RIP Cornelius Bumpus

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 3 Feb 2004 8:35 pm

Found in Alt obituaries

Legendary saxophone player and blues man Cornelius Bumpus died today of a
heart attack while flying from New York to California for a series of
concerts, including Sonora-area appearances scheduled for tomorrow and
Saturday.

"I still can't believe it," said Columbia College music teacher and jazz
band leader Rod Harris, who has sponsored Bumpus's Tuolumne County
appearances for more than 20 years.

Bumpus' wife told Harris that her husband had the heart attack while flying
with her on a Jet Blue flight from New York to the Bay Area. After he was
stricken, the plane landed in Kansas City, but the musician was already
dead.

This week's Tuolumne County concerts, at Snowshoe Brewing Co. tomorrow and
at Columbia College on Saturday, have been canceled.

Building a name for himself with the 1960s-era Santa Cruz band Moby Grape,
he went on to compose, record and perform with the Doobie Brothers for more
than 20 years.

Since 1985, he has been a member and featured soloist with the touring bands
of Etta James, the New York Rock and Soul Revue, Lacy J. Dalton and Boz
Scaggs. Bumpus also toured and recorded with the revived 1970s supergroup
Steely Dan.

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 4 Feb 2004 2:03 am

i was about to post this, but Janice beat me to it, no surprise!

Cornelius was an awesome player, and a soft-spoken but very funny guy.

He's been on every Steely Dan tour since they started touring agian in the early 90s. He's featured prominently in their 'Two Against Nature-Plush Jazz-Rock DVD' which aired on PBS.

God bless Bumpus.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 4 Feb 2004 2:56 am

Very sad, a fine sax player and nice guy.

I helped record an early Moby Grape session when I was a kid. Some of the early Steely Dan guys were also around at the same time. I believer that was his connection with them so many years ago.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 4 Feb 2004 7:30 am

He also played a pretty mean Hammond B-3 if I'm not mistaken. I hate to hear this.

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 4 Feb 2004 8:06 am

THAT'S TERRIBLE! We saw him last summer with Steely Dan.

Drew

------------------
newslinkassociates.com
drewhoward.com