This is the third annual compilation, and with each year we gain some new members and sadly lose some old friends. The list is a celebration of those who have, for so long, graced us with their talents, their creativity and their love of the music.

Last July 4, I decided to assemble a list of some notable musicians, arrangers, impresarios and singers in the world of jazz who had passed their 70th birthday. A number are still actively engaged, robustly performing in their own current endeavors.

At the end of his concert at the Sydney Opera House, Sonny Rollins received a long, exuberant standing ovation that had a hint of solemnity about it -- we'd just watched him play his heart out on his 80th birthday.