Smooth jazz violinist Michael Ward, a fixture at festivals, nightclubs and special events in New Orleans and beyond for decades, died suddenly Monday after collapsing. He was 60.
A cause of death has not yet been determined, said his wife, Lenzie LeBeauf-Ward.
In a city whose musical culture is more closely identified with trumpets and pianos, Ward built a career with a blue, electric violin. He specialized in “smooth jazz,” a predominantly instrumental subgenre that edges into contemporary R&B and funk territory…