BIRTHDAYS
1901    Sidney Arodin, Clarinet/Composer, b. Westwego, LA, USA, d. Feb. 6, 1948, né: Sidney Arnondin. This wonderful 'Dixieland' musician was an integral part of the early Jazz era, yet, sadly, is not too well remembered today. Sidney began playing the clarinet at age 15, and by age 16 was already traveling up and down the Mississippi River playing professionally with various groups. Probably, his first trip up River was as a member of drummer Johnny Stein's 'Dixieland Jazz Band'. He also composed a great many tunes Perhaps his best known composition is "Lazy River", which has been recorded and played by a myriad of stars including Bing Crosby, Bobby Darrin, The Mills Brothers, Louis Armstrong, and many, many more. Curiously, he often shared credit for this tune with Hoagy Carmichael (who modified the title), and sometimes his name is left off entirely. It is quite possible that Sidney composed more tunes than just those few for which he has received credit. Sidney himself, and many other musicians who played with him, have told interviewers that Arodin often sold his tunes for a few bucks and/or a bottle of wine. Among the early Dixie bands with whom he played are:
1928 Albert Brunies and His Halfway House Orch..   (Abbie Brunies, trumpet; Sidney Arodin, clar; Joe Loyacano, alto sax; Red Long, piano; Angelo Palmisano, banjo; Chink Martin, bass; Emmett Rogers, drums.) Note: It has been determined that the clarinetist on the Halfway House Columbias masters 142006 through 145011 was Charlie Cordella.
Monk Hazel and His Bienville Roof Orch..   (Sharkey Bonano, trumpet; Sidney Arodin, clar; Hal Jordy, sax; Freddie Neumann, piano; Joe Capraro, guitar; Luther Lamar, bass; Monk Hazel, drums, mellophone)
Jazzbo's Carolina Serenaders
Armand Hug's 'New Orleans Melody Kings'..   Hug on piano.
1929 Jones and Collins Astoria Hot Eight.   (Lee Collins, cornet; Sidney Arodin, clar; Theodore Purnell, alto sax; David Jones, tenor sax; Joseph Robichaux, piano; Rene Hall, banjo; Al Morgan, bass; Albert Martin, drums.) Among their early recordings are two that this writer particularly likes: "Duet Stomp" Originally on Vi V-38576, BB 8168, but later re-released the Commodore Music Shop label. "Astoria Strut"' Originally on Vi V-38576, BB 8168, but later re-released the Commodore Music Shop label.
1934 New Orleans Rhythm Kings.   (Wingy Mannone, trumpet; George Brunies, trombone; Sidney Arodin, clar; Terry Shand, piano; Benny Pottle, bass; Bob White,drums.)
Wingy Mannone and His Orch..   (Wingy Mannone, trumpet; Santo Pecora, trombone; Sidney Arodin, clar; Terry Shand, piano; Benny Pottle, bass; Ray Buduc, drums.)
1936 Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang.   (Louis Prima, trumpet-vocals; George Brunies, trombone; Sidney Arodin, clar; Claude Thornhill, piano; George Van Eps, guitar; Art Shapiro, bass; Stan King, drums.)
1937 Johnnie Miller's New Orleans Frolickers.   (Sharkey Bonano, trumpet; Sidney Arodin, Clar; Hal Jordy, alto sax; Johnnie Miller, piano; Joe Capraro, banjo; Joe Loyacano, bass; Leo Adde, drums.)
1943     Randy Barlow, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Detroit, MI, USA.
1918     Pearl Bailey, Vocal, b. Newport News, VA, USA. d. August 17, 1990, USA. Phildadelphia, PA. née: Pearl Mae Bailey. Died after collapsing in a Philadelphia Hotel. Her nickname "Dickie" was a result of her parents expecting a boy. Father Joseph was a minister and her mother was Ella Mae. "Dickie" received her early education in Washington, DC area, and while still in her teens, frequently appeared in the Old Howard theater in downtown Washington. As a young lady, she appeared in Vaudeville, first as a dancer and later as a vocalist, touring the Pennsylvania mining towns. She had a starring role, along with vocalist Nat "King" Cole, in the film 'St. Louis Blues' a bio-pic of W.C. Handy's life. On the Broadway Stage, she is best recalled for her role in musical "Hello Dolly". In 1952. she married drummer Louie Bellson, and they remained married until Pearly Mae died in 1990; they had 1 adopted son & 1 adopted daughter.
