BIRTHDAYS
1961     Joe Ascione, drums, b. New York, (Brooklyn), NY, USA
1940     Ronnie Baker, guitar/bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1922     Les Baxter, leader, piano, vocal, arranger, composer, producer b. Mexia, TX, USA. d. Jan. 15, 1996, Newport Beach, CA, USA.
1944     Boris Brott, violin/conductor, Founder of the Boris Brott Festival.
1954     Jann Browne, (C&W) singer-songwriter, b. Anderson, IN, USA.
1912     Les Brown, Leader, alto sax, b. Reinerton, PA, USA. d. Jan. 4, 2001, Los Angeles, CA, USA (Lung Cancer) né: Lester Raymond Brown. Born into a musical family. Later played in bands at New York Military Academy and Ithaca College. At Duke University, organized a dance band (with students), and in 1936, left campus touring as The Duke Blue Devils. Disbanded when parents demanded the students return to school; While still in College, Brown supported himself writing arrangements for other bands. RCA-Victor Records helped him get an engagement at New York's Edison Hotel. In September 1940, his band played the New York World's Fair, and added a young vocalist, -Doris Day. Two years later, he adopted the band's tagline of 'Les Brown and His Band of Renown'. Both of Brown's brothers, Warren and Clyde were in the band. Clyde, nick-named 'Stumpy', played trombone and sang (during a 50 year career). When he was just 13, Les' son, Les Jr., (born 1940) made his debut in a clarinet duet with his father. (At 16 Les Jr., began touring as drummer and vocalist.) In 1942, while the band was playing at the famed 'Hollywood Palladium', the 'Band of Renown' appeared in their first movie, Seven Days Leave, starring Lucille Ball and Victor Mature. After the Big Bands era ended, Brown disbanded and made few appearances. In addition to his own musicality, Brown always hired innovative arrangers whose 'swinging' versions of classics such as "Bizet Has His Day," "March Slav" and "Mexican Hat Dance." greatly helped the band achieve wide popularity. Today (2003), his son Les Brown Jr., is a syndicated Radio Disc Jockey.
1947     Roy Budd, (film music) composer/piano, b. Mitcham, Surrey, England, UK, d. August 7, 1993, Age: 46. Budd was a child prodigy who first taught himself to play piano by ear, and to play the mighty Wurlitzer organ. At age six, he made his London Coliseum debut. By age 12, beside regularly appearing on television, he also gave a command performance for the royal family at the London Palladium. While still a teenager, he formed a Jazz trio with bassist Pete Morgan and drummer Chris Karan. At age 16, he quit school play professionally. In 1968, he worked on his first film soundtrack (1970's 'Soldier Blue'), and continued on to become one Britain's busiest film composers throughout the decade, scoring well over two dozen pictures. Shortly after completing a new symphonic score for the 1925 silent adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera", Budd died suddenly at just age 46.
1925     Sonny Cohn, Trumpet, b. Chicago, IL, USA, d. November 7, 2006. Chicago, IL, USA. né: George Thomas Cohn. During his teenage years, Sonny played in his piano-playing sister's trio, "Frances and her Rhythm Kings". The third member of the trio was drummer George Rhodes, who would later become Sammy Davis Jr's musical director. In 1945, Cohn joined up with drummer Red Saunders, playing in his sextet and later orchestra. In 1960, Count Basie heard Cohn playing with Saunders and persuaded him to join the legendary swing orchestra. Eventually, Cohn became Basie's first trumpet and road manager and handled some of the arrangements. Cohn stayed on after Basie's death in 1984, but he retired from the orchestra in the 1990s. After that he played with the Morris Ellis Band and with tenor saxophonist Von Freeman. Ca. 2003, Cohn had heart bypass surgery, but soon resumed playing. He traveled the world with Count Basie, and appeared on more than 185 albums, playing behind such legends as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. While with Basie or in session work, just some of the names with whom Cohn played with includes Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Quincy Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1975, he played before Queen Elizabeth II.
