BIRTHDAYS
1888    Harry Archer, Leader/composer, b. Creston, IA, USA. d. April 23, 1960, New York, NY, USA. Also listed in our BigBands Database    here
1962     Mark Arm, guitar. Member group: 'Mudhoney'
1903     "Scrapper" Blackwell, guitar, d. Oct. 7, 1962. né: Francis Hillman Blackwell
1969     James Dean Bradfield, vocals/guitar, b. Newport, Gwent, England. Member group: 'Manic Street Preachers'
1952     Jean-Jacques Burnel, bass/vocals. Member group: The Stranglers
1958     Mary Chapin Carpenter, singer-songwriter, b. Princetown, NJ, USA. Among her hit releases are "I Feel Lucky" (1992), "Passionate Kisses" (1993), and "Shut Up and Kiss Me" (1994),
1925     Henri Francois Chaix, pianist/bandleader/arranger. b. Geneva, Switzerland, d. June 11, 1999. In 1943, He began playing professionally as a member of "Loys Choquart's Dixie Dandies". In 1951 he joined soprano saxophonist Claude Aubert's band and in 1960 he assumed its leadership. He led his own orchestras from 1962 to 1971, also providing Ellington small-group type of arrangements highlighting his very gifted soloists, particularly Roger Zufferey (as) and Michel Pilet (ts). During the early Seventies the band was reduced to the trio format with Romano Cavicchiolo (dm) and the former band guitarist Alain Du Bois on bass. This extremely coherent and firmly swinging trio continued a very successful career until February 1997 which marked the untimely death of Du Bois. Since then, Chaix and Cavicchiolo have chosen the Duo formation, realising there is no replacement possible for the lost friend as a human being and as an artist. Over time, Chaix was also called to accompany a huge number of overseas stars like Sidney Bechet (1951-55), Bill Coleman 1951-78), Albert Nicholas (1954-72), Stuff Smith (1965-67), Buck Clayton (1965-69), Rex Stewart (1966), Ben Webster (1967-72), Ray Nance (1968), Benny Carter (1968), Guy Lafitte (1968-93), Buddy Tate (1971), Clark Terry (1972-89), Mickey Baker (1976), Earl Warren (1982), Roy Williams (1983-96), Doc Cheatham (1987/92), Lucien Barbarin (1988/90), Bob Barnard (1990-98), Jesper Thilo (1991-98), etc. For decades Chaix has also worked with top Swiss musicians such as Oscar Klein, The Tremble Kids and The Hot Mallets. His recordings cover more than 40 pages with nearly all of the above mentioned artists and many more. His piano style, continually evolving to this day started with blues and stride roots and has reached new peaks in today's sophisticated and urbane modern swing. It is particularly evident on three excellent Trio CDs on Sackville Records (1990/93/96).
1938     Bobby Charles, songwriter, b. Abbeville, LA, USA. (né: Robert C. Guidry)
1986     Charlotte Church, vocalist.
1931     Max Collie, Trombone, b. Melbourne, Australia
1937     Graham Collier, Composer, b. Tynemouth, England
1917     Tadd Dameron, Piano/arranger/Composer, b. Cleveland, OH, USA. d. March 8, 1965. né: Tadley Ewing Peake Dameron
1942     Bob Day, trumpet/composer, b. Toronto, Canada. Member group: 'The Bob Day Quartet', comprised of Bob, Derek Stoll (piano), Kai Poscente (bass), and Robin Tufts (drums).
1968     Joe Farnsworth, drums, b. USA. Bandleader Roger Farnsworth had 5 sons, all of which were exposed to "modern Jazz" (a la Stan Kenton). As a child, Joe would often play on one of his older brother's (David) drum set. Joe later attended William Paterson College, studying with pianist Harold Mabern Jr. and drummer Arthur Taylor. Among the artists with whom Joe has subsequently worked are Bob DeVos (guitar),Kenny Drew (bop piano), Junior Cook (sax), Cecil Payne (bari sax), Harold Mabern (piano), Steve Davis (trombone), Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), David Hazeltine (piano), and Jim Rotondi (trumpet), among others (mostly 'bop' based musicians).
1956     Gregg Field, drummer/recording engineer, b. Oakland, California, USA Among those with whom he has worked are Bob Florence and Louie Bellson
1949     Hiroshi Fukumura, Trombone, b. Tokyo, Japan
1943     David Geffen, music producer, b. New York, NY, USA. Founded Asylum Records, which company managed The Eagles and Joni Mitchell. In 1972, the company was sold to Warner for $7m.
