BIRTHDAYS
1906     Harold Adamson, lyricist, b. Greenville, NJ, d. Aug., 17, 1980, Beverly Hills, CA. Among his lyrics are: "Time on My Hands," "Winter Wonderland," "Everything I Have Is Yours," and, in 1943, World War II inspired "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer"
1918     Erkki Aho, Trumpet, b. Loviisa (or Lapinjarvi), Finland
1924     Ken Albers, vocals, trumpet flugelhorn, mellophone, b. Woodbury, NJ, USA, d. April 19, 2007, Simi Valley, CA, USA.. Albers attended the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and sang with the Stuarts Quartet before joining the Four Freshmen. In 1948, Ross Barbour, his brother Don Barbour, their cousin Bob Flanigan and Hal Kratzsch formed the 'Four Freshman', a close-harmony group , at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music at Butler University in Indiana. In 1956, when Albers joined, they already had several hit singles. It is not widely known, but iIn addition to singing four-part harmony, they all played instruments and Albers contributed performances on trumpet, mellophone and fluegelhorn. Albers remained with tthe group until 1982.. Brian Wilson, leader of the 'Beach Boys" vocal group often cited the Four Freshmen as an influence on the California surf band's harmonizing sound. During World War II, Albers had served in the U.S. Army
1971     Scot Alexander, grunge bassist b. ??Santa Barbara, CA, USA. Member group: 'Dishwalla', a group consisting of lead vocalist J.R.Richards (b. April 30, 1972 ), Guitarist Rodney Browning Cravens, Bassist Scot Alexander, Percussionist Pete Maloney and Keyboardist Jim Wood.
1941     Franco Ambrosetti, Trumpet/flugelhorn, b. Lugano, Switzerland
1893     Lew Brown, Lyricist, b. Odessa, Russia, d. Feb. 5, 1958, New York, NY, USA. né: Louis Brownstein - Team of De Sylva, Brown and Henderson.
1937     Gary M. Carden, trumpet/fluegelhorn, b. Saginaw, MI, USA. d. July 22, 2003, Traverse, MI, USA. (Stroke)   while still a child, his family moved to Manistee, MI, where Gary attended Manistee High School and where he was involved in the band, In 1959, he graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in business, and returned to Manistee, MI to work in his father's Chevrolet dealership. Later, he joined the United States Army, and served in Germany. Upon his discharge, he made Traverse, MI, his home. During the 40 years that Gary lived in Traverse City, he formed the Slabtown Marching Society, the Little Big Band, the Gary Carden German Band, the Gary Carden Big Band, and many smaller musical groups. Gary often arranged music for these bands and even composed some of his own pieces. His Slabtown Marching Society CDs received glowing reviews in such newspapers as 'The Mississippi Rag' and the prestigious 'The New York Times'. In addition, The Slabtown Marching Society also appeared nationwide in Jazz festivals in St. Louis, Davenport, Sacramento and Wisconsin. In addition to leading his own bands, Gary played his horn with Michigan groups such as the 'Epsilon Jass Band', the 'New Reformation Jazz Band', the 'Back Room Gang', the 'Cadillac Symphony' and big bands under the direction of such musicians as Ralph Harris, Dave Sporny, Chris Bickley, and Mike Hunter. In 1968, he also sat in with the nationally renowned 'The World's Greatest Jazz Band'. Gary and his wife Betty also enjoyed playing together in the NMC Concert Band and the Benzie Symphony. Late in his life, Gary's spiritual journey brought him to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. Interestingly, while still a student at 'Central Michigan University', Gary had formed a traditional New Orleans Jazz band called "The Beavers." They played all around the central Michigan area during those years, and, after Gary's demise, people at the memorial service and visitations still recalled that band.
1948     Jessica Cleaves, R&B/Soul vocals, b. Los Angeles (Beverly Hills), CA, USA. Member group: 'Friends of Distinction', a vocal -jazz-soul- harmony- group formed in the 1960's with Harry Elston, Floyd Butler, Jessica Cleaves, and Barbara Love. discovered by football player Jim Brown who introduced them to RCA records.
