A stalwart of the Kansas jazz community has passed away. Bryce Luty lost his battle with cancer on Monday, December 29, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Jan, two children, four grandchildren and countless students. Luty began his teaching career in 1958, teaching K-12 music in Durham. He then spent a year in Marion teaching 5-12 instrumental music before moving to McPherson in 1962, where he developed a number of award winning jazz bands. In 1976, he became the head of the new jazz studies program at Hutchinson Community College and taught there for 23 years before his retirement in 1998.

The jazz studies program at HCC was the first post secondary jazz program in Kansas, and Luty awarded full jazz scholarships to help lure top talent to the school. Nick Schroeder, the current jazz director credits him for making the program into a nationally recognized school for jazz. His bands brought in a number of top guest artist concerts each year such as Clark Terry, Louie Bellson, Ed Shaughnessy, and more. The HCC bands also played at the state ISW seven times, as well as conferences for Southwest MENC, National MENC, and International Jazz Educators, as well as the Montreux Jazz Festival and Euro Disney in Paris, France.

Luty was recognized with several awards and distinctions. He was given the Homer Osborne Award at the 1998 Wichita Jazz festival and was named Outstanding Music Educator of the Year by the Kansas Federation of Music Clubs in 2000. The International Association for Jazz Educators also awarded him the Outstanding Service Award in 2006.

A tribute concert featuring many of his pupils was held for Mr. Luty at the McPherson Opera House last October. However, he was hospitalized in the days prior and was unable to attend. Though the concert went on without him, organizers set up a live stream video on the computer in order for him to watch it online.

Bryce Luty will be missed, but his musical legacy remains in the many students he touched over the years.

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