BIRTHDAYS
1951     Nancie Banks, Singer, composer, arranger, bandleader, copyist, clinician, b: Morgantown, WV, USA, d: Nov. 2002, New York, NY, USA.
NOTE: The following information was abstracted from Ms Banks own website.
"Born Nancy Manzuk .....and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Nancie's parents were both musicians, her mother a classical pianist, and her father a singer in the church choir with a four octave range. Nancie began piano lessons with her mother at the age of four. She moved to New York City and studied with Barry Harris, Alberto Socarras, a pioneer of Afro-Cuban Jazz, Edward S. Boatner, who wrote many of the spiritual arrangements still sung in Black churches today, and Jazzmobile Workshops, Inc., founded by Dr. Billy Taylor. She sang as the leader of her own quartets and quintets around town as well as with big bands, including the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Nancie has worked with Sadik Hakim, Walter Davis Jr., John Hicks, Barry Harris, Dexter Gordon, Woody Shaw, Michael Max Fleming, Walter Booker, Bob Cunningham, Bross Townsend, Duke Jordan, Jon Hendricks, Walter Booker, Walter Bishop Jr., C. Sharpe, Charli Persip, and many others. She considers her spiritual mentors to be Charlie Parker, Thad Jones, Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra. In 1989, she was given a scholarship to study in the Jazz Department at the New School University. It was in the school's student big band, led by Cecil Bridgewater, that her own big band, the 19-piece Nancie Banks Orchestra was born. The result is an exhilarating swinging band which has always featured top notch musicians. They work in clubs around the New York City area, as well as festivals, concerts & private parties. Recent appearances include an invitation to bring her band to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts annual Mary Lou Williams Women's Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. Her debut recording, "Waves of Peace" won accolades from critics, and was among the nominees for "Best Jazz Records of the Year" in the Village Voice Critics poll. Subsequent releases have also been very favorably received, and are getting airplay all over the United States, and some places in Japan, France, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Russia, the Ukraine and other countries. She teaches private students, does college and high school clinics, and was a Visiting Professor of Vocal Jazz at the City University at the request of Ms. Sheila Jordan for a year while she was on tour. Nancie has also worked as a music copyist and music preparation supervisor. Major motion picture soundtrack credits include Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" and "Housesitter" which featured Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, composed by Miles Goodman and orchestrated by Oscar Castro Neves. Her Broadway show credits include "Swingin' On A Star" and record dates which have been Grammy award winners for the Count Basie Orchestra, George Benson, and Diane Schuur. She has also worked as a music copyist for Buck Clayton, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Joe Chambers, Jack Jeffers, Monty Alexander, and many others. She is happily married to her soulmate, best friend and husband, trombonist Clarence Banks."
NOTE: Nancie was found dead in her apartment, and no specific date of demise is known.