1953     Eugenio Colombo, soprano sax/flute
1914     Archie Craig, trumpets, b. Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK, d. Oct. 1988.
1932     Bob Cranshaw, Bass/electric bass, b. Evanston, IL, USA.
1954     Geoff Deane, vocals, b. U.K. Member groups: 'Modern Romance' and 'Leyton Buzzards'. The "Buzzards" were Vernon Austin - guitar/vocals; Geoff Deane - vocals; David Jaymes - bass/vocals; and Kevin Steptoe - drums.
1912     Irving Fazola, Clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. March 20, 1949
1950     Jim Ferguson, Acoustic Bass/guitar/vocal, b. Jefferson City, Missouri, USA né: James Warner Ferguson. This Jim Ferguson has enjoyed a very wide and varied career in Jazz.
CAUTION: There is a Jim Ferguson who was the business manager "Bill Haley and The Comets" And, there is the Jim Ferguson who contributed the guitar history entry and 14 biographies to The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, and has compiled several collections of historic performances for the Fantasy, Rhino, and Concord labels. A former editor (14 years) of 'Guitar Player Magazine', he also wrote for many international publications. He has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland, California, and has studied with George Barnes, Red Varner, Lenny Breau, Jose Rey de la Torre, and David Tanenbaum. He is also an educator who teaches jazz guitar at California State University, Monterey Bay.
1963     Ole Amund Gjersvik, Bassist/Tango Dancer, b. Norway. When he is not leading his own group, he dances and teaches Argentine Tango. Ole is most active in Norway, but has toured Europe. He also has recorded 6 albums as leader.
1913     Morton Gould, Composer, b. Richmond Hill, NY, USA. d. Feb. 21,1996
1958     John Goldsby, bass, b. Louisville, KY, USA
1957     Paul Hardcastle, vocals/record producer/keyboards, b. London, England. 1985 single "Nineteen" charted UK No.1.
1923     Linda Hayes, vocals, b. Linden, NJ, USA. née: Bertha Williams
1950     L. J. Johnson, guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1926     Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones, blues vocals, b: Greenwood, MS, USA. d: 1959, (pneumonia). né: Eddie Lee Jones. "Guitar Slim" is considered to be one of the fathers of 'electric blues guitar' (aka: Eddie "One String" Johns) Eddie's son, Rodney "Guitar Slim Jr. Jones, was a fixture on the 'Black' New Orleans club circuit for the better part of 20 years.
1946     Chris "Ace the Bass" Kefford, bass, b. Yardley Wood, England. Member group: 'The Move'
1914     Dorothy Lamour, Actress/vocals, d. Sept. 22, 1996, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. née: Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton. Matriculated Brooklyn College, NY, USA. Mostly an actress and a strickly "Pops" singer - no Jazz - but she looked great in a sarong crooning "Tahaitian" music written by a composer who sat in his room in Brooklyn, NY, and gazed wistfully out his window at the Brooklyn Bridge. In 1931, she was named 'Miss New Orleans' Dorothy first worked as a Chicago elevator operator, She then became the band vocalist for bandleader Herbie Kaye, her first husband. In 1936 she made her screen debut in Paramount's "The Jungle Princess", wearing what was to become her "trademark" Sarong. During the 1940s, she was a 'staple' in the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "Road To..." pictures. Of those films, she once said "I was the happiest and highest-paid straight woman in the business."
1941     Michael Lang, Piano, keyboards, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1932     Lee LaVergne, label owner (Lanor Records), b. Church Point, LA, USA.
1894     Vincent Lopez, Piano/Leader, b. Brooklyn, NY, d.Sept., 20, 1975, Miami, FL, USA.
1909     Stuart MacKay, woodwinds, b. Montreal, Canada
1965     Joseph Mascis, guitar, b. Amherst, MA, USA. né: Joseph Donald Mascis Jr. Member group: 'Dinosaur Jr.', an indie guitar band from Amherst, MA, consisting of Joseph Mascis (vocals, guitar), Lou Barlow (bass) and Murph (drums), but eventually becoming more of a solo project for J. Mascis.
1919     Eddie Miller, C&W songwriter, b. Camargo, OK, USA.
1949     "Pops" Mohamed, percussionist and traditional African instruments: the kora, mbira and African mouth bow, b. Bemoni, South Africa.
1934     Pat Moran, piano, b. Enid, OK, USA. née: Helen Mudgett
1913     Ray Willis Nance, Trumpet/violin/vocals/dancer, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Jan. 28, 1976. A Duke Ellington Orchestra stalwart.
