Poetic Obituaries: A Canadian by birth who moved to Ojai

more than 30 years ago, [Gene] Lees was also a lyricist and composer who wrote the words for a number of classics, including the English lyrics for Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars." As a collaborator, Lees also wrote "Waltz for Debby" with pianist Bill Evans and "The Right to Love" with composer Lalo Schifrin.

Lees also had the distinction of collaborating with a pope: He translated poems written by Pope John Paul II when the latter was a Polish priest named Karol Wojtyla. The result was a cycle of songs recorded in 1985 called "One World, One Peace." Sarah Vaughan was the vocalist.

from Los Angeles Times: Gene Lees dies at 82; jazz historian and critic
also The Washington Post: Post-Mortem: Gene Lees, jazz writer

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