The following was taken directly from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944 – March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and actor. From New York City, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School. He worked with Blood, Sweat & Tears from 1968 until 1973. Prior to this, he worked with Machito, Gil Evans, Tony Scott, Maynard Ferguson and Tito Puente. He was also a longtime member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet and Mingus Big Band. In the 1980s he was a member of Members Only, a jazz ensemble…