Lew Soloff's passing is a profound loss to me personally and to everyone in the Mingus Big Band.We will miss Lew as the great friend and musician he was and as the celebrant of life who was as excited about food and feasts and new discoveries of all kinds as he was about music and trumpet playing. We shared meals around the world — Lew was forever investigating and uncovering some new place even here in the city. His vitality and his enthusiasm for life inspired all of us. He will be profoundly missed.— Sue Mingus