BIRTHDAYS
1944     John Abercrombie, Guitar, b. Port Chester, NY, USA.
1946     Benny Andersson, singer/songwriter, b: Sweden. Member: 'ABBA'
1888     Michael Angelo, Bandleader, violin, trumpet. b: Catania, Sicily, Italy, d: March 5, 1945. né: Michael Francis D'Angelo
1933     Ron Anthony, guitar, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
1938     John Allan Cameron, singer/songwriter/guitarist/fiddle, b. Glencoe Station, N.S., Canada.
1964     Jeff Carson, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Tulsa, OK, USA.
1899     Noel Coward, playwright, composer, vocals, actor, b. Teddington (London suburb), England, UK, d. March 26, 1973, Jamaica, BWI, (Heart Attack). né: Noel Peirce Coward. His play 'In Which We Serve' won a 1942 Academy Award, but almost every play he wrote was a "hit'. Among his plays were 'The Vortex' (1924), 'Hay Fever' (1925 - a 'hit' in London, a 'flop' in New York), 'On With The Dance' (1925), 'Fallen Angels' (1925), 'Easy Virtue' (1925), 'The Queen Was in the Parlour' (1926), 'The Rat Trap' (1926) and 'The Constant Nymph' in 1926. During the autumn of 1927, two of his weakest plays were produced in London with disastrous results. The Mayfair comedy 'Home Chat' closed after a few weeks, and his 'Sirocco' enjoyed one of the most infamous opening nights in theatrical history. It was a sordid tale of free love among the wealthy, and the wealthy audience responded to this with jeers and cat-calls, -even fist fights after the final curtain. When Coward faced the mob at the stage door, they spat at him. 1927 saw the production of his 'The Marquis', followed by 'This Year of Grace' (1928), 'Bittersweet' (1929), 'Private Lives' (1930), and 'Cavalcade' (1931). Now at the peak of his popularity, Coward wrote and directed the London revue 'Words and Music' (1932), which included the song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and the romantic ballad "Mad About the Boy." He follwed this with one of his most daring plays, 'Design For Living' (1933), in which he co-starred with friends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. In 1933, he also wrote, directed and co-starred with French soprano Yvonne Printemps in the London and New York productions of 'Conversation Piece'. In 1936, he wrote, directed and starred in the London and New York productions of 'Tonight at 8:30' a demanding set of nine one-act plays and musicals performed in repertory. In 1939, World War II began when Britain declared war on Germany and Italy. After briefly serving as a secret agent in Paris, France, Coward began touring and entertaining troops in Europe, Africa and the Far East (often covering the expenses himself). In 1942, he turned out a trio of hit plays, including 'Present Laughter', 'This Happy Breed', and his biggest wartime hit 'Blithe Spirit' Still in 1942, Coward wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film 'In Which We Serve', the story of a British destroyer and its crew. Coward played the captain, a character based on his friend Lord Louis Mountbatten. The years following the war were difficult for Coward. He continued to turn out plays and musicals but with the exception of the London revue 'Sigh No More' (1945), most of these works met with failure. Tastes had changed; still, Coward could only be Coward. Then, British postwar taxes became crippling, and Coward made the difficult decision to become an expatriate. He relocated briefly to Bermuda before settling in Jamaica. He did meet with some success in America, - surprisingly after his appearance at a Las Vegas casino. He continued to be quite active, even living in Switzerland for awhile, but eventually returned to, and died in Jamaica.
1918     Pierre Delanoë. Lyricist, b. Paris France, d. Dec. 27, 2006, Fourqueux, France. né: Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer. Nicknamed: "The Pope of French Song". His list of credits include an estimated 4000-5000 songs over an incredible 50-plus-year career. His songs have been recorded by every popular artist from Edif Piaf to Petula Clark to the Evely Brothers to Frank Sinatara to Elvis.
1931     Karl Denver, vocals, b. Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, d. Dec. 21, 1998, (brain tumor). né: Angus Murdo McKenzie, b. 1931, NOT 1934. Member: 'The Happy Mondays'
1948     Jim Dvorak, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA.
1937     Joe Farrell, Tenor-soprano Sax, flute, b. Chicago Heights, IL, USA. d. Jan. 10, 1986, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1907     Bernard Flood, Trumpet, b. Montgomery, AL, USA.
