Michael Cuscuna

I just learned today (August 15) that Mike died in April. We met at Penn, when I was a senior in law school and was his dorm counsellor. He sneaked me onto the radio staff at WXPN, not telling them that I was a law student. Only undergraduates were allowed to be on WXPN. We stayed as friends for many years. He was even an usher at my first wedding. I started buying Mosaic sets soon after he opened the company, and I still buy them today. The world of jazz music will miss him forever.

Dear Lisa and Family, I am so sorry to learn about Michael's death. I remember meeting him once and he was very pleasant and affable. May his memory be a blessing forever. Sherry Shameer Cohen

I only saw Michael Cuscuna once in my life, when he was introducing Sam Rivers, one of the many artists who benefited from Michael's dedication to keeping their music alive, at a concert in New York in 2010, and I never had the chance to talk to him. But there may not be anyone who I never met in person who has made a more profound impact on my life.  Being a budding teenage jazz lover growing up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania in the early 1980s, so many amazing jazz records were out...

I extend my heartfelt condolences to Michael's family. Please know that many others are grieving with you and sending you love today. Michael was a huge part of the jazz world-never seeking the spotlight but always being an indispensable contributor to the music. There isn't enough space here to share my many memories of Michael Cuscuna, so I'll just say a few things. As a musician on Blue Note, I traveled with him many times overseas, and it was always a joy to see how much he was...

RIP MICHAEL A FRIEND AND FOR 50 YRS I WILL MISS OUR CAMARADERIE AND LAUGHS AND ALL THE TALK OF JAZZ YOU WERE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS GREAT AMERICAN ART FORM STEWART LEVINE

Forever indebted to you for keeping the music alive, for always putting the art and its creators above all else, and for showing insurmountable resilience and loyalty towards your colleagues and mentors, at all costs. Your intelligence, integrity, and courage will always inspire, and your legacy will always resonate through me and my work. Thank you, MC. Condolences to Lisa and the entire Cuscuna family. —Woody III

One hundred trees will be planted to maintain the legacy and soul of my dear departed friend, Michael Cuscuna. His dedication and contributions to music are immeasurable and will last forever.

My sincerest condolences to Michael's family and friends. My husband Pete Kraemer was a classmate of Mike's at the King School. Pete admired the work Mike had done in the music world. Sadly, Pete passed away on March 19, 2023.