1930     Eddie de Haas, Bass/guitar, b. Bandoeng, Java
1969     Corey Harris, (rural blues) vocals, b. Denver, CO, USA.
1949     Jerry Harrison, keyboards, b. Milwaukee, WI, USA. Member group: 'Talking Heads'
1979     Jennifer Love Hewitt, vocals, b. Waco, TX, USA.
1932     Eddie Higgins, piano
1972     Christian Howes, violin, arranger, guitar, vocal, b. Rocky River, Ohio, USA
1957     Chris Hunter, All Reeds, recorder, flute, piccolo, b. London, England, UK.
1956     Kali, Please see: Jean-Marc Monnerville - below.
1930     Felix Mayerhofer, Trombone, b. Port Chester, NY, USA. Started with Eddie Grady and the Commanders, and went on to play with many other bands. For 14 years, Felix toured with big bands, and ended his career in the showrooms of Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Interspersed during those years, Felix went to Juilliard School of Music, served with the 552 Air Force Band during the Korean War, received his B.S. from the State University of New York at Potsdam, and an M.A. from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA. Felix married Shirley Wagner (Wagonseller), a professional dancer at Harrah's Club in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Their son, David, a fine trombonist and business owner of iLimo Inc., lives in Los Angeles, California. Felix has written 35 children's stories, two having been published since he retired as a band director for the Palmdale School District in Palmdale, CA. He also wrote jazz choral arrangements for the Palmdale High School Choir, and big band jazz arrangements for area high schools.
1956     Jean-Marc Monnerville, percussion, banjo, b. Fort-de-France, Martinique. aka: "Kali".
1945     Paul Newton, bass guitar/vocals. Member group: 'Uriah Heep'
1962     Josef Porta, drums, b. Templecombe, Somerset, England. Member group: 'Blyth Power'
1961     Ranking Roger, vocals, b. Birmingham, England. né: Roger Charlery.
1927     Don Reno, C&W star, d. Oct. 16, 1984. member: 'Don Reno and Red Smiley'
1951     Herb Robertson, Trumpet/flugelhorn/cornet, b. Plainfield, NJ, USA.
1961     Rhonda Rucker, vocals, b. Louisville, KY, USA. Member: 'Rhonda and Sparky Rucker'. Afro-American folk singer, Slide guitarist, Folklorist, and storyteller James “Sparky" Rucker (b. 1946, Knoxville, TN, USA) is closely associated with the folk legacy of the Appalachians, and has managed to combine his love for the Blues with songs from the Black ballad tradition. Rucker revives and reinterprets the bygone lore of Black outlaws and Cowboy heroes, railroad songs, prison songs, freedom songs, spirituals, and more. "Sparky's" wife, "Rhonda, is a talented performer who accompanys her husband on both harmonica and harmony vocals. However, she really shines on the harmonica, -reflecting her study of Sonny Terry's techniques and her study with harmonica wizard Phil Wiggins.
1945     Akira Sakata, Alto Sax/bass clarinet, b. Hiroshima, Japan
1910     "Big" Al Sears, Tenor Sax, b. St. Albans, NY, USA. d. 1990, USA. In 1928, he replaced Johnny Hodges in the Chick Webb band; From 1931-'32, worked with Elmer Snowden; 1941-'42 with Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy Orch.; 1943-'34 with Lionel Hampton, and for most of 1934-41 with his own groups. In 1944, he joined the Duke Ellington orchestra, remaining for 5 yeears. Curiously, fate caused his work for Ellington to be overshadowed by his predecessor, Ben Webster, and then by his successor, Paul Gonsalves. 1951-52, he worked with the Johnny Hodges' group. By the 1960s, he was mostly in semi-retirement.
1893     Andres Segovia, b. Spain, d. June 2, 1987, the Principal Classical Guitarist of the 1900s.
1933     Nina Simone, Vocal/Piano, b. Tryon, NC, USA. d. April 21, 2003. née: Eunice Kathleen Waymon. As a song writer, her best recalled tune is "To be Young Gifted and Black"
1922     Seymour Solomon, Label Owner/Violinist, b. New York, NY, U.S.A, d. July 18, 2002, Lenox, MA, USA. U.S.A. Co-founder and the president of Vanguard Records. While serving in the U. S. Armed Forces, he played for The Air Corps Orchestra
