The end of a musical era

Sad news this week... LeRoi Moore, brilliant Jazz/Rock Saxophone player and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band died from injuries he incurred earlier this summer from an ATV accident. Very sad news as he had been in and out of the hospital all summer and starting a lengthy rehabilitation program.

The Dave Matthews Band has been playing shows all summer with a guest Saxophone player, and they actually had a show scheduled for the same night they found out the terrible news.

Interestingly, they decided still to play the show to honour LeRoi's memory in the best way that they could - by playing music together as they have for the past 17 years "as a family".

Here's an interesting comment from their tour blog:

As we sat this afternoon contemplating the loss of our brother, we wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective stating, "There's no place I'd rather be than here with you guys right now." We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the stage and LeRoi leaned on the register because "standing had become a chore". Roi proceeded to play the most beautiful version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Dave said, "that was the day I fell in love with him. And I'm still in love with him." It's safe to say we all were in love with him. "It's always easier to leave, than to be left." -DM

The DMB Crew
Wednesday, August 20
12:27 AM PDT

Very sad news. The band is brilliant and talented , but we have surely lost a musical legend. Those long, intense riffs and tight coordination with Boyd Tinsley on Violin will be impossible for another Saxophone player to match. Someone else may be able to emulate the sound, but I don't think anyone could bring the energy and improvisational power to the band's music as well as LeRoi has since the band started.

My thoughts go out to LeRoi Moore's family and to the members and families of all the band members. This is a big change for them, and it must be tough.

Best wishes to the band on the road ahead. They certainly have been an ispiration to me in many ways since I started listening to them over 10 years ago.