Jazzman Armen Tutunjyan passed away today aged 73. Better known as Chico, he led the “Chico and friends” jazz band.

Tutunjyan also practiced teaching. He trained dozens of drummers over 35 years.

The jazzman shared his knowledge in “Rhythm and Movement” – the first-of-its-kind tutorial written in Armenian language published at the end of 2010.

“Basically, there are three things I do – I play, teach and popularize jazz,” Armen Tutunjyan once said.

“I played it once, I play it still and I will always play the jazz I fell in love with a pure, unsophisticated jazz long ago. That’s my musical creed,” he used to say.

Armen Tutunjyan’s death is a great loss for Armenian jazz.