It is with a heavy heart that I share that our beloved friend, founder and editor, Dick Metcalf — the globe-trotting musician, poet, keyboard player, singer, soldier and fierce advocate for independent jazz — has passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 77 years young.
Dick’s life was a proud one of service, exploration, creativity, and generous support for fellow artists. For nearly fifty years, he roved the world — first as a soldier in the United States Army, then as a contractor, and later as a civilian employee of the Department of the Army; he did important work as a Lead Logistics Planner for 404th Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) Forward until retiring in 2014.
Upon his retirement from federal service, he settled in Lacey, Washington, near Seattle—but retirement did not slow him down. Instead, it marked a renewed creative chapter of reviewing and promoting his beloved musicians. A prolific music reviewer, in 2016, he founded the online music-review magazine Contemporary Fusion Reviews (aka CFR), building on the legacy of IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION, which he had started in 1990 as a pioneer on the World Wide Web.
The new publication’s name—Contemporary Fusion Reviews—was adopted after we shared a brainstorming session at ZMR in New Orleans. Later, in 2022, when he announced that he had to shut down CFR due to his treatments, I purchased the site to keep it going, and he continued on as editor at his own pace until his passing. All in all, Dick wrote over 3000 music reviews, articles and features, and advised hundreds of artists, promoters and record labels.
As a musician — under the name Rotcod Zzaj — Metcalf earned a reputation as the “King of Collab.” According to a profile, his catalog included over 65 releases, many of them collaborations with other artists, often created through mail-based improvisation without the participants ever meeting in person. (All About Jazz)
In addition to his final works available on Bandcamp, there is an auto-biography with rare images. The following albums stand out:
Selected Discography (Rotcod Zzaj / Dick Metcalf on Bandcamp)
- Bluer Than Blue — with Ernesto Diaz-Infante & Rotcod Zzaj
- Nowsterday — Rotcod Zzaj solo / collaboration release
- J.O.Y. Alliance Infinite Jubilation — with Eric Wallack & Rotcod Zzaj
- Zee Zzaj Zinger — with Eric Wallack & Rotcod Zzaj
- Midget Hill Mastery Tour — with Russ Stedman & Rotcod Zzaj
- Sdrawkcab Zzaj — with Davey Williams, LaDonna Smith, Wally Shoup, and John Thompson & Dick Metcalf
According to his own biography on this site, he performed on over 60 CDs during his lifetime — a testament to his prolific and exploratory approach to jazz, improvisation, and collaboration.
Beyond his musical output, Metcalf’s work as editor and critic helped amplify independent, experimental, and fusion-leaning jazz artists who might otherwise remain under the radar. Through Contemporary Fusion Reviews, he provided a platform for unknown or under-exposed musicians — helping them navigate digital tools, social media, and online distribution, especially in a changing industry landscape.
Those who knew him in his many guises — soldier, logistician, keyboardist, poet, reviewer — remember a man devoted not only to music, but to community, connection, and supporting fellow artists. We also bonded over our love of classic cars, his was a rockin’ blue GTO that brought him great joy over the years.
Though his departure leaves a silence in the ether, his writings and recordings — scattered across Facebook, Bandcamp and the Internet Archive — remain. For listeners willing to wander off the beaten path of mainstream jazz, Dick Metcalf / Rotcod Zzaj offers a rich, sometimes surreal, always heartfelt sonic world. In my mind, his more experimental jazz would have played well in a 1970s period piece film, it was so unique.
I hope you will join me in thanking Dick for his friendship and his service, as both a soldier and a music lover. May he rest in peace — and may his music continue to inspire adventurous ears for years to come.
Richard “Dick” Metcalf was the son of Henry and Ruth Metcalf; he is survived by his wife, Kim, two sisters, Geri and Ruth Anne, and his two sons, Andy and Arthur.
We will continue to honor Dick’s mission for music here in memoriam on CFR. In the coming days, you’ll find additional eulogies from some of Dick’s dearest friends and peers. We welcome you to also share your memories on our Facebook or Instagram tribute posts, or via email to the editor at contemporaryfusionreviews@gmail.com