death_date death_place years_active alias birth_place label image_size background birth_date instrument genre image article_title birth_name occupation
19 september 2011 bucharest , romania 1950 -- 2010 johnny răducanu brăila , romania electrecord 215 non_vocal_instrumentalist 1 december 1931 double bass , piano jazz johnny răducanu.jpg johnny răducanu
 răducan creţu musician , composer
johnny răducanu

johnny răducanu -lrb- born răducan creţu ; 1 december 1931 -- 19 september 2011 -rrb- was a romanian jazz pianist of romani ethnic background , whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century .
he was born in brăila and started playing the double bass at the age of 19 before switching to piano .
during his musical career , some of his many collaborations outside romania were those with art farmer -lrb- trumpet -rrb- and slide hampton -lrb- trombone -rrb- , and friedrich gulda -lrb- piano -rrb- .
in 1987 , răducanu received an honorary membership in the louis armstrong academy in new orleans .
he was the founder of the romanian jazz school , and during a musical career spanning over half a century , he discovered , nurtured and trained several generations of romanian jazz musicians .
leonard feather called him `` mr. jazz of romania '' .
he was the president of the romanian jazz federation .
răducanu was married to geta costin from 1962 to 1970 .
răducanu died at his apartment in oltarului street in bucharest and is interred in a local cemetery in cernica , ilfov county , close to the capital .