1953     Carri Coltrane, vocals, b. Phoenix, Arizona, USA. née: Carolyn E. Thompson. aka: Carrie Thompson
1951     Rick Dees, DJ (radio KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, CA) b. Memphis, TN, USA. né: Riedon Osmond Dees III. Dees is heard daily. His "Weekly Top 40 Countdown" radio show is heard weekly by more than 50 million people over 300 affiliated stations in 23 countries. He has appeared in such films as La Bamba and Jetsons: The Movie. Has a star on Hollywood's 'Walk of Fame', and was the recipient of ten consecutive ~Billboard Number One Radio Personality of America awards
1904    Voltaire "Volly" De Faut, Clarinet, b. Little Rock, AR, USA. d. May 29, 1973, Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 69. 1973. De Faut once told pianist Art Hodes (who was interviewing him for an article in 'Downbeat' magazine) that at one time he was playing with three bands. (aka: "Volly" De Foul). He played in the 'Canton Tea Garden' from 12 noon to 2pm, then at the 'Moulin Rouge Cafe' from 3 till 6pm, and finished at his regular job at the Friars Inn with the NORK (New Orleans Rhythm Kings). Mike Fritzel owned all three locations which were on the corner of Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Avenue. 'The Friars Inn' was considered to be a "hang out", a place where customers came in late and stayed late. Among the customers, one could often see theatre artists, and such gangsters as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion. The club was filled to capacity every night. De Faut told Hodes that the Pay was good: "a seven day week in the Friars Inn earned De Faut $150 plus $100 in tips. One customer would give the band a $1000 as a tip; while another might gave $500." He tald of one customer, high on bootleg liquor, who liked to tear a hundred dollar bill in pieces and give the pieces to different members of the band. (De Faut told Hodes that one of the bandsmen would take all the pieces home and glue them together again.) In the Downbeat article De Faut told Hodes why he considered the NORK to be such a great band: "I've never played in a band or heard a band that had the rhythm that band had. I can't describe it, but at least one or two times a night they would do things to me that I've never experienced since? We had Ben Pollack on drums, he was tops. Steve Brown would do things on bass; he picked a bass like no one today. He made the Whiteman band and he didn't read?" In the same Art Hodes interview, De Faut mentioned working with Charlie Straight in the 'Rendez-vous Cafe' in Chicago, a venue that supplied the 'Sparkling Water' (for a price) to young people who brought their own 'bootleg booze' with them. He told Hodes that When he was with the Charlie Straight band, one day "....[Bix Beiderbecke] came in off a freight train. We got him cleaned up, bought him clean clothes, and he went right to work. But he drank. I saw him sober one night. Tremendous". De Faut didn't record with the Straight Orch., but did later with Ray Miller's band. De Faut told Hodes that Miller once owed him $750 for recordings, but that Miller lost considerable sums of money due to his gambling habit. However, one day Volly found Ray with $35,000 in bills under his silk shirt. He got his money! With the Economic Depression of 1929, De Faut told Hodes that "it was all over", and he left for Detroit, MI. During the difficult 1931-1932 depression years, Volly De Faut had a steady job with the orchestra of radio station WGN. In early 1942, although almost 38 years old, DeFaut was drafted into the U. S. army, -thanks to one of his neighbors, a member of the local draft board, who didn't like him. De Faut spent the next two years in Pomona, California, where he led a military band, and organized some shows for the troops. He also found an opportunity to study music for a year at St. Louis University. This enabled him to later teach music at elementary and secondary schools in Buffalo, NY, and in Oklahoma. In the '50s, Volly returned to Chicago, but for a long time could find no work in music. He was able to work as a veterinarian, having acquired some experience in working with dogs during his California sojourn. He also started breeding dogs. During this same period, he also found work as a hotel chef and a house painter. Finally, Volly De Faut joined up with his old friend Art Hodes, and toured numerous times with Art throughout the USA. (Fortunately they also cut some sides for Bob Koester's Delmark label.) It is surprising to see how often Volly De Faut's name pops up in early Chicago Jazz. De Faut is on photos of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and built an impressive discography of recordings with Jelly Roll Morton, Muggsy Spanier, Jean Goldkette, Ray Miller, Merritt Brunies and Boyd Senter. De Faut originally played an Albert or 'simple'system clarinet, but his teacher got him to change to the more flexible Boehm system.
1924     Joe Dolny, Trumpet/Composer, b. Cleveland, OH, USA.
1955     Boon Gould, guitar. Worked with group: 'Level 42'. Heard on songs "The Chinese Way", "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)", "Hot Water"
1919     Luther Henderson, arranger/conductor, d. July 29, 2003
1907     Edward Heyman, lyricist. Among his hit songs are "Body and Soul" (his first hit), "Out of Nowhere" , "I Cover the Waterfront", and many more.