1945     Joe Beck, Guitar, b. Philadelphia, PA. USA
1954     Michel Benita, bass
1936     Jean-Charles Capon, Cello, b. Vichy, France.
1916     Charlie Christian, Guitar, b. Bonham (near Dallas), TX, USA, d. March 2, 1942, New York, NY, USA. Age: 25 (tuberculosis and pneumonia). Charlie is a true anomaly in the world of Jazz guitar. On one hand, he is probably the best known of the very early electric Jazz guitarists, and at the same time, probably the one about whom the least is known. When he died in 1942, he left a legacy of Jazz guitar work that influenced both the guitar players of his period, as well as those that have since followed. (Incidentally, -that legacy, was created, basically, in just the 3 year period when he recorded with Benny Goodman's band.) Yet, after his demise, he was buried in a small unknown Black cemetary in Bonham, Texas, -in a grave without the normal marker. His final resting place was unknown to the world until two young (21 year old) musicians, guitarists Kevin Centlivre and his friend Craig McKinney, finally interviewed Charlie's brother, Clarence Christian, and then traveled to Bonham, Texas to view Charlie's gravesite. Very early in his career, Charlie worked in the small clubs throughout the Mid-west area of the USA. Guitarist Eddie Lang was one of his early influences. In 1939, John Hammond heard Christian playing and immediately decided to introduce him to (his brother-in-law) Benny Goodman. It is said that Goodman at first rejected the idea of listening to Charlie, and that feeling was re-inforced when, on the afternoon of August 16, 1939, an encounter at a recording studio also did not go well at all. Still, Hammond's faith in Christian was strong, and one night when the Goodman band was playing at the 'Victor Hugo' restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, Hammond, without consulting Goodman, put Christian on the bandstand. It is said that Goodman was quite displeased with this, and called for a song he assumed that Christian would be unfamiliar with, "Rose Room". That night, played by the trio of Hampton on vibes, Charlie Christian on electric guitar, and bassist Artie Bernstein, "Rose Room" lasted forty minutes. At first, Christian listened to the Chords, and then began the first of perhaps twenty solos, -all them different, all with electric guitar, all unlike anything Goodman had ever heard. The song finally ended, and Christian found himself a member of the Goodman orchestra. Shortly afterwards, the Benny Goodman Sextet recorded their wonderful version of "Flying Home", with Charlie Christian on guitar. For the next three years, Christian was heard playing in both the Benny Goodman orchestra and the Goodman small combos. Charlie made most of his recordings with the Benny Goodman units (for the Columbia label). However, there are also a few recordings of Charlie playing live at Minton's in New York. At just 25 years of age, Christian contracted tuberculosis, and his demise was hastened by complications of pneumonia. P.S.: Clarence Christian, whose information enabled Centlivre and McKinney to locate Charlie's grave, died on January 28, 1979. In 1994, a headstone and historical marker were erected at Charlie's gravesite during a ceremony sponsored by the Texas Historical Society and the Fannin County Museum of History.
1946     Neal Doughty, Keyboards Member group: 'REO Speedwagon'
1928     Pat Hawes, piano/vocal/washboard/celeste/leader. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Patrick Hawes, the English Classical composer (although he did contribute the tune "Song of the Soul" to the 1999 movie 'Being John Malkovich')
1924     Gerald Hirt, trombone. Brother of Al Hirt (Né: Alois Maxwell Hirt, Trumpet, b: Nov. 7, 1922, New Orleans, Louisiana d: April 27, 1999, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
1942     David Joel Horowitz, piano, keyboards, b. USA.
1966     Miles Hunt, vocals/TV presenter, b. UK. Member: 'The Wonder Stuff'
1921     Nick Jerret, clarinet/leader, b. Sommerville, MA, USA. né: Nicholas Bertocci. Nick is a clarinet player and teacher and mentor to many jazz players young and old. Early on, he had played with Vaughn Monroe and recorded with Charlie Ventura. His sister was singer France Wayne.
1972     Simon Jones, bass, b. UK. Member group: The Verve. 1997 single "The Drugs Don't Work" rose to No. 1 on the UK Charts.
1936     Alan Lee, Vibes/Leader, b. Melbourne, Australia.
1953     Geddy Lee, Bass/vocals. b. UK. Member group: Rush
1919     Victor Lewis, Guitar/cornet/vocals/Leader, b. London, England.
1909     Bernard Mackey, guitar, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA. Member: 'The Ink Spots'
1966     Martina McBride, C&W vocals.b. Kansas, USA.
1962     Martin McCarrick, guitar, Member group: "Therapy?"
1973     Wanya Morris, R&R vocals, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA Member 'Boyz II Men'
1911     Norman Payne, trumpet, b. England, UK, d. Feb. 11, 1992
1900     Don Redman, Alto Sax/clarinet/vocal/arranger/composer/Leader, b. Piedmont, WV, USA. d. Nov. 30, 1964. né:Donald Matthew Redman.
1887     Sigmund Romberg, composer, b. Szeged, Hungary, d. Nov. 9, 1951, New York, NY, USA. Among the operetttas he compsed are The Desert Song, Blossom Time, The Student Prince, and Up in Central Park.
