Rudy Barbano – Accordion

Al Castellanos – Saxophone

Albert R. Costan – Saxophone

Lillian Delson – Piano

Willey G. Forman – Trombone/Arranger

Mark Gray – Piano/Composer

Aaron Hirsch – Violin

Dean Holt – Piano

Alex Kofman – Trombone

Samuel Kolstein – Bass/Piano/Composer

James Lamendola – Trombone

Graydon Parker – Saxophone

Robert Pearlman – Violin

Samuel Sanders – Piano

Scotty Warner – Piano

Beveridge Webster – Piano

Mark Gray

Mark Gray, 49, a pianist and composer who joined Local 802 in 1975, died on June 20. A memorial is planned for Sept. 12.

Mr. Gray grew up in Indianapolis and studied at the Indiana University Music School. Over the years, he played with such jazz artists as Art Blakey, Sonnie Rollins, Don Alias, Freddy Hubbard, Billy Hart, Hubert Laws, Teruo Nakamura and the Brecker Brothers, and also performed with Gregory Hines and the late Phyllis Hyman. He co-led a jazz group with the drummer Richie Morales. Mr. Gray wrote and produced two solo jazz albums.

In 1988, he and Joe Carroll founded Manic Moose Music, a company which composes music for films, commercials and television.

Mr. Gray is survived by his wife Elizabeth Dasheff, father Alex and sister Janet Alexander. A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 15 East 32^nd Street, 11^th floor.

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Alex Kofman

Alex Kofman, 50, a jazz trombonist who joined Local 802 in 1974, died on July 26.

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, he became interested in jazz at age 13, after seeing the Benny Goodman Big Band in concert. He received his first musical training in Soviet military bands as a teenager. At age 16 he toured the USSR with the Eddie Rozner Big Band, and at 20 was enrolled in Moscow’s prestigious Gnesisn Institute as a classical trombone major, while playing in jazz clubs at night, and earning a reputation as the country’s number one jazz trombonist. Frequently featured in jazz festivals and on national radio, he pioneered the cause of jazz in the USSR. When ensembles like the Duke Ellington and Thad Jones-Mel Lewis big bands visited the Soviet Union, Mr. Kofman was among a few jazz musicians selected to play at state-sponsored jam sessions.

In 1973 he emigrated to the United States and, in the years that followed, played with the big bands of Buddy Rich, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Toshiko Akioshi and Lew Tabakin, the Lee Konitz Nonet and Slide Hampton’s Trombone Ensemble. He also worked with Dexter Gordon, Woody Shaw, Junior Cook, Bob Berg, Tom Harrel and Red Rodney as a musical guest on the New York City jazz scene, in addition to playing record dates, club dates and Broadway shows.

Mr. Kofman is survived by brothers Yasha, a classical guitarist, and Arkady, a jazz saxophonist.

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Samuel Kolstein

Samuel Kolstein, an 802 member for 63 years, died on May 23 at the age of 84. Mr. Kolstein was an accomplished bassist, pianist, accordionist, arranger and composer, but was best known as a maker and restorer of violins and bows.

After graduating from the Juilliard School and Brooklyn Polytech Engineering School, he went on to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra, numerous big bands, and as a society musician. His career in instrument and bow making began while he was serving in the U.S. Army Special Services, during World War II. Soon after leaving the military, he opened two shops – one in Brooklyn and the other at 56th Street in midtown Manhattan. During his initial years in Manhattan he was an integral part of the Rembrandt Wurlitzer shop, focusing on restoration of their inventory of pedigree bows. Mr. Kolstein was kept busy with custom bow commissions and instrument restorations. He developed products relating to the string quartet – ranging from specialized rosins to air freight shipping trunks – and held several patents for these innovations. In 1958 he relocated to Long Island. The shop, now located in Baldwin, is run by his son Barrie Kolstein.

His instruments and bows are utilized by jazz artists, soloists and teachers, and by string players in almost every major orchestra. A highly regarded educator, he lectured regularly at universities and helped to organize international repair seminars

Mr. Kolstein is survived by daughters Linda Sturm and Andrea Kolstein, his son Barrie (a Local 802 member), his brother Harry (also an 802 member), his sister Frieda Potash (Vita Cole, a Local 802 member) and six grandchildren.

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Samuel Sanders

Samuel Sanders, 62, one of the foremost collaborative pianists of the past several decades, died on July 7. He had joined Local 802 in 1954.

Mr. Sanders made his New York recital debut at Town Hall when he was 13 and performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic at 16. While a student at Hunter College, he began accompanying friends – among them the tenor Robert White – in recitals, and found collaborative playing more satisfying than solo playing. He studied at the Juilliard School and, after completing his master’s degree, joined the faculty in 1963, persuading the school to establish a master’s degree program for accompanists.

He performed in concert and on numerous records with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Rose, Pinchas Zukerman, Carol Wincenc, Hermann Baumann, Kyung Wha Chung, Jessye Norman, Beverly Sills, Mstislav Rostropovich, Häken Hagegard, Joshua Bell, Jacqueline Dupré, Jaime Laredo and Lynn Harrell. He had partnered violinist Itzhak Perlman since 1966, and two of their 12 records and CDs won Grammy awards. Recordings with Mr. White have been named “Best Record of the Year” by Stereo Review and Newsweek magazine. Several years ago he and the cellist Andrés Diaz formed the Diaz-Sanders Duo.

Mr. Sanders was the founder and artist director of the Cape & Islands Chamber Music Festival in Cape Cod, Mass. He performed with numerous chamber ensembles and string quartets such as the Lark, Colorado, St Lawrence, Fine Arts, Borromeo and Julliard string quartets, and played at major festivals in this country and around the world.

He received an honorary award at the 1966 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, and performed on seven occasions at the White House under five presidents. Tributes include honorary doctorates from Lehman College and the Saint Louis Conservatory.

He is survived by his companion Susan Rothwell, daughter Sophie, sister Henriette Miller and brother Martin.

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