April 27 BIRTHDAYS 1917     Denzil Da Costa Best, (Jazz) drums/songwriter, b. New York, NY, USA. d. May 24, 1965, New York, NY, USA (Fractured skull from falling down a New York City subway staircase). Denzil was quite an all-around musician. At age 6, he first began piano lessons, and later also studied the Trumpet. In 1940, he was playing professionally with Chris Columbus and Joe Gordon but had to stop after developing a lung disorder. He then began playing variously as a pianist, double bassist, and drummer. By 1943, the drums had become his main instrument. From 1943-'44, Denzil played the drums with Ben Webster. Then, from 1944 to 1945, he worked with Coleman Hawkins. During 1947-'48, he first played with Illinois Jacquet and then toured Sweden with Chubby Jackson. Between 1949 and 1952, he was a member of George Shearing's quintet (leaving only due to an automobile accident). His recordings with Shearing perhaps best exemplify his subtle brushwork. In 1953, he was back working, and touring as a member of Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five, and later (1955-'56) with Erroll Garner. In the late 1950s he worked in New York with Tyree Glenn and the singer Nina Simone. Among his compositions, perhaps "Move" is his best known. However, others include "Dee Dee's Dance", "Nothing but D. Best", and "Wee" (originally known as "Allen's Alley"). His "Bemsha Swing" usually credits Thelonious Monk as co-composer, but some sources feel that Best was the sole writer, 1932     Maxine Ella Brown, vocals, b. Kingstree, SC, USA. Member group: 'The Browns'. (One of the most underrated Soul and R&B vocalists of the 1960s.) 1925     Howard Carroll, guitar, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Member: 'The Dixie Hummingbirds' 1914     Frances Delaney, vocalist, b. Richmond, VA, USA. As a teenager, sang on Richmond VA's WRVA radio station. Later, she sang with Kay Kyser orch. and subsequently took a position in local music shop where she could help young musicians with scores, etc. Married R.L. Chesson, - two sons: David (alive in 2000) owns advertising agency, older son (deceased) Bob Chesson prominent on local TV/Radio. 1932     Michael Patrick "Mike" Doyle, d. Sept. 14, 1997 at 65; English jazz authority and researcher. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Canadian singer/writer Mike Doyle (of whom one editor noted: " Mike Doyle writes short, introspective pop songs for weak kids.". My My. Tsk Tsk), . There is also a U. S. Congressman Mike Doyle (Dem. PA), who sometimes speaks on musical topics. 1959     Sheena Easton, vocals, b. Belshill, Scotland. née: Sheena Shirley Orr. 1911     Larry Fotine, arranger/conductor, b. Camden, NJ, USA. né: Lawrence Constantine Fotinakis 1951     Paul "Ace" Frehley, guitar, b. New York, NY, USA. Member group: 'Kiss' 1944     Cuba Gooding, Sr., vocals/actor, b. New York, NY, USA. Member: 'The Main Ingredient'. His sons, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Omar Gooding are TV and film actors. 1947     Pete Ham, guitar/vocals, b. Swansea, Wales, UK. d. April 23, 1975, London, England. (Suicide). Member group: 'Badfinger' 1929     Monte Joel, trumpet/trombone/fluegelhorn b: Fitchburg, MA, USA. né: Joel Montgomery Joel. Among the 1940s bands (in the Boston, MA area) with which he played are "The Arcadians" and "The Dixieland Eagles". The first leader of The Dixieland Eagles was Bobby King, the second, Bob Mason. 1932     Casey Kasem, producer, b. Detroit, MI, USA. 1927     Connie Kay, Drums, b. Tuckahoe, NY, USA. d. Nov. 30, 1994 at 67. né: Conrad Henry Kirnon. Best known for his work with the 'Modern Jazz Quartet'. 1931     Krzysztof Komeda, Piano/Composer, b. Poznan, Poland, d. . April 23, 1969 1907     Matty Matlock, Clarinet, alto sax, arranger, b. Paducah, KY, USA. d. 1978, USA. In 1917, Matty's family moved to Nashville, TN. By age 12, Matty was already playing the clarinet, and then began playing the C-Melody Sax. After playing with the 'Blue Melody Boys' and the 'Tennessee Serenaders', he spent 5 years with 'Beasley Smith Orch.' During 1928-9, Matty moved about. He was first with 'Jimmy Joy's Orch.' for 8 months before briefly rejoining Beasley Smith, following which he was with the Tracy Brown band in Pittsburg, PA., and finally replaced Benny Goodman in the Ben Pollack band. He remained with Pollack from the fall of 1929 until 1934 when Pollack disbanded. Matty and other members of Pollack's band remained together and operated under the name of' Clark Randall Orch.' The bandsmen then chose Bob Crosby to be their "frontman", the band changed it's name to 'Bob Crosby Orchestra', and Matty became one of the band's principal soloists. In 1943, when Crosby disbanded, Matty settled in Los Angeles, CA, and was very active broadcasting and recording with such groups as Red Nichols, Bob Crosby and other Dixieland groups. 1947     Michael Melchione, Guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member: 'Buckwheat Zydeco' 1939     Jerry Mercer, drums, b. Newfoundland, Canada. Member group: 'April Wine' 1927     Sal Mosca, Piano, b. Mt. Vernon, NY, USA, d. .July 28, 2007, White Plains, New York, USA. Age: 80 1949     Herbie Murrell, vocals, b. Lane, SC, USA. Member group: 'The Stylistics' 1904     Syd Nathan, label founder (King/Federal), b. Cincinnati, OH, USA. 1933     Calvin Newborn, Guitar, b. Memphis, TN. USA. Brother of pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. 