L-R: Dean Reilly, Howard Dudune, Chuck Peterson, Tony Johnson, Glen Deardorff, Dorothy Lefkovits. Photo by Angela Bennett.

For several years until his untimely death last month, Howard Dudune shared the front line in the Chuck Peterson Quintet each fourth Friday at Bird & Beckett. Chuck and Howie both played tenor sax, with Howie doubling on clarinet and Chuck doubling on flute. Their friendship, mutual respect and musical collaboration dates back to the 1950s or early 1960s. They last played together on September 23rd, the regular monthly bookshop booking for the quintet, with long-time associates Glen Deardorff (guitar), Dean Reilly (bass) and Tony Johnson (drums). Howie died unexpectedly the next day — probably from a heart attack. He had a few ailments as you might expect of a man in his ’80s, but basically he was in great shape and sported a terrific outlook on life. Howie was a gracious and funny guy and one of the best musicians we’ve ever encountered, and we can’t understate how much he’ll be missed.

Tonight, the quintet will pay tribute to Howie the best way they know how — playing the music they all enjoyed playing together.

On the fourth Friday of each month, our weekly jazz in the bookshop series features The 230 Jones Street, Local 6 Literary Jazz Band — aka The Chuck Peterson Quintet — comprising musicians whose history on the local jazz scene dates back 60 years, to the very early 1950s. Since late 2002, Chuck has led a combo at Bird & Beckett — weekly for ten years and monthly for the past four. The music lives on!

Ray Loeckle will join the quintet tonight in Howie’s place, and John Clark will sub for Dean, who has a commitment elsewhere this evening. Dorothy Lefkovits, whose own history on the Bird & Beckett bandstand dates back to 2003, is on hiatus for family reasons, but we’ll be looking to bring her in for an early afternoon date at the first opportunity.