Aaron Birnbaum; Dress Manufacturer Became Folk Painter

Aaron Birnbaum, 103, a dress manufacturer who became a folk painter at age 70. Birnbaum, who always sketched the dresses he created, took up painting after the death of his wife and closure of his shop. Often compared to Grandma Moses, he was a “memory painter,” depicting the houses, streets and bridges of his Brooklyn neighborhood as they looked in his youth. He worked in oil and acrylic on paper, wood, glass and tin. The Museum of American Folk Art observed his 100th birthday with an article on his work in its Folk Art magazine. Although Birnbaum had stopped painting after a stroke, he continued to display his work on the Internet and was planning his first one-man show in October at a New York gallery. On Aug. 7 in New York.

Benny Waters; Jazz Musician Toured for 70 Years

Benny Waters, 96, America’s oldest touring jazz musician. A saxophonist, clarinetist and singer, Waters spent 70 years touring the world from bases in New York and Paris. He performed until last June in clubs and festivals, cracking jokes in various languages. Born in Brighton, Md., Waters played in Charlie Miller’s band as a high school student. He studied theory and arranging at the Boston Conservatory of Music and later joined Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Band as a soloist and arranger. In 1952, a tour with a Dixieland band led by trombonist Jimmie Archey took Waters to Europe, and he stayed, primarily in Paris, until 1991. He averaged 100 performance dates a year, and on his 95th birthday recorded “Birdland Birthday--Live at 95” at Birdland in Manhattan. France awarded him its Legion of Honor in 1996. On Tuesday in Columbia, Md.