Trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr. Dies at 61

Roy Campbell

Roy Campbell (l.) with Hamid Drake. Don Cherry is on the projection screen.

Trumpeter Roy Campbell Jr., whose versatility found him playing first with big bands, graduating to bebop and ultimately becoming a favored player among free jazz aficionados, died Jan. 9, according to multiple reports on social media sites. The cause and place of death were not reported. Campbell was 61.

Performing as a leader or with artists including Don Cherry, Matthew Shipp, Hamid Drake, William Parker and Peter Brötzmann, Campbell was praised for his adventurous approach and incorporation of numerous strains of music into his own, including world music, hip-hop and reggae.