Kim Richmond '62
The following is from T.L. Eovaldi's email letting us know of KIm's passing.
Dear Brothers and Sweethearts,
Robert Taylor alerted me to the death of Kim Richmond. Kim died on September 20, 2024, from complications of bladder cancer.
Kim was a “townie” and did not hang out with the Brothers very much. I was privileged to have spent a lot of time with Kim, particularly with the Marching Illini band.
The band played at all home football games and one out-of-town game a year. Kim and I were in the band for our freshman and sophomore years. Being in the Marching Illini served as an alternative to ROTC. Kim played the saxophone, I played the Piccolo. Both of us also played in the Concert band; I played for three years, and I’m pretty sure Kim played all four years.
As the obituary makes very clear, Kim was a talented and well-known musician; he made it his life’s work, his profession. If you attended any of the Class of ’62 reunions, you know that Kim and Steve Sample performed duets featuring Kim on sax and Steve on drums. Those were real treats. Other than reunions, I met up with Kim on several occasions. He came to Chicago and joined musical groups as they performed around town, once in a restaurant in Evanston.
The other memorable time involved a hike in the Grand Canyon organized by Steve Sample. Chuck Kerchner was in the group that hiked down to the bottom. We stayed overnight at Phantom Ranch. On the hike back to the rim the next day, we stopped midway for rest and relief from the 117 degree heat. While we sat in spots of shade, Kim pulled out his piccolo and serenaded us with many Illini tunes.
After Kim finished playing with military jazz bands, he toured with the Kenton orchestra. I was a huge fan of the Stan Kenton jazz orchestra. Kim wrote or arranged the pieces which were recorded by Kim’s orchestra on the “Artistry” CD, a magnificent tribute to Kenton. The cover photo was of a painting by Kim’s wife, Chris Zambon. Nearly all of Kim’s CDs featured Chris’s Paintings.
Kim’s webite, kimrichmond.com, is worth a visit, as it has lots of photos, detailed descriptions of his recordings, and listings of his many compositions and arrangements. There are wonderful comments about Kim on the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kim%20richmond%20musician
My words about the Grand Canyon hike omitted some important bits. I neglected to mention that Robert Taylor was on the Grand Canyon hike, along with his daughter Lisa, Larry Schafer, my wife Marina, my daughter Mischa, and most importantly, Chuck Kerchner's son Charles, whose strength and compassion and care enabled me to finish the grueling ascent to the rim. Robert had choice words of warning to Steve for having taken us on the hike. After showering and dinner, brotherly love prevailed.
Here is the only obit I have found:
Grammy-Nominated Musician Kim Richmond Dead at 84
Kim Richmond, a Grammy-nominated jazz musician and former adjunct professor in the Jazz Studies department at the University of Southern California has died. He was 84.
Richmond died Friday of bladder cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his wife of 40 years, Chris Zambon, at his side, publicist Gail Cottman said.
He was primarily a jazz saxophonist and composer, but also played clarinet and flute.
During his 68-year career, Richmond played with several noted musicians including Stan Kenton, Louis Bellson, Les Brown and Johnny Mandel. In the 1960s, he arranged music for film composer Lalo Schifrin, drummer Buddy Rich and fellow saxophonist Ernie Watts.
In addition to his work in jazz, Richmond was a member of the classical chamber orchestra Composers Ensemble of Los Angeles and played regularly with the Pacific Symphony. He also performed as soloist with the Dallas and Riverside symphonies, among others..
He recorded 11 albums as a group leader, including 2013’s “Artistry,” a tribute to Kenton, and 2003’s “Refractions,” both of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. As a session musician, Richmond performed on more than 100 albums,
Richmond taught at USC for 12 years and was also as a guest lecturer, conductor and guest soloist at college music festivals and workshops around the country including the Santa Barbara Jazz Workshop and the Northwoods Jazz Camp. For many years he was the music director for the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, a local showcase for top student musicians, and was a past president of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers.
The Champaign, Ill. native studied at the University of Illinois and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 to 1967 before moving to Los Angeles after his discharge.
In recent years Richmond was the co-leader — along with vocalist Kimberly Ford — of the KIM-PROJECT, a tribute to the collaboration between musicians Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell.
Cottman said a memorial service will be announced at a later date.
-Kai-
T.L.