BIRTHDAYS
1915     Napoleon "Snags" Allen, guitarist, b. Macon, GA, USA. d., USA. One of a handful of early electric guitarists who influenced the course of Jazz guitar. His music career was mostly associated with New York City, where he was already an established guitarist by the time Tiny Grimes showed up in the 1930s. His electric guitar undoubtably was an influence on both "Tiny" Grimes and Charile Christian. In the 1950s and '60s, with the demise of the Jazz scene, Allen established himself as a great session player in the New York city recording studios. Though he had often worked with such Jazzmen as "Little Jazz" Ray Eldredge, he would go on to work with 'doo-wop' and later with the 'Motown' sound, and then with artists such as King Curtis and the harder-edged 'Atlantic Funk'. He worked with producer, songwriter, and label manager Joe Davis, cutting sides with the Chicago doo-wop group the Blenders. Still later, Galt MacDermot, the composer of the score to the Broadway show Hair self-released the album 'Shapes of Rhythm'. It may have been one of the very last recordings worked on by Allen.
1915     Jesse Ashlock, C&W songwriter/fiddler, b. Walker County, TX, USA.
1926     Dave Bailey, Drums, b. Portsmouth, VA, USA.
1896     Nacio Herb Brown Jr., composer, b. Deming, NM, USA. d. Sept. 28, 1964, San Francisco, CA, USA. (Cancer) né: Ignacio Herb Brown Jr.. Wife: Actress Anita Page 1934-35. Worked for MGM with lyricist Arthur Freed and wrote such somgs as: Broadway Melody", "You Are My Lucky Star", "Temptation" and "Singing In The Rain". Also composed with Richard Whiting and Buddy DeSylva. As a music publisher, he also managed the sales of songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Fain and many others.
1928     "Texas" Johnny Brown, guitar, b. Choctaw City, MS, USA.
1944     Marc Charig, Cornet/alto-tenor-horn/trumpet, b. London, England
1910     "Spade" Cooley, leader/violin. d. Nov. 23, 1969. né: Donnell Clyde Cooley
1949     Ray Dorsey, guitar, b. UK. Member group: 'Edison Lighthouse', actually a group of backing musicians called 'Greenfield Hammer' assembled for one recording featuring session singer Tony Burrows, singing the Tony Macaulay/Barry Mason composition "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)". In 1970, the song hit No. 1 in the UK, and rose to the US Top 5. By then, Burrows had already moved on to other projects. Macaulay, who still owned the name 'Edison Lighthouse' worked up another line-up still called 'Edison Lighthouse' for recording and touring purposes. However, this new group failed to exploit their chart-topping name. Their weak follow-up, "It's Up To You Petula" managing only to edge into the lower rungs of the UK Top 50.
1938     Roman Dylag, Bass, b. Krakow, Poland
1936     "Ernie K-Doe", R&B vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. July 5, 2001, New Orleans, LA, USA. né: Ernest Kador, Jr. His big hit was "Mother-In-Law." In February 2002, his real-life mother-in-law, Leola Wallace Clark, was buried in the same tomb as K-Doe.
1898     Henry "Bass" Edwards, Tuba/percussion/brass bass, b. Atlanta, GA, USA. d. August 22, 1965, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
1881     James Reese Europe, Leader/Composer, b. Mobile, AL, USA. d. 1919, USA. Prior to the 1917 World War, Jim Europe had been musically very active and had composed and played music for the famous dance team of Vernon and Irene Castle. The Castle's dancing was responsible for the worldwide dancing craze that is still with us today. (Before the Castles, public dancing was frowned upon as being indecent.) During WW1, African American regiments were usually accompanied by bands, the most famous of which was the 369th Hellfighters Regiment Band, led by James Reece Europe. The band was immensely popular in France, not just among American troops but also with the French public. It was this band that introduced many Europeans to jazz and ragtime rhythm. Vaudeville star Noble Sissle was a member of Europe's wartime band (and he remained with Europe's peacetime band too). Europe was murdered soon after the war by a crazed band member, while Noble Sissle and his good friend Eubie Blake went on to make Jazz history by writing music, scoring Broadway shows and recording frequently.
