Obituary: Nick Webb

Guitarist and composer Nick Webb, a founding member of the contemporary jazz group Acoustic Alchemy, died in London Feb. 5, 1998, from cancer, the group’s publicist said. He was 43. Webb, a native of England, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a year earlier and, at the time of his death, was finishing work on the Grammy-nominated group’s 10th album, Positive Thinking, publicist David Millman said. “Nick was a sweet, wonderful man and a wonderful friend,” said Webb’s chief collaborator, Greg Carmichael, who formed Acoustic Alchemy with Webb in 1987. “Though this past year was quite difficult for him, Nick managed to write some of the most beautiful music of his life. If there’s any silver lining, it’s knowing that, ’til the very end, he was doing what he loved and that he was surrounded by his adoring family,” Carmichael said in a statement. Webb’s musical approach had roots in some of the music he discovered growing up, including the English group Pentangle, whose blend of folk, jazz, classical and other influences appealed to him. He believed a similarly eclectic approach could work in an instrumental setting and, in the early 1980s, formed the first version of Acoustic Alchemy, years before the partnership of Webb and Carmichael became internationally known. He is survived by his wife, Kay, and their daughter, Alexandra.