Epitaph: Dan Morgenstern: 10.24.1929, Munich – 09.7.2024 Manhattan

Dan Morgenstern was one of the most fascinating jazz researchers of the 20th and 21st centuries with Austrian roots.

Born in Munich, Morgenstern fled Nazi persecution with his family and emigrated to the United States in 1939. His lifelong commitment to jazz began in the early 1950s, when he started writing for various jazz publications. His deep knowledge and sharp insight into jazz music quickly earned him widespread respect in the jazz community.

Dan´s father, Soma Morgenstern, was an Austrian-Jewish writer and journalist whose life and work were deeply connected to Vienna and shaped by friendships with influential writers like Joseph Roth and Stefan Zweig.

In 1976, Morgenstern became the director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, a role in which he expanded the institution’s archives and ensured its status as a major center for jazz research. Under his guidance, the Institute preserved the legacies of many jazz greats and provided invaluable resources for scholars, musicians, and fans alike.

Morgenstern was known not only for his music criticism but also for his eight Grammy Awards for Best Album Liner Notes. His notes for albums by jazz legends like John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington became essential companions to the music, offering clarity and deep context that both seasoned jazz enthusiasts and newcomers could appreciate.

As an educator at Rutgers University, Morgenstern inspired countless students to view jazz not only as music but as a cultural and social phenomenon. His teachings emphasized the importance of jazz in the broader context of American and world history. His influence extended far beyond the classroom, helping elevate jazz to its rightful place as one of the great art forms of the 20th century.