1952     Harriette Green, violin, b. Nashville, TN, USA.
1943     Mick Green, drums, b. Manchester, England. Member groups: 'Johnny Kidd & the Pirates', 'Billy J. Kramer'
1946     Tom Grant, keyboards
1938     Bobby Hendricks, vocals, b. Columbus, OH, USA. Member: 'The Drifters'
1906     Bill Jackson, guitar, b. Granite, MD, USA.
1937     Joe Jonas, harmonica, b. Beaumont, TX, USA.
1932     Dave Jones, Clarinet, b. Ilminster, England
1910     George William Kay, author (book: 2nd Line), b. Springfield, OH, USA.
1922     James Keels, vocals, b. Columbia, SC, USA. Member: 'The CBS Trumpeteers'
1948     Joe LaBarbera, Drums, b. Mount Morris, NY, USA. aka: Joe LaBerbara Joe's younger brother, Pat LaBarbera, is a saxophonist, while his other brother, John La Barbera, is an arranger and composer Joe was formally educated at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and subsequently served 2 years in the U. S. Army, where he played in the Army band at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He first played professionally with Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, after which he became part of the Chuck Mangione Quartet, and finally relocated to New York where he freelanced for a couple of years. Among the Jazz stars with whom he has worded are John Scofield, Art Farmer, Toots Thielmans, Phil Woods, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, Bob Brookmeyer, and Gary Burton. In 1978, Joe was part of the Bill Evans trio with bassist Marc Johnson. When Evans died in 1980, Joe joined pop singer Tony Bennett. Since 1993, LaBarbera has resided in Los Angeles, California, where he has been on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts. LaBarbera is also on the faculty of the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend, Washington, has also served on the National Endowment for the Arts council in Washington, D.C., and has been a guest at many other colleges as both performer and lecturer.
1953     Graham Lewis, bass/co-vocals, b. Grantham, Lincolshire, England. Member group: 'Wire'
1943     Louise Lopez, vocals, b. Virgin Islands, USA (raised in New York, NY, USA). Member group: 'Odyssey', originally consisting of the three sisters Carmen, Lillian and Louise Lopez. When sister Carmen chose to opt out for marriage and domesticity, the other two girls hooked up with Manilla-born singer Tony Reynolds.
1947    Harvey Mason Sr., Drums, b. Atlantic City, NJ, USA. His son, Harvey Mason Jr, is also involved in music as a R&B singer-songwriter
1926     Dorothy McGuire, vocals. née: Marilyn Jeanne McGuire. member: The 'McGuire Sisters' vocal group.
1925     Guy Mitchell, vocals, b. Detroit, MI, USA, d. July 1, 1999, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. (after surgery). né: Al Cernick.
1932     Whitey Mitchell, Bass, b. Hackensack, NJ, USA.
1950     Thomas Moeckel, Trumpet, b. Basle, Switzerland
1945     "Oliver", vocals. d. Feb 12, 2000. né: William Oliver Swofford. Best recalled releases: "Good Morning Starshine", and "Jean".
1898     Tom Rushen, songwriter, b. Tylertown, MS, USA, d. 1990, Cleveland, MS, USA. Age: 92.
1971     Lea Salonga, vocals, b. Manila, Philippines.
1953     John Sparks, guitar/vocals. Member group: 'Dr. Feelgood'.. Sparks was a founding member of the group. In the mid-1980s, former 'Feelgoods' Gypie Mayo, John Sparks and John Martin formed a group that occasionally performed under the name 'Dr. Feelgood's Practice'.
1907     Rex Stewart, Cornet, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. 1967
1902     Joe Tarto, Tuba/Bass, b. Newark, NJ, USA. d. August 24, 1986 (aka: "The Titan of the Tuba"). Among the stars with whom he worked and recorded are Bix Beiderbecke, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Phil Napoleon, Red Nichols, Miff Mole, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, Ethel Waters, and The Boswell Sisters. At age 12, he began to play the trombone, but switched to the tuba. Using a false birthdate, he enlisted in the U. S. Army during World War I, where he also played the tuba in an Army band. In 1919, after being wounded and recovering, he received his Service discharge, and returned to civilian life. In 1920, he toured with Cliff Edwards. During 1922-24, he was a member of Paul Specht's Band. Then resident in New York, he played with the Sam Lanin and Vincent Lopez orchestras, while also working in Broadway pit bands, and arranging for the Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson orchestras. He was with the Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra for 2 years. In 1930, with the start of the great world-wide economic depression, he became a sessions musician, playing the string bass as well as the tuba on radio shows and in theatres.,. In the 1970's and 80's, he led the New Jersey Dixieland Brass Quintet playing mostly Dixieland Jazz.
1912     Buddy Tate, Tenor Sax, b. Sherman, TX, USA. d. Feb. 10, 2001, Chandler, AZ, USA. Age 88/89??. The 1912 year of birth is the earliest date Buddy Tate ever gave to any intereviewer. (Others have reported his birth year as 1913, 1914, and even 1915.) His inspiration for taking up the Saxophone was listening to Frankie Trumbauer. Buddy adored the playing of both Trumbauer and of Bix Beidebecke. His earliest influence was Herschel Evans, and later Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. He was a 'regular' in the Count Basie band, and later led his own group in a Harlem club for 20 years.