1933     Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Reeds/flute, b. Gustrow, Germany
1931     Geneva Pinder, vocals, b. Small Hope, Andros. Member: 'The Pinder Family
1939     Pekka Poyry, Reeds/flute/clarinet/piano/vocals, b. Pori, Finland, d. August 4, 1980
1951     Johnny Rodriguez, C&W vocals, b. Sabinal, TX , USA. né: Juan Raul Davis Rodriguez
1953     Diane Schuur, vocals, b. Tacoma, Washington, USA
1937     Don Sebesky, Trombone/Composer/arranger, b. Perth Amboy, NJ, USA.
1970     Kevin Sharp, (C&W) vocals, b. Redding, CA, USA. né: Kevin Grant Sharp.
1943     Chad Stuart, (folk/rock)Vocals/Guitar/Piano, b. Windemere, England, UK. Member group: 'Chad & Jeremy'
1948     Ralph Tavares, vocals, b. Cape Verde IS. Member: 'The Tavares'
1937     Fritz Trippel, Piano, organ, vocal, b. Chur, Switzerland
1927     George Andrew Tucker, Bass, b. Palatka, FL, USA. d. Oct. 10, 1965, New York, NY, USA.
1963     Tim Vesely, Bass/Vocals, b. Toronto, Ont, Canada. Member group: 'Rheostatics'
   Notable Events occuring this date include:
1959.    Avery Parrish, piano, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 42
1967.    Ronald Caldwell, keyboards, died in Lake Monona, WI, USA. Age: 19. Member: 'The Bar-Kays'
1967.    Carl Cunningham, drums, died in Lake Monona, WI, USA. Age: 18. Member: 'The Bar-Kays'
1967.    Phalon Jones, sax, died in Lake Monona, WI, USA. Age: 18. Member: 'The Bar-Kays'
1967.    James King, guitar, died in Lake Monona, WI, USA. Age: 18. Member: 'The Bar-Kays'
1967.    Otis Redding, guitar/songwriter, died in Lake Monona, WI, USA. Age: 26. Otis was known as the "King of the Soul Singers". He died in a airplane crash that also took the lives of 'The Bar-Kays'. Redding was the biggest star of the Stax/Volt label.
1968.    Bill Cox, the "Dixie Songbird" died.
1976.    Willie Trice, guitar, died in Durham, NC, USA. Age: 66
1982.    Jimmie Riddle, one of the "Smokey Mountain Boys," died Nashville, TN, USA.
1982.    Ken Hanna, trumpet, arranger, leader, died in El Cajon, California, USA.
1984.    Charlie Teagarden died in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Age: 71.
1986.    Fred Stone, trumpet, died in Toronto, ON, Canada.
1987.    Leroy Elliott "Slam" Stewart, bass, died in Binghampton, NY, USA. Age: 73, Member duo: 'Slim & Slam' (Slim was "Slim" Gaillard, né: Bulee Gaillard, guitar/piano, b. (most likely) January 4, 1916, Detroit, MI, USA. (Slim claimed b. in Santa Clara, Cuba, instead of Detroit. His father worked as a steward on a cruise liner), d. Feb. 26, 1991, (cancer)
1988.    D. M. Steinberg, publisher ('Record World'), died in Livingston, NJ, USA. Age: 82
1990.    Edward O'neal, vocals, died in Chesterfield, MO, USA. Age: 53.
1995.    Darren Robinson, vocals, died in Rosedale, NY, USA. Age: 28. Member: 'Fat Boys'
1996.    John Duffey, Bluegrass musician, died (heart attack). Age: 62. (b. March 4, 1934, he was called: 'The Father of Newgrass'. Duffey was the founder of two of the most influental groups in Bluegrass music, 'The Country Gentlemen' and 'The Seldom Scene'.
   Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1930     Mood Indigo, - rec'd by Duke Ellington Orch.
1942     Dearly Beloved, - Glenn Miller Orch.
1942     Moonlight Becomes You, - Glenn Miller Orch.
1948     Lavender Blue, - Dinah Shore
1955     Band Of Gold, - Don Cherry
1966     Sugar Town, - Nancy Sinatra
1977     Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), - Chic
1977     Love Is Thicker Than Water, - Andy Gibb
1977     Just The Way You Are, - Billy Joel
1977     Short People, - Randy Newman
1983     Karma Chameleon, - Culture Club
1983     That's All, - Genesis