1944     Herb Pederson, banjo/guitar/Producer/Bluegrass, b. Berkeley, CA, USA. Herb grew up immersed in the Bay Area's folk-music scene. In the early 1960s he was playing 5 string banjo and acoustic guitar with people like David Grisman, Butch Waller, David Nelson, and Jerry Garcia. While still a teenager, he formed his first band, 'The Pine Valley Boys', and, in 1961, moved to Nashville. where he found immediate success, working with David Grisman and Vern and Ray through the 1960s. From 1967 to 1972, Herb played (releasing two albums) with 'The Dillards', after which he worked extensively in L.A. studios, collaborating with Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris and John Prine. In Los Angeles, he also worked for TV, scoring the music for such popular shows such as "Dukes of Hazzard" and "Rockford Files." 1947     Ann Peebles, vocals, b. East St. Louis, IL, USA. 1948     Kate Pierson, organ/vocals. b. Weehawken, NJ, USA. Member group: 'The B-52s'. 1959     Marco Pirroni, guitar/songwriter: Member groups: 'Siouxsie and the Banshees', and 'Adam Ant' 1968     Kim Prevost, vocal 1938     Ruth Price, Vocal, b. Phoenixville, PA, USA. 1959     Scott Robinson, Trumpet/Valve Trombone/Euphonium/Clarinet/Sax/Contra-Bass Saxophone/Flute, b. Pompton Plains, New Jersey, USA 1946     Frank Robson, (rock) vocalist , b. Finland. Member Finnish rock quintet: "Tasavallan Presidentti" (President of the Republic), formed 1969 consisting of Juhani Aaltonen (sax and flute b. Dec 12, 1935), Måns Groundstroem (Bassist, b. April 23, 1949) and Frank Robson (vocals, b. April 27, 1946) Jukka Tolonen (Guitar, b. April 16, 1952) and Vesa Aaltonen (drums, b. March 7, 1950) 1909     Jimmy Skinner, (Country) songwriter/performer/DJ/label owner/record salesman, b. Berea, KY, USA. 1967     Tommy Smith, Tenor Sax, b. Luton, England. Son of a Scottish Mother and Polish Father, he was playing tenor sax at age 12. At fourteen he won the best soloist and best group award at the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival and by fifteen had recorded his first albums as a leader - Giant Strides (GFM records) and Taking Off (Head Records). A year later he was at Berklee aged 16. Two years later during his tenure with Gary Burton, and when Smith wasn't touring the world, he formed his own unit, Forward Motion - a quartet that with varying personnel changes remained active through to 1994. When Smith was signed to Blue Note Records in 1989 at only twenty-two years old, he was catapulted to the attention of a World-Wide audience. Hot on the tail of his successful classical recording GYMNOPEDIE and the honour of being Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt Universitys youngest honorary Doctor of the University, 32 year old jazz saxophonist Tommy Smith celebrates his fifteenth and strongest solo release "Blue Smith" (Nov. 1, 1999) featuring John Scofield. 1918     Kirby Stone, leader, b. New York, NY, USA. (One of his hit recordings: "Baubles Bangles & Beads") 1943     Freddie Waits, Drums, b. Jackson, MS, USA, d. November 18. 1989, New York, NY, USA. 1921     Hop Wilson, steel guitar, b. Grapeland, TX, USA.          Notable Events occuring this date include: 1953.    Lew Simpkins, a & r/producer, died in Rochester, MN, USA. Age: 35 1968.    Simon & Garfunkel released "Mrs. Robinson." 1981.    Arelean Brown, vocals, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 56 1981.    Denver Darling, C&W singer-songwriter, died. Age: 72 1984.    Z. Z. Hill, vocals, died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 48 1988.    George McCoy, guitar, died in Belleville, IL, USA. Age: 66 1991.    Jackie Roy, producer, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 59. Worked with Billy Preston 1999.    Al Hirt, trumpeter, died in New Orleans of liver failure (b. Nov. 7, 1922, New Orleans, LA, USA.)          Songs Recorded/Released this date include:      1944   "Long Ago (And Far Away)", Dick Haymes      1944   "Don't Sweetheart Me", Lawrence Welk      1949   "Cruising Down the River" - The Blue Barron Orchestra      1951   "Jezebel", Laine, Frankie      1951   "On Top Of Old Smokey", Vaughn Monroe      1957   "Dark Moon", Guitar, Bonnie      1957   "Mama Look a Bubu" - Harry Belefonte      1957   "White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)", Robbins, Marty      1959   "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)", Byrnes, Edward      1959   "Teenager In Love, A", Dion      1959   "Quiet Village", Denny Martin      1959   "Kansas City", Wilbert Harrison      1959   "Only You", Pourcel, Franck      1963   "Take These Chains From My Heart", Ray Charles      1963   "Two Faces Have I", Lou Christie      1965    "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter" - Herman's Hermits      1965    "I Know a Place" - Petula Clark      1968    "Mrs. Robinson" - Simon & Garfunkel (released this date).      1968   "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", Marvin Gaye      1968   "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day", Stevie Wonder      1968   "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", Dionne Warwick      1973   "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando      1974   "Streak, The", Stevens, Ray      1981    "A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)" - Mickey Gilley      1985   "Heaven", Adams, Bryan      1985   "In My House", Mary Jane Girls      1989   "I'll Be There for You - Bon Jovi      1989    "Like a Prayer - Madonna      1991   "Strike It Up", Black Box      1991   "I Wanna Sex You Up", Color Me Badd      1991   "Miracle", Whitney Houston