1924     Bill Triglia, piano
1933     "T-Bone Walker Jr.", guitar, b. Royse City, TX, USA. His real name is R. S. Rankin, -"T-Bone Walker's" nephew, who went so far as to bill himself as T-Bone Walker Jr.
1936     Eugene Watts, trombone, b: Warrensburg, MO, USA. Member: 'Canadian Brass' ensemble
1922     Joe Wilder, Trumpet, b. Colwyn, PA, USA.
1908     Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Violin/guitar/vocals, b. Muskogee, OK, USA. d. April 25, 2004, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, age: 96. Williams was playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, and cello by age 10, but after he heard Joe Venuti live, he convinced his family to buy him a violin and went on to become a master of blues, ballads, and be-bop, -a true jazz original. Bad luck caused fame to elude Claude "Fiddler" Williams, until fairly late in his life. Very early on, he had played in the Oscar Pettiford family band, and then with Terrence Holder's territory band, remaining with them when the group metamorphosed into 'Andy Kirk's 12 Clouds of Joy'. Following this, he joined the Alphonso Trent band, and then became an original member of Count Basie's first big band, on fiddle, guitar & vocals. However, Jazz critic John Hammond persuaded Basie to replace him and guitarist Freddie Green would hold the guitar chair for the next 50 years with Basie. Williams returned to Kansas City and to obscurity. He remained musically active and finally caught the public's attention, in 1972, through his association with Jay McShann. (Claude had worked with Roy Milton in the early '50s.) He began to tour and to record both as a sideman and as a leader. In 1994-'45 Williams played with the 'Statesmen of Jazz' and was still playing in his late 1980s. He even played at President Clinton's second inauguration. Williams, who died at age 96, was the only remaining link in the Jazz violin lineage who possessed a direct connection with the music's indigenous American roots. His virtuosic playing exhibited a classic, no-frills Jazz without much vibrato, and hewing closely to the chordal structure with loads of feeling.
1920     Del Wood (C&W/honky tonk) piano, b. Nashville, TN, USA. née: Polly Adelaide Hendricks. Del was one of the best female C&W musicians in the history of Country music, and one of the few to make it big playing the piano. Her best-known song is her novelty version of "Down Yonder," which hit both the country and Pop charts in 1951. Although she only had one hit, Wood recorded many albums during her long career.
1960     Atsuko Yamano, vocals/drums/bass, b. Osaka, Japan. Member group: 'Shonen Knife', a group of 3 ladies, -Naoko Yamano vocals/guitar/songwriter, Atsuko Yamano vocals/drums/bass, and Michie Nakatani vocals/bass/composer. (She left the band in 1999.) The band was formed in Osaka, Japan in Dec. 1981.
1897     Bob Ysaguirre, Bass/Tuba, b. Belize, British Honduras, d. March 27, 1982.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1926.    Luny Banstory, banjo, died in New York, NY, USA. With 'Cookesy & Leecan'
1931.    Maurice Chevalier recorded "Walkin My Baby Back Home" (Victor label). 21 years later, singers Nat "King" Cole and Johnny Ray both recorded he same tune, and it was a major hit for both artists.
1956.    The Elvis Presley single "Heartbreak Hotel" was released this date. By April 11, 1956, it had reached #1 on the Pop charts.
1961.    "Little Mike" Mckendrick, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 64
1975.    Saul Bihari, Label co-owner (Modern/RPM/Flair), died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 54
1976.    Florence Ballard, vocals, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 33. Member: 'The Supremes'
1981.    Kermit Chandler, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 37
1985.    Dave Liggions, vocals, died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 72
1994.    Papa John Creach, violin, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 76 Played with group: 'Jefferson Airplane'

         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1945 "Rum And Coca-Cola", Abe Lyman Orch.
      1945 "Rum And Coca-Cola", Vaughn Monroe Orch.
      1945 "Candy", Mercer, Johnny1933"T-Bone Walker Jr.", guitar
      1949 "A Little Bird Told Me", - Evelyn Knight
      1949 "Powder Your Face with Sunshine", - Evelyn Knight
      1949 "Far Away Places", - Margaret Whiting
      1949 "I Love You So Much It Hurts", - Jimmy Wakely
      1957 "Love is Strange", - Mickey & Sylvia vocal.
      1964 "Please Please Me", Beatles
      1964 "Fun, Fun, Fun", Beach Boys
      1965 "My Girl", - The Temptations
      1969 "Traces", Classics IV
      1969 "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left", David Ruffin
      1969 "Time Of The Season", Zombies
      1969 "Run Away Child, Running Wild", Temptations
      1973 "Dueling Banjos", - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
      1975 "No No Song", Ringo Starr
      1986 "Manic Monday", Bangles
      1986 "Rock Me Amadeus", Falco
      1992 "Beauty And The Beast", Celine Dion