R.I.P. Robert James "Bob" Neloms (March 2, 1942 - July 28, 2020)

R.I.P. Robert James "Bob" Neloms (March 2, 1942 - July 28, 2020)

Bob Neloms was a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and educator. Neloms won a scholarship contest run by Downbeat in 1959 and subsequently studied at the Berklee College of Music. He was the original Motown Records staff pianist from 1961 to 1963 and played with Eddie Henderson, Ricky Ford, and Bob Mover later in the decade. In the 1970s he played with Roy Haynes, Pharoah Sanders, Clifford Jordan, Freddie Waits, and Charles Mingus. Concomitantly he also worked with Dannie Richmond and James Newton. He then played with Hamiett Bluiett and performed and recorded under his own name, remaining active through the late 1980s.

Bob Neloms recorded and toured with Charles Mingus from 1977 through 1978. Recordings include “Three Or Four Shades Of Blues” (Atlantic, 1977), “Cumbia & Jazz Fusion” (Atlantic, 1976), Something Like A Bird (Atlantic, 1978) and Me, Myself An Eye (Atlantic, 1978).

Charles Mingus and Bob Neloms in La Spezia, Italy - July 9, 1977
Shot while the band was playing "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" on Mingus’ last tour in Italy.

Photo Source: Riccardo of Inconstant Sol Blog