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David Abell, whose Los Angeles-based piano store served for 40 years as a resource for motion picture, pop, rock and jazz performers, died February 11 of lung disease at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 75.
David L. Abell Fine Pianos provided instruments to such writers and performers as Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Andre Previn, Emanuel Ax, Quincy Jones, George Shearing, Tony Bennett, Benny Carter, the Eagles, John Williams and Steven Spielberg as well as those who used the stages at the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theater and UCLA's Royce Hall.
Known in Los Angeles as "the best friend jazz has ever had," he was a longtime supporter of the UCLA jazz studies program and established a musical scholarship there in 2005 in his name.
Abell was President of the Los Angeles Jazz Society and then Chairman Emeritus. He led the creation of the Bill Green Mentor Scholarship Program, and he and his wife established a scholarship for piano students in the name of ASCAP great Duke Ellington. |
