Larry Appelbaum

{{Short description|American jazz historian (1957–2025)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

Lawrence Allan Appelbaum (April 12, 1957 – February 21, 2025) was an American audio engineer and jazz historian who was the Senior Music Reference Specialist in the Music Division of the Library of Congress, and hosted a Jazz show on WPFW for {{circa|40 years}}.

Lawrence Applebaum was born in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 1957, and attended the University of Maryland.{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/arts/music/larry-appelbaum-dead.html|title = Larry Appelbaum, Who Found Jazz Treasure in the Archives, Dies at 67|last = Risen|first = Clay|date = March 11, 2025|accessdate = March 11, 2025|newspaper = The New York Times|url-access = limited}} In his role at the Library of Congress digitising recordings, he discovered the lost tape of Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall. It was released in 2005.{{cite web |last1=Jurek |first1=Thom |title=At Carnegie Hall Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-carnegie-hall-mw0000169974 |website=Allmusic |access-date=March 2, 2025}} In 2007, a similar discovery enabled Sonny Rollins to announce the release of his 1957 debut at the Carnegie Hall.{{cite news |last1=Burton |first1=Brent |title=Larry Appelbaum Strikes Again |url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/441979/larry-appelbaum-strikes-again/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Washington City Paper |date=October 11, 2007}}{{cite news |last1=Yaffe |first1=David |title=Spirit Chaser |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/spirit-chaser/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=The Nation |date=October 4, 2007}} After a stroke in 2017, he worked remotely for the Library of Congress until retiring in 2020.

In 2024, Appelbaum was awarded the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award by the Howard University Jazz Ensemble.{{cite web |title=BENNY GOLSON AWARD |url=http://huje.org/benny-golson-award/ |website=HUJE |access-date=March 2, 2025}}

Appelbaum died from pneumonia at a Washington hospital on February 21, 2025, at the age of 67.[https://www.jammusiclab.com/news/rip-lawrence-allan-appelbaum-12041957-21022025 RIP Lawrence Allan Appelbaum 12.04.1957 – 21.02.2025]{{cite news |last1=Fisher |first1=Marc |title=Larry Appelbaum, jazz explorer and DJ, dies at 67 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/02/26/larry-appelbaum-wpfw-host-dead/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Washington Post |date=February 26, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Willard |title=Remembering Larry Appelbaum, 1957-2025 |url=https://jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/remembering-larry-appelbaum-1957-2025/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Jazz Times |date=February 28, 2025}} The New York Times said that among his survivors was Masha Morozeva, described as his "longtime companion", though The Washington Post said they were divorced at the time of his death.