1954     Joe Fonda, bass
1951     Robben Lee Ford, Guitar, b. Woodlake, CA, USA.
1897     Robert Alexander Gardner, C&W singer-songwriter/guitar, b. Oliver Springs, TN, USA. Member: "Mac & Bob" (Mac: Lester McFarland, b. February 2, 1902, Gray, Kentucky, USA. Vocals/Songwriter/Harmonica/Mandolin/Fiddle)
1950     Billy Gibbons, (Texas Blues) guitar, b. Houston, TX, USA. Member group: 'ZZ Top', (aka, That Little ol' Band from Texas), was formed in 1969, and consisted of Billy F. Gibbons (guitar, b. Sept. 16, 1949, Houston, TX, USA), Dusty Hill (bass, b. May 19, 1949, Dallas, TX, USA), Frank Beard (drums, b. June 11, 1949, Dallas, TX, USA), and Bill Mack Ham (manager, b. 1937, Waxahachie, TX, USA.
1937     Jim Glaser, C&W vocals/guitar. né: James William Glaser and 'The Glaser Brothers' vocal group.
1898     Lud Gluskin, b: New York, New York, USA. d: Oct. 13, 1969. né: Ludwig Elias Gluskin. GLuskin began his career as a drummer, working in various venues of his home towm of New York. Moving to Europe, he later led his own Jazz band in Berlin clubs, most notably the "Barberina" in Berlin, featuring some of the best American and European talents, notably Gene Prendergast and George Haentzschel. By the late 1930s, the German Nazis were making life difficult for many Jazz stars, and Gluskin returned to the USA, where he soon found work in the Hollywood studios. In 1939, he was Oscar nominated for the first score he worked on, "The Man in the Iron Mask". During most of the 1940s, he worked for RKO pictures, where he oversaw the music direction on such films as "Lil Abner", "Abroad with Two Yanks" and "The Return of Monte Cristo". In the beginning of the 1950s, as the age of TV dawned Gluskin was one of the first to write for the new medium. He became music director for "The Ed Wynn Show", "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "Gunsmoke", and "The Johnny Carson Show", while also continuing to write for the films In the mid 1960s, Gluskin retired to Palm Springs, California, and died in 1969. Age: 70
1923     Mladen "Bobby" Gutesha, Composer/leader/trombone, b. Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
1933     Johnny Hammond, see Johnny Hammond Smith below.
1945     Tony Hicks, guitar/12 String/Banjo/Electric Sitar/Mandolin/vocals, b. Nelson, Lancashire, England. né: Tony Christopher Hicks. 'Member group: The Hollies', group consisted of Tony Hicks, Alan Coates (Vocals & Guitar), Ian Parker (Keyboards, Accordion & Vocals), Ray Stiles (Bass Guitar & Vocals), Carl Wayne (Lead Vocals), and Bobby Elliott (Drums & Percussion).
1959     Steven Irvine, drums, b. Buxton, England. Member group: 'Lloyd Cole and the Commotions'. (Cole was b. Jan. 31, 1961, Buxton, England.)
