BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Former bandmates of legendary local drummer Ted Reinhardt are mourning the loss of their friend and colleague. He's one of three people with ties to Western New York killed in a Virginia plane crash.
About an hour after hearing the news, Haiku took the same stage their friend Ted Reinhardt played on countless times.
"He's the best drummer to come out of Western New York. There's no doubt. He had a gift. He was dedicated. He lived to play the drums," Dave Constantino said.
The news spread quickly around the Buffalo music community.
"It's a shock," Constantino said. "He wasn't sick. He was as healthy as an ox. To die in a plane crash that suddenly and to find out you lost a dear friend like that. It doesn't get much worse."
The drummer was part of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame and a founding member of the jazz fusion band Gamalon. George Puleo jammed with him in Gamalon for years.
"He never said anything bad about anybody when it came to music or something else," Puleo said. "He always could learn from another drummer and he was always eager to share what he knew about music and about playing with other people. He was really excited about that all the time."
Reinhardt's most recent band included his wife, his brother and guitarist Ron LoCurto. Long before LoCurto became a member, he was a fan.
"He was just electrifying and incredible and someone I'd always wanted to play with so when it finally got a chance to happen it was like, 'Man, I'm playing with Ted Reinhardt," LoCurto said.
Local musicians said it wasn't just Reinhardt's talent that made him so fun to be around.
"On top of being a consummate musician, he was a consummate person," LoCurto said. "He was a total sweetheart. He would do anything for anybody and he was just a blast to be around."
Wednesday, Haiku members said they'd be rocking hard, because Reinhardt wouldn't have it any other way.
"Thankfully we have the music and we have the records to remember what that was like," Puleo said.
"Love you Ted. I can't believe I'm not going to hear his drumming anymore," LoCurto said, "but I'll be listening to him for the rest of my life."