A prolific writer and arranger, Canadian clarinetist Phil Nimmons' heavy involvement in jazz education (he has been on the University of Toronto faculty since 1973) has allowed him to act as mentor for many of Canada's jazz writers and arrangers, although it has perhaps prevented him from receiving the recognition he deserved. Nimmons' own work in both the jazz and classical veins date from 1948. The 1974 recording of his Atlantic Suite received the first Juno Award given in the jazz category. The Olympic Arts Festival of the 1988 Winter Games commissioned Nimmons' work "The Torch," which was premiered at the Calgary Winter Olympics by a band under the direction of fellow Canadian and writer/arranger Rob McConnell. Phil Nimmons died on April 5, 2024, at the age of 100. ~ Dan Cross, Rovi