Ron Dewar (July 22, 1941 - January 4, 2024) was an American saxophone, clarinet, and bassoon player who grew up in Plainfield, Illinois and worked in the Chicago area. His father, Robert Dewar, worked in a bowling alley. His mother, Ruth Jahneke Dewar taught music. His younger brothers Roger and Randy grew up to perform and teach music.
Career Dewar started playing saxophone when he was 15. After hearing Joe Farrell at a Joliet club, Dewar decided to attend college where Farrell studied. Dewar began studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and joined the Jazz Band led by John Garvey from 1959 to 1962. Dewar rejoined the band from 1968 to 1972. Dewar played in the band again as adjunct faculty from 1980 to 1981.
In March 1968 he was awarded "top tenor saxophone" at the Collegiate Jazz Festival at Notre Dame with judges Oliver Nelson, Ray Brown, Robert Share, Gerald Wilson, and Dan Morgenstern. Freddy Hubbard and Wayne Shorter were scheduled to adjudicate but both had to cancel. Willis Conover was MC. Saxophonist Michael Brecker from Indiana University won "outstanding musician."
He was a featured soloist of the University of Illinois Jazz Band in 1968 during a two month State Department sponsored tour to Ireland, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Czechoslovakia. The band consisted of Don Smith (vocals/flute); Ken Ferrantino, Jim Darling, Jerry Tessin (trumpet); Cecil Bridgewater, Jim Knapp (trumpet/flugelhorn); Dave Sporny, Larry Dwyer, Frank Harmantas (trombone); Rich Rousch (bass trombone/baritone horn); John Prendergast (tuba); Howie Smith, John Wonsowicz, Ron Dewar, Larry Cangelosi, Bill Feldman (saxophone); Ron Elliston (piano); Fred Atwood (bass); Chuck Braugham (drums); Bill Fries (percussion).
On March 14 1969, Dewar performed at the Collegiate Jazz Festival in the University of Illinois Jazz Band and his own quartet with Jim Knapp, John Monaghan, and Chuck Braugham. He was awarded a special plaque for his saxophone playing. The judges were Clark Terry, Ernie Wilkins, Dan Morgenstern, Thad Jones, Gary McFarland, and Sonny Stitt.
In June 1969, the University of Illinois Jazz Band performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Recordings were made of the band backing Sarah Vaughan and Gerry Mulligan. Dewar can be heard briefly on a solo with Sarah Vaughn on "There Will Never Be Another You."
From November 11 to December 23, 1969, the University of Illinois Jazz Band toured USSR. Ron Dewar wrote a fanfare for two saxophones based on Uzbek themes.
On July 31, 1971, the University of Illinois Jazz Band performed at Town Hall in New York City with Gary Burton on vibraphone. Dewar was featured soloist on several pieces.
In the 1970s, while playing with The Chicago Hot Six with Ed "Doc" Kittrell (trumpet) and Roy Rubinstein (trombone), Ron developed a passion for the music of New Orleans. He studied the New Orleans clarinetists Omer Simeon, Johnny Dodds, Barney Bigard and Sydney Bechet and incorporated their styles in his playing, sometimes even playing an older style Albert system clarinet. He delved deeply in the recordings of Jelly Roll Morton and the early King Oliver sides with Louis Armstrong on second cornet. He arranged many of these tunes for the Memphis Nighthawks and inspired many other players to pursue this music.
In the eighties, Dewar and drummer Phil Gratteau, joined Brazilian artists Breno and Neusa Sauer and Paulinho Garcia in a Chicago group called Made in Brazil. In 1984 they recorded "Tudo Joia" for Pausa Records, a blend of contemporary bossa and samba with a jazz flavor. Ron performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 1986.
Dewar appeared at the first Chicago Jazz Festival and frequently in the years that followed. + Chicago Jazz Festival Appearances Year Group 1979 Little Brother Montgomery and the State Street Ramblers 1981 Jazz Members Big Band 1982 Made in Brazil and Mike Ferro Quintet 1985 New Memphis Nighthawks 1986 Kelly Brand Quartet 1987 Ellington Dynasty 1990 The Champaign Connection featuring Rachael Lee 1991 Kelly Brand Quartet 1994 Fletcher Basington Orchestra 1996 John Brumbach/Ron Dewar Quintet 2008 Ron Dewar Quintet 2021 John Brumbach/Ron Dewar Quintet
+ Discography Artist Album Label Year University Of Illinois Jazz Band Collegiate Jazz Festival – 1967 Not On Label 1967 Salvatore Martirano L's GA – Ballad – Octet Polydor 1969 University Of Illinois Jazz Band Orchestra De Jazz A Universității Din Illinois Electrecord 1969 University Of Illinois Jazz Band In Stockholm, Sweden Century Records 1969 University Of Illinois Jazz Band University Of Illinois Jazz Band And Dixie Band Century Records 1969 Sarah Vaughn Jazzfest Masters Scotti Bros. Records 1969 Gerry Mulligan Jazzfest Masters Scotti Bros. Records 1969 University Of Illinois Jazz Band The University Of Illinois Jazz Band With Don Smith Mark Records 1970 University Of Illinois Jazz Band The University Of Illinois Jazz Band And The Hot 7 At CJF Mark Records 1970 Edwin London / George Crumb Portraits Of Three Ladies (American) / Madrigals, Books I-IV Acoustic Research 1971 Peter Berkow & Friends Thesis Not On Label 1975 The Ship Tornado Saturday Night Records 1976 The Memphis Nighthawks Jazz Lips Delmark Records 1977 The Memphis Nighthawks Live At The Stabilizer Golden Crest 1977 Various Bix Lives (Volume 12) Not On Label 1977 The Chicago Hot Six In Concert: The Chicago Hot Six Blackbird 1979 Thom Bishop The Wireless Wonder Stuff Records 1981 Duke Tumatoe And The All Star Frogs Back To Chicago Trouserworm Tunes Records 1982 University Of Illinois Jazz Band Closeout Dancing Bear Records 1982 Champaign Modern Heart CBS 1983 Little Brother Montgomery And The Jazz Allstars Little Brother Montgomery And The Jazz Allstars FM Records 1983 The Chicago Hot Six Special Guest Leon Oakley Stomping At The Good Time G.H.B. 1983 Made In Brasil Tudo Joia Pausa Records 1984 Judy Roberts You Are There Pausa Records 1985 Classic Jazz Ensemble Classic Blues Delmark Records 1989 Laurel Massé Again Disques Beaupré 1990 Emily Haddad Emily Haddad Sharp 5 Productions 1991 Andre Williams With The El Dorados Greasy Norton Records 1996 Salvatore Martirano O, O, O, O, That Shakespeherian Rag New World Records 1998 Steve Rashid And The Woodside Avenue All-Stars Fidgety Feet Woodside Avenue 2001 Bob Dogan Salishan Big Foot Jazz 2001 Sons Of The Never Wrong Nuthatch Suite Gadfly Records 2005 W. A. Mathieu Ghost Opera - Improvised Ensemble Music 1971 Cold Mountain Music 2006 Various Romanian Jazz: Jazz From The Electrecord Archives 1966-1978 Sonar Kollektiv 2007 Champaign Modern Heart / Woman In Flames Columbia 2012 Thomas Gunther Trio Swingin' Big At Willowbrook Not On Label Unknown Johnny Rinaldo His Trumpet And Orchestra From Out Of The Midwest J And D Records Unknown
References
External links Salvatore Martriano "O, O, O, O That Shakespeherian Rag" "RonDewarJazz.com"