1956     Patty Scialfa, vocals. She started as a singer in the Bruce Springsteen Band, -now she's Mrs Springsteen.
1933     Randy Sparks, member: 'The New Christy Minstrels'
1930     Jimmy Stewart, co-founder Stax label/bandleader, b. Middletown, TN, USA. Brother of Stax label co-founder Estelle Axton. The family had moved to Memphis, TN, where the children rew up attending local schools. Stewart served in the Special Services section of the U. S. Army, where he played the violin. He studied Business at Memphis State University graduating in 1956. He found a position working in a bank, but he still played fiddle in Western swing bands around Memphis. His older sister, Estelle Axton (b. Sept. 11, 1918, d. Feb. 24, 2004, age: 85), was working as a teller at the Union Planter's Bank also in Memphis. Circa 1957, Stewart began recording music in his garage. In time, that activity developed in the "STAX" label, which he co-founded with his older sister, Estelle. As a result of a hit release by a local star (a country and western song named "Blue Roses" by a disc jockey named Fred Bylar), the label came to the attention of Jerry Wexler, VP of Atlantic Records. Many other hits soon followed, (often co-released with Atlantic Records) as well as under a subsidiary of Stax, - the Volt label. CAUTION Do NOT confuse with movie star Jimmy Stewart (who, - by the way, did "sing" one song (Cole Porter's "Easy to Love") in one film (1936), 'Born To Dance' starring dancer Eleanor Powell.
1959     John Sykes, Member groups: 'Thin Lizzy', 'Whitesnake'
1953     Gary "Geddy" Lee Weinrib, vocals/bass, b. Toronto, Canada. member group: 'Rush'
1907     Albert "Al" Wynn, Trombone, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. May 31, 1973.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1965.   The Queen of England attended the premiere of the motion picture, Help!, starring The Beatles.
1978,   Glen Goins, vocals died in Plainfield, NJ, USA. Age: 24 (sang with group: 'Parliment ' )
1981,   Sydney Kyte, violin, piano, leader, died. (b. June 1, 1896, Stamford Hill, London, England, UK,)
1984.   Famed orchestra leader Fred Waring died. Age: 84.
1988,   Pete Drake, age 55, steel guitarist/producer, died Nashville, TN, USA.
1995,   Canray Fontenot, (zydeco) violin, died in Welsh, LA, USA. Age: 72
1996,   Bill Green, alto sax, died. (b. Feb. 25, 1928, . Kansas City, KS, USA.)
1997,   Chuck Wayne, guitarist, died. Age: 74, (b. Feb 27, 1923, New York, NY, USA )
1999,   Anita Carter, age 66, "Carter Sisters," died, Goodlettsville, TN, USA.
2003,   Luther Henderson, arranger, conductor, died. (Cancer) Age: 84. (b. March 14, 1919 )
2005,   Al McKibbon, bassist, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. (b. Jan. 1, 1919, Chicago, IL, USA)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1918   "Hindustan", - Joseph Smith Orch.
1929   "I Got The Stinger", - Jabbo Smith's Rhythm Aces.
1929   "What Kind of Man Is You", - Mills Hotsy Totsy Gang.
1929   "Black and Blue", - Jungle Band (Duke Ellington Orch).
1929   "Kansas City Kitty", - Harry Reser's Syncopators.
1938   "Now It Can Be Told", - Teddy Wilson Orch.
1940   "Don't Let It Get You Down", - Leo Reisman Orch.
1943   "Paper Doll", - Mills Brothers
1949   "Someday", - Vaughn Monroe
1957   "Diana", - Paul Anka
1957   "White Silver Sands", - Don Rondo
1967   "All You Need Is Love", - The Beatles
1967   "Pleasant Valley Sunday", - The Monkees
1989   "18 And Life", - Skid Row
1989   "Shower Me With Your Love", - Surface