1914     Tommy Stevenson, Trumpet, b. ?, d. 1944
1943     Duncan Swift, Piano/Trombone, b. Rotherham, England, d. Aug. 8, 1997
1951     Warren Vache Jr., Cornet, trumpet, flugelhorn, b. Rahway, NJ, USA.
1921     Ronnie Verrell, Drummer, b: Rochester, Kent, U.K., d: Feb. 22, 2002, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK. (Chest infection due to a fall on the stairs of his home). A child of non-musical parents, he had no interest in music until his mother took him to see the 1938 film Hollywood Hotel. It was the exciting Benny Goodman Quartet's performance in the film that inspired him to become a musician. A self-taught drummer (save for one lesson from the famed drummer Max Abrams), Verrell first played professionally in World War II, after his evacuation from Rochester (Wales) to Porthcawl. He had already guested with the organist Glan Evans, and later with a band led by saxist Jack Morgan. Upon returning to Kent, (at age 17) he joined a local band led by pianist Claude Giddins. There, Verrell formed a friendship with the tenor saxophone player Tommy Whittle that would last a lifetime. After Giddins, these two men also played for the Belgian trumpeter Johnny Claes, quite a star in Britain at the time. Verrell didn't join the Armed Forces during WW2, but worked as a "Bevin boy" in the coal mines as an alternative to active military service. After the war, he worked in clarinettist Carl Barriteau's band for two years. In 1948, Ronnie went to Munich with Leslie Holmes and the 'Londonaires Dance Orchestra', then returning for a two-year engagement with Cyril Stapleton (1949-'51). In September 1951, he left Stapleton for the Ted Heath Band, where he replaced the previous drummer Jack Parnell. He remianed with Heath from 1951 to 1964. Starting in 1964, when Heath retired, Verrell began to freelance and was very much in demand in the London studios. He played drums on some of the 'Dave Clark's Five' recordings. (Of course, Dave Clark was a fine drummer himself.) He next joined the Jack Parnell band, playing on ATV, and worked there for 10 years. During this period, Verrell also became the hard-worked drummer on The Muppet Show. On one of the Muppet shows, drummer Buddy Rich guested and had a memorable drum duet with Verrell. Verrell had by that time an international reputation. Visiting American musicians, bandleader Dave Pell for one example, would seek him out to work with them when they visited Britain. He subsequently backed a great many stars, including Winifred Atwell, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and a variety of pop groups. In 1980, he accompanied the singer Tom Jones for a while in Los Angeles, California before returning to studio work in London. Now and then, he appeared with the 'Pizza Express All Stars' and, from 1981 on, was often to be seen with the 'Syd Lawrence Orchestra'. From 1995 onwards he led his own quintet, featuring clarinettist Dave Shepherd, playing the music of Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton. In the late 1990s, he was badly injured in a car accident, but continued to play. In November 2001, Ronnie fell down the stairs at his home, crushing a vertebrae in his neck. An operation was scheduled for February 7th, but after he was given the anaesthetic he had difficulty breathing and the operation was abandoned. Ronnie was still in the hospital when he died of a chest infection just one day after his 76th birthday. Verrell was also a keen cricketer with many friends in Kent County Cricket Club and later, when he moved to London, at Lord's.
1967     Michael Ward, guitar. Member group: 'The Wallflowers', a group formed by singer-songwriter, Jakob Dylan (b. 1970, Los Angeles, CA, USA), guitarist Tobi Miller, keyboard player Rami Jaffee, bassist Barrie Maguire, and drummer Peter Yanowitz, and signed to Virgin.
1951     Vince Welnick, keyboards, b. Phoenix, AZ, USA. Member groups: 'The Tubes', and 'The Grateful Dead'
1927     Donald "Don" Reno Wesley, (bluegrass) Banjo/guitar, b. Spartanburg, SC, USA. Member: "(Don) Reno & (Red) Smiley", formed in 1951 with Don Reno and Arthur Lee Smiley, Jr., b. May 17, 1925, Asheville, North Carolina, USA, Guitar.
1970     Eric Wilson, bass. Member group: 'Sublime'
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1981.    Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" hit #1 on the pop music charts.
1982.    Murray "The K" Kaufman, New York City DJ (Radio WINS), died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. (cancer). Age: 60. He was called "The Fifth Beatle"
1992.    Eva Jessye, vocals, died in Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Age: 97. Member: 'Eva Jesse Gospel Choir'
1977.    Nolan Strong, vocals, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 43. Member: 'The Diablos'
1979.    Ray Whitley, (Western) vocalist and 'cowboy' film star, died Baja California, Mexico.
1980.    Janet Vogel-Rapp, vocals, died in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Age: 38. Member: 'The Skyliners'
1980.    Theo Wade, (gospel) vocals/DJ, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 73. Member: 'Spirit Of Memphis'
1984.    Leslie York, C&W Vocals/Guitar, died. He was part of the harmony duo of brothers Leslie and George York. (Leslie: b. August 23, 1917, Louisa, Kentucky, USA, d. February 21, 1984; George: b. Feb. 17, 1910, Louisa, Kentucky, USA, d. July, 1974)
2001.    C&W vocalist Malcolm Yelvington died Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 82. Perhaps his biggest hit was "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee".
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1941    "Oh, Look At Me Now", Dorsey, Tommy
1946    "Oh! What It Seemed To Be", Haymes, Dick
1946    "Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", Herman, Woody
1947    "Anniversary Song", Beneke, Tex
1947    "Heartaches", Weems, Ted
1948    "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", - The Art Mooney Orchestra
1948    "Ballerina", - Vaughn Monroe
1956    "Rock and Roll Waltz", - Kay Starr
1956    "Lisbon Antigua", - Nelson Riddle
1956    "Sixteen Tons", - Tennessee Ernie Ford
1964    "I Want to Hold Your Hand", - The Beatles
1964    "You Dont Own Me", - Leslie Gore
1970    "House Of The Rising Sun", Frijid Pink
1981    "Don't Stand So Close To Me", Police
1987    "Don't Dream It's Over", Crowded House
1987    "Lean On Me", Club Nouveau
1987    "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", Genesis
1987    "Final Countdown, The", Europe