1900     Ernest "Bass" Hill, bass, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA, d. Sept. 16, 1964, USA.
1933     Quincy Jones, Arranger/Trumpet/bandleader/record producer, b. Chicago, IL, USA. né: Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. He composed film scores, and TV show themes; This bandleader; record producer; and arranger received 25 Grammys, Grammy's Trustees Award (1989), Grammy's Legends Award (1990); He was Musical Director for Mercury Records, then VP; Later established Qwest Records) By age 12 he was playing trumpet and singing in a Gospel quartet. He studied music at Boston's Berklee College of Music, remainign there until he was able to tour with Lionel Hampton's band as a trumpeter, arranger, and sometime-pianist. In 1951, he moved to New York where he began to concentrate on arranging. The mid-1950's found him arranging and recording with artists such as Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Big Maybelle, Dinah Washington, Cannonball Adderly, Billy Eckstein, and LeVern Baker. He subsequently worked with Frank Sinatra and others. In 1974, he married 'Peggy Lipton' (-divorced 1989; 2 daughters). He is the Godfather of singer Patti Austin. During the period of 1991-1997, he "lived" with Nastassja Kinski, - chosen by 'People' (USA magazine) in 1996 - as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. They had 1 daughter, Kenia b.1993. Quincy has appeared in music videos and was the conductor/producer of the song "We Are The World." He has continued to expand his horizons, and is still active, -the driving force behind Qwest Records.
1947     Jona Lewie, vocal/keyboards, b. UK. né: John Lewis.
1848     Theodore Metz, composer, b. Hanover, Germany, d. 1936, USA
1911     Joe Mooney, Vocal, piano, accordion, organ, b. Paterson, NJ, USA. d. May 12, 1975, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA (stroke). In the early 1920s, Joe became blind. In 1926, he made a professional debut with his brother Dan in a (New Jersey) radio act, where Joe played piano and both brothers sang From 1929-'31, they recorded both as "The Sunshine Boys" and also as "The Melotone Boys". 1935, he began to play the accordion. In 1937, Dan left the music business, and Joe formed a sextet for a date at Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook club in New Jersey, In 1938, he joined Buddy Rogers. During this time, he was also contributing charts for Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez, Larry Clinton and Les Brown, plus vocal arrangements for the Modernaires. In 1943, he formed a quartet (with clarinet, guitar and bass) that was active up to 1949. Joe played accordion and sang with the group. In 1946, Critic/Reporter Michael Levin, writing in Down Beat, hailed the quartet as "..the most exciting musical unit in the U.S.. The quartet disbanded in 1949, and Joe continued playing the Hammond Organ in the "Embers" and other New York City clubs. In the 1950s, Mooney worked as a vocalist with the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, in 1953 he recorded with Johnny Smith, and in 1954 moved to Florida, where he continued to play the organ. in comparative obscurity, . He later took up residence in in Florida, working chiefly in small clubs. He won the "DownBeat Magazine" critic's poll for Organ in 1954.
1932     Mark Murphy, Vocals, b. Syracuse, NY, USA
1945     Michael Martin Murphey, guitar/ Singer-songwriter/Banjo/Actor, b. Oak Cliff, TX, USA (Suburb of Dallas).
1921     Frank Otterson, Violin/sax, b. Oslo, Norway, d. May 22, 1971.
1945     James O'Rourke, vocals/guitar. Member group: John Fred & His Playboy Band. In 1968, his single "Judy In Disguise" reached No.1 in the USA, and No.3 in the UK.
1931     Bob Paisley, (Bluegrass) bandleader/Guitar/Mandolin/Clawhammer Banjo/Harmonica, b. Ashe County, NC, USA.
1945     Walter Parazaider, reeds, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member group: 'Chicago'.
1946     Jim Pons, bass/vocals, b. Santa Monica, CA, USA. Member group: 'The Turtles'.
1931     Phil Phillips, (Cajun Rock) Vocals. b. Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA. né: John Phillip Baptiste. His only big hit song: "Sea of Love" .
1957     Chris Redburn, vocals/guitar, b. UK. Member Groups: 'The Corrs', and 'Kenny' (their 1975 single "The Bump" charted UK No.3)
1957     Vanessa Rubin, vocals, b. Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Vanessa is a Classically trained vocalist who switched to Jazz early on.
1940     Christian Schwindt, Drums, b. Helsinki, Finland
1934     Shirley Scott, organist, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA, d. March 10, 2002, Philadelphia, PA, USA. First studied piano, then played trumpet in high school before taking up the Hammond B-3 organ. In the late '50s, she found national recognition with her Prestige dates with tenor sax great Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Her crisp Swing style, and virtuosity at the Organ, earned her the sobriquet of "Queen of the Organ". She recorded mostly with former husband Stanley Turrentine (their marriage lasted from 1961 to 1971) In 1995, Ms. Scott began taking the drug called 'Fen-Phen'. By 1997, that drug "cocktail", had developed 'primary pulmonary hypertension', forcing her to be hooked to an oxygen tank 24 hours a day. In February 2000, she won an $8 million settlement against American Home Products, manufacturers of the now-banned diet drug Fen-Phen, and the doctor who prescribed it to her. She died at Presbyterian Medical Center after a long battle with heart disease.