1943     Radu Malfatti, trombonist, composer, b. Innsbruck, Austria. In 1965, after studying architecture for 2-1/2 years, he turned to music instead. During 1965 -1970, he studied music under Eje Thelin at the "Akademie für Angewandte Kunst und Musik" in Graz, Austria. Malfatti subsequently toured in Europe, North America, Canada, and Japan. Among his "stop-overs" are playing in 1970 in Amsterdam, 1972 in London, 1975 in Zürich, Switzerland, 1977 in Florence, Italy, 1978 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1980 in Berlin, and 1982 in Köln, Germany, and since 1997 in Vienna, Austria. Besides playing with fellow trombonist Eje Thelin, he has performed with virtually every improviser in the whole world, including King Übü Örchestrü, Elton Dean’s "Ninesense", Misha Mengelberg’s ICP, Barry Guy’s London Jazzcomposers Orchestra, Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, Joe McPhee, Marten van Regteren Altena, Albert Mangesldorff, Dave Holland, John Stevens, stephan wittwer, Roscoe Mitchell, Taku Sugimoto. Anthony Braxton, Barre Phillips, Arjen Gorter, Paul Lovens, Peter Kowald, Paul Rutherford, Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley, Ulrich Gumpert, Steve Lacy, Irene Schweizer, Peter van Bergen, Pierre Favre, Paul Lytton, Evan Parker, Peter Kowald, John Butcher, George Lewis, and many others. In 1980, he began composing and subsequently received commissions from Gunter Schneider, Christina Ascher, Melvyn Poore, Wolfgang Guttler, and others. In 1985, he formed his own 13 piece orchestra: "Ohrkiste", and in 1995, became a member of the composer’s collective "Wandelweiser". Organizes In 2000, he organized concerts in Vienna, Austria (George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess"), and a yearly "Wandelweiser – Festivals", at the ":Friedrichshof", in Burgenland, Austria. Since 2000, besides his concerts in Europe and in Japan, he had formed a close relationship with Japanese guitarist Taku Sugimoto. He has recorded LPs and CDs for the Splash, Edition Wandelweiser, Ogun, Incus, Fmp, Hat Hut, In’n’Out, and other labels. , He has also recevied commissions for film and theater in Cologne Germany
1972     Michael McCary, bass vocalist, b. North Philidelphia, PA, USA. Member group: 'Boyz II Men'
1946     Rene McLean, alto-soprano-tenor saxes, shakuhachi, flute, piccolo, percussion, vocals
1930     Sam Most, Flute/tenor sax/clarinet, b. Atlantic City, NJ, USA. Abe Most's brother.
1915     "Turk" Murphy, Trombone/leader, b. Palermo, CA, USA, d. May 30, 1987 in San Francisco, California, USA.
1932     Sylvester Rankin, guitar, b. Evergreen, AL, USA
1906     Peter Rasmussen, Trombone/Leader, b. Horsholm, Denmark
1895     Andy Razaf, Lyricist, b. Washington, D.C., USA, d. Feb. 3, 1973, North Hollywood, CA, USA. né: Andrea Menentania Paul Razafinkeriefo. Neph. of Quenn Ranavalona III of Madagascar. Among his lyrics are: "Honeysuckle Rose", music Fats Waller. "Ain't Misbehavin'", Waller's music. "Black and Blue", a hit for the young Louis Armstrong. "I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling", Waller and Harry Link music. "Memories of You", w/Eubie Blake music. "In The Mood" w/Joe Garland music, "Stompin' at the Savoy" w/Edgar Sampson music. "S'posin'", with Paul Denniker. "Keeping Out of Mischief Now", with Fats Waller music. "Louisiana", with lyricist Bob Schafer, and J. C. Johnson music. This song was a big Paul Whiteman Orchestra hit recording.
1932     Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin, Composer, b. Moscow, USSR. Rodion studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Shaporin Basically, a Classical music composer, his works sometimes have Folk music overtones.
1932     Shelby Singleton, label owner (Sun Records), b. Waskom, TX, USA.
1933     Johnny "Hammond" Smith, piano/organ, b. Louisville, KY, USA. d. .June 4, 1997, Chicago, IL, USA. (cancer) Age: 63. né: John Robert Smith. As a child, Johnny idolized pianist Bud Powell and Art Tatum, and began to study the piano. When the family moved to Cleveland, OH, young Johnny, then working as an accompanist for singer Nancy Wilson, heard "Wild" Bill Davis playing the organ and decided to switch instruments. In 1958, he made his professional debut on the organ. (William Strethen "Wild Bill" Davis, b. Nov 24, 1918 in Glasgow, MO, USA. d. Aug. 17, 1995, Moorestown, NJ, USA. "Wild" Bill Davis played with Count Basie; Duke Ellington; Earl Hines; and Louis Jordan. He helped to provid a bridge from the 1930s and ‘40s big band Swing to the organ-driven R&B of the 1950s and '60s. Together with guitarist Floyd Smith and drummer Chris Columbus, Davis set the framework for the jazz organ combo sound.)
