Jazz trumpeter, educator Melton Mustafa dies at 70
South Florida jazz icon and educator Melton Mustafa, a trumpeter who played with the greats and nurtured the musical ambitions of the small, died Thursday morning with his wife by his side at University of Miami Hospital after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 70.
Mustafa is survived by his wife, Zakiyyah; sons Melton Jr., Yamin and Jihad; daughter Tricia; and his older brother, saxophonist Jesse Jones Jr. Funeral services are pending.
The annual Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival will go on as scheduled Feb. 23-25, according to Melton Jr. Speaking by phone on Thursday, Melton Jr. said the festival was symbolic of everything his father was about as a musician and educator.
“He should be remembered as a loving person who cared about the community and educating the community about jazz,” he said.
In a career that stretches back more than four decades, Mustafa played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra, Jaco Pastorius’ famed Word of Mouth Band, the Melton Mustafa Orchestra and, recently, the Melton Mustafa Quintet.
He released the albums “Boiling Point” (1995) and “St. Louis Blues” (1997) by the Melton Mustafa Orchestra (with Jesse Jones Jr.); and solo albums “The Softer Side: Scenes From Miami Vol. 1” (2009) and “The Traveling Man” (2012). His last release, co-produced by Melton Jr., was recorded after the elder Mustafa had received his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis in 2011.