1947     Peter Skellern, singer/songwriter, b. Bury, Lancashire, England.
1929     Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers, guitar/vocals, b. Lexington, MS, USA, d. July 23, 1993, Chicago, IL, USA. (In 1956, he played second guitar for Howlin' Wolf's band.) Also played with Blues harmonica player Louis "Little" Boyd (b. Aug.24, 1924, Carthage, MS, USA.)
1804     Johann Strauss, Sr., Composer, b. Vienna, Austria, d. Sept. 24, 1849, Vienna, Austria.
1952     Akira Tana, Drums, b. San Jose (raised in Palo Alto), CA, USA. Tana is a nisei (second-generation Japanese-American). In 1970, he graduated from Gunn High School. As a teenager, he played in a rock band and was exposed to jazz mostly through his older brother. His father led various Buddhist congregations around the Bay Area, and his mother played koto and piano. Tana became a devoted jazz convert after acquiring a used copy of Miles Davis' classic 1966 album "Miles Smiles." After graduating from Harvard, Tana decided to pursue music full time at the New England Conservatory. He also studied privately with Boston Symphony Orchestra timpanist Vic Firth. During his eight years in Boston, MA, he played with such artists as Milt Jackson, Sonny Stitt and Helen Humes Today, he is perhaps best known as the co-leader of 'TanaReid', a band he founded with bassist Rufus Reid (b. Feb. 10, 1944, Atlanta, GA, USA). After working, and teaching at various New York city colleges, he returned to Belmont, CA. Akira Tana has developed into one of the foremost drum performers in modern jazz. An active clinician and teacher.
1983     Jordan Taylor Hanson, rock vocals, b. Tulsa, OK, USA. Member Group: 'Hanson'
1953     Carolyn E.Thompson, Please see Carri Coltrane above.
1935     Milt Turner, drums
1945     Herman van Veen, vocals, b. The Netherlands.
1942     Jerry Jeff Walker, (C&W) Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, b. "Ronald Clyde Crosby," Oneonta, NY. né: Ronald Clyde Crosby.
1914     Robert "Pete" Williams, guitar, b. Zachary, LA, USA.
1961     Bob Woodruff, (C&W) singer-songwriter, b. Suffern, NY, USA.
Notable Events occuring this date include:
1879.    Mathmatician Albert Einstein born this date in Ulm, Bavaria. d. April 18, 1955
1941.    Xavier Cugat orchestra recorded "Babalu", with Miguelito Valdes vocal.
1957.    Frank "Josh" Billings, drums, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 53
1963.    Barney Pritchard, (hillbilly) Guitar, died. Age: 58, Member of the "Scottdale String Band", members included Charlie Simmons (Banjo, Mandolin), Marvin Head (acoustic Guitar), John Rody (acoustic Guitar).
1972.    Linda Jones, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 28
1980.    Dr. Alan Merriam, author, died in Warsaw, Poland. Age: 56
1981.    Billy Davis, drums, died in Wilmington, DE, USA. Age: 43
1988.    Herb Jones, vocals, died in Boston, MA, USA. Age: 80. Member: 'The Jones Brothers'
1990.    Larry "Big Twist" Nolan, vocals, died in Broadview, IL53
1991.    "Doc" Pomus, songwriter, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 65. Member team of 'Pomus & Shurman'
1996.    Dale Potter, (C&W) fiddler, died. Age: 66
2000.    Tommy Collins, (C&W) singer/songwriter/guitarist died in Ashland City, TN, USA. Age: 69
Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1940 "Hep Cat's Ball", Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
     1927 "East St. Louis Toodle-o," March 14, Duke Ellignton Vocalion Recording
     1941 "Babalu", Xavier Cugat Orch. w/Miguelito Valdes vocal (Col.) Years later, Desi Arnaz made it a hit.
     1941 "Amapola", Jimmy Dorsey Orch
     1941 "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem", Glenn Miller Orch
     1946 "Shoo-Fly Pie (And Apple Pan Dowdy)", Stan Kenton Orch
     1946 "Oh! What It Seemed To Be", Charlie Spivak Orch
     1947 "Anniversary Song", Andy Russell
     1952 "I'll Walk Alone", Don Cornell
     1952 "Forgive Me", Eddie Fisher
     1960 "Sink The Bismarck", Johnny Horton
     1960 "Mama", Connie Francis
     1960 "Sixteen Reasons", Connie Stevens
     1970 "Up The Ladder To The Roof", Supremes
     1981 "I Can't Stand It", Eric Clapton
     1987 "Stone Love", Kool & The Gang
     1987 "Sign 'O' The Times", Prince
     1987 "Finer Things", Steve Winwood