen said, adding that there would be some kind of benefit assembled soon to address to help cover bills, as well as to set up a scholarship in his name.
Although he was a city resident for years, Mr. Ortiz grew up in Newark, Wayne County, where Richmond first met him. They were teenage musicians, and Richmond remembers being up in Mr. Ortiz’s bedroom, teaching Richmond a song by the jazz-fusion band Weather Report, while they could smell food being cooked for them downstairs by Mr. Ortiz’s mother, Josefina.
In his late teens, Mr. Ortiz’s father passed away, and he moved to Puerto Rico with his mother, where he lived for several years. Mr. Ortiz left Puerto Rico and returned to Rochester when Richmond called him and said that the former Spyro Gyra guitarist Chet Catallo was putting together a new band. Mr. Ortiz lived with Richmond and his wife a 1½ while he played with Catallo and resettled into the scene here.
Josefina Ortiz, who is 88, flew in from Puerto Rico, arriving Saturday afternoon to be with her son. He will be buried in Puerto Rico, where his father is also buried.
“That’s what Ralph wanted, and what his mother wants,” said Richmond, adding there will be a local service. Mr. Ortiz’s girlfriend of several years, Leanne Sarubbi, lives in Rochester, and he has several cousins in the area.
“He was my best friend, and we were music mates for years,” Richmond said. “We’ve never been out of a band together except for a short period when he went to Cabo Frio.”
“He was just a real fun-loving guy with a huge heart,” Cohen said. “A beautiful guy with a very unique style. I know I’m never gonna have the same feeling … that I had playing with him.”
Mr. Ortiz was playing right to the end. Richmond said he was in Mr. Ortiz’s hospital room, singing songs like “Easy Lover” and Jeffrey Osborne’s “Stay With Me Tonight” while Ortiz hummed the bass lines. Even after Ortiz could no longer communicate, Richmond said, “You could see his hands were still moving, like bass figures. That’s how deep it was.”
Please pass this along to anyone who knew Ralph.
Thanks,
Mark Gifford