1915     "Cub" Teagarden, Drums, b. Vernon, TX, USA. d. 1969, né: Clois Lee Teagarden. 'Cub' was the youngest brother of the Teagarden family.
1949     James ("Sugar Blue") Whiting, harmonica, New York (Harlem), NY, USA
1918     Joe Zinkan, C&W multi-instrumentalist/back-up singer/session player, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1907.    Eugene H. Farrar -singing "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"- became the first singer to broadcast on radio. (At a studio in New York city's Brooklyn Navy Yard. )
1945.    Jack Jenney, trombone, died in Los Angeles, California, USA. né: Truman Eliot (Jack) Jenney
1963.    Tom Delaney, piano, died in Baltimore, MD, USA. Age: 74
1963.    Charles Pace, vocals, died in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Age: 77. Member: 'Pace Jubilee Singers'
1969.    Leo Mathiesen, arranger, piano, accordion, leader, composer, goofus, vocals, died in Copenhagen, Denmark né: Hans Leo Mathisen.
1970.    Charles Edward Smith, producer (for Folkways Records), died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 66
1978.    Blanche Calloway, piano/bandleader, died in Baltimore, MD, USA. Age: 76
1978.    Jenny Lou Carson (née: Lucille Overstake), C&W vocals/composer, died. Age: 63. Included among the many songs this lovely lady wrote are "Some Day, Somewhere Sweetheart", "I'm Looking For A Sweetheart, Not A Friend", and "I Left My Heart In Texas". However, among her biggest hits were her first No. 1 hit "You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often", also recorded by Tex Ritter, "Jealous Heart", also recorded by Tex Ritter, and perhaps her biggest hit "Let Me Go, Lover", recorded by such artists as Hank Snow, Patti Page, Peggy Lee, Teresa Brewer, Sunny Gale and Joan Weber, among others. Jenny/Lucille was one of the original "Three Little Maids" comprised of the Overstrake sisters, Jenny/Lucille (1915-1978), Eva Overstake (aka: Judy Martin, who married Red Foley. She committed suicide by an overdose of sleeping tablets, allegedly after finding out that Foley was having an affair with Sally Sweet -whom he later married), and Evelyn (b. 1914).
1980.    Keith Christie, trombone, died né: Ronald Keith Christie. His brother was clarinetist Ian Christie. They co-led an ensemble called 'Brothers Stompers'
1983.    Harry Miller, South African born bassist, died in the Netherlands. Age: 81.
1988.    Sylvester (né Sylvester James), vocals, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 42. Caution. Do not confuse with other "Sylvesters". This "Sylvester" was born Sept. 1944, in Los Angeles, CA, USA. One of the few artists of his era who was not afraid to openly acknowledge his homosexuality, he died of AIDS-related complications.
1992.    Sylvester "Piggy Back" Boines, bass, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 61
1997.    Nicolette Larson, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar/Actress, died of liver failure. Age: 45 (b. July 17, 1952, Helena, Montana, USA)
2004.    Martha Carson, C&W singer-songwriter, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 83 (b. May 19, 1921, Neon, KY, USA) In 1939, she married mandolin player James Roberts, who was the son of the legendary fiddler, Doc Roberts. In 1951, she and James were divorced, and from that point on she pursued a solo career as a singer-songwriter.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1943     Shoo-Shoo Baby , - Ella Mae Morse
1952     "Darn That Dream" and "The One I Love", Teddy Wilson Trio. J. Simmons bass, Buddy Rich, drums.
1957     Raunchy, - Billy Vaughn, Billy
1967     Bend Me, Shape Me, - American Breed
1967     If I Could Build My Whole World Around You, - Marvin Gaye, Marvin
1967     Chain Of Fools, - Aretha Franklin
1967     Judy In Disguise (With Glasses), - John Fred, and His Playboy Band
1972     You're So Vain, - Carly Simon
1978     September, - Earth, Wind and Fire
1978     Fire, - Pointer Sisters
1989     Janie's Got A Gun, - Aerosmith