Gwen Ansell has posted the news that Eric Alan Wannenburg (known as Eric Alan) has passed away, and collected together some tributes – LINK HERE
She writes: “The light of a beacon for South African jazz dies… the ecosystem that nurtures South African jazz has suffered a tragic loss.. . his main love was jazz, and especially its South African incarnation.”
UPDATE 2 JULY: There is an official OBITUARY on the All Jazz Radio website – LINK
Eric was a broadcaster, he was the genial host (that phrase could have been invented for Eric) of the press conferences at the Cape Town Jazz Festival. And was always thoroughly delightful person to work with. He loved jazz. He loved the “mother city” of Cape Town. He was patient, kind, positive and energy-inspiring. Always.
Gwen explains: “[He] died at St Luke’s Hospice in Cape Town on Tuesday June 28. Eric had undergone gall bladder surgery some time back, and not regained his health.”
A typical tribute comes from pianist Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bab’ Eric Alan Wannenburg. He is one of the first jazz radio station platforms to reach out to me for my first album interview in 2016 and, after that, continued to document every album we have released.”
In sadness.
