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Bay Area publicist Ave Montague died January 24, 2009, in her home of natural causes at age 64.

Although many jazz fans might not be familiar with her name, they are certainly familiar with the fruits of her labor: Ave was one of the many leaders that work behind the scenes, promoting the events without promoting her own name. She was the common link to many Black arts institutions in the Bay Area, working as a publicist for Jazz at Pearl's, MoAD: The Museum of the African Diaspora, the Fillmore Jazz Preservation District, the Lorraine Hansberry Theater and many others (I worked with Ave extensively through Jazz at Pearl's and through my performances for the Fillmore District).

Ave had an intuitive knack for disseminating information to the public and finding alternative angles; when a jazz story couldn't be sold to the mainstream newspapers, Ave would get a TV spot with Barbara Morrison, or a story with Business Woman Magazine or even a recipe in the Food section of a local newspaper. She kept strong ties with black newspapers that always seem interested in writing about jazz, such as the Sun Reporter, City Flight Magazine and San Francisco Bay View.

In addition to being a publicist, Ave was also a strong presenter in her own right, founding and running the San Francisco Black Film Festival, which was considered one of the largest black festivals showcasing films not only from the United States but also from Canada, Brazil, Africa and Cuba.

Most recently, Montague presented "Inauguration West," the official Bay Area celebration for the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Peter Fitz-Simmons, the executive director of the Fillmore Jazz Heritage Center and a volunteer for the San Francisco Black Film Festival, said that Ave had been "putting in long hours on this event, had been worried that the economy would effect the turnout" and "hoped that the stress was not a factor in her death."

(Inauguration West picked up attendees at the last moment and turned out to be a phenomenal success, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit All Stars Helping Kids, Omega Boys Club, Urban Kidz Program and MoAD.)

Ave's death leaves a huge gap in the Bay Area jazz and arts scene. Jazz singer Rhonda Benin also notes, "This a double blow for the African American community… first Diane Howell of Black Expo and Black Business Listings, and now Ave."

Unlike many publicists, Montague could often be found at the events she was promoting, enjoying the music quietly in the background while leaning on her beautifully carved cane. There are far too few jazz publicists left in the Bay Area, and even fewer are in the caliber of Montague. Tim Etheridge wrote for the San Francisco Film Society that Ave said she had started her business with "$200 in the bank, a rolodex and an old computer and a son to feed." Hopefully there will soon come a young journalist or marketing major who loves jazz and is inspired to follow in her huge footsteps.

A memorial service to honor the life of Ave Maria Montague will be held at noon on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at the West Bay Conference Center, 1290 Fillmore Street, in San Francisco. There had been an earlier date set for Ave's memorial, but it was postponed in order to give better notice of the event and because the expected attendees exceeded the capacity of the original venue.