1916     Kamil Behounek, Accordion, b. Blatny, Czecholslovakia, d. 1983.
1906     E. Power Biggs, Organist, b. Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, d. March 10, 1977, Boston, Mass., U.S.A. né: Edward George Power Biggs. Biggs trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1930, he settled in the United States, where through many appearances with major orchestras and weekly radio broadcasts (1942-58), he brought to many listeners their first acquaintance with the distinctive, incisive colours of the Baroque organ, the monumental Baroque organ repertory, and established the organ as a concert instrument. Throughout his career, he steadfastly refused to perform on electronic organs, seeking out and recording on organs surviving from the era of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. He also commissioned organ works by Walter Piston, Roy Harris, and other 20th-century composers. After arthritis forced him to retire, he published editions of early organ music. Musicologists have noted that his playing was marked by a classical clarity.
1940     Allen Botschinsky, Trumpet, b. Copenhagen, Denmark
1949     Michael Brecker, Tenor-soprano sax, EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), and arranger, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA, d. Jan. 13, 2007, New York, NY, USA. ( leukemia) Age: 57. Brecker won 11 Grammys over a career that spanned more than three decades. He was born into a musical family. His father often took his sons to performances of jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Brecker first studied clarinet and alto saxophone, but decided to pursue the tenor saxophone in high school after being inspired by the work of John Coltrane. He followed his brother, Randy, a trumpet player, to Indiana University, but he left after a year for New York city. In 1970, he helped found the jazz-rock group 'Dreams', and later joined his brother in pianist and composer Horace Silver's quintet. Michael and Randy also started the successful jazz-rock fusion group the 'Brecker Brothers'. The two brothers also owned a downtown jazz club 'Seventh Avenue South'. In 1987, his solo career began when his self-titled debut was voted "Jazz Album of the Year" in both 'Down Beat' and 'Jazziz' magazines. In recent years, he had struggled with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a cancer in which the bone marrow stops producing enough healthy blood cells, and the disease progresses to leukemia. His struggle with thiis blood disease led him and his family to publicly encourage people to enroll in bone marrow donor programs. His own search for a donor led to an experimental blood stem cell transplant that sadly was unresponsive. His illness silenced his music at times, but raising awareness of bone marrow drives gave him a new focus. One of his last released recording, "Wide Angles", appeared on many top jazz lists and won two Grammys in 2004. Though very sick, Brecker managed to record a final album (as yet untitled in mid Jan. 2007), that was completed just two weeks before his demise. During his career, Brecker recorded and performed with such Jazz and Pop stars as Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. His saxophone technique was widely emulated, and his style was much-studied in music schools throughout the world. In 2006, Jazziz magazine called him "inarguably the most influential tenor stylist of the last 25 years".
1937     Van Broussard, (cajun) vocals, b. Prairieville, LA, USA
1915     George Chisholm, Trombone/piano/arranger/comic actor/bandleader, b. Glasgow, Scotland, UK, d. Dec. 1997, London, England, UK.
1951     William Clarke, harmonica, b. Inglewood, CA, USA
1955     Willie Clayton, Vocals, b. Indianola, MS, USA
1924     Jules de Corte, blind Dutch ballad vocalist.
1940     Ray Davis, vocals, b. Sumter, NC, USA. Member: 'The Temptations', and 'Funkadelic'
1938     Ladislav Deczi, Trumpet, b. Bernolakovo, Czechoslovakia
1931     Lonnie Donegan, vocals, b: Glasgow, Scotland, UK. d Nov. 3, 2002. né: Anthony Donegan, but changed his name to Lonnie as a tribute to American bluesman Lonnie Johnson. Donegan was greatly influenced by folk artists such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. During the 1950's and '60's, Donegan was most influential in the pop music scene in the United Kingdom. Iin the early to mid-1950's, he played guitar and sang in Ken Colyer's group, and in Chris Barber's Jazz Band. It was Donegan who launched the Skiffle band craze. During his act, he would play a washboard, a tea-chest bass and a cheap Spanish guitar, and having lots of fun doing it. This style came to be known as "Skiffle Music". Some of his well known songs include "Cumberland Gap", "Gambling Man", and "My Old Man's A Dustman". In 1956 Lonnie had a huge hit with Rock Island Line, which reached number 8 on both the USA and UK charts. In March 1959, he recorded "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor [On The Bedpost Overnight]?", which reached No. 5 on U. S. charts in 1961. Lonnie has suffered heart attacks in his last years.
1948     Johnny Dowd, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Fort Worth, TX, USA.
1953     Jorgen Emborg, Piano/Leader, b. Copenhagen, Denmark
1959     Perry Farrell, vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. né: is Perry Bernstein. Member group: 'Jane's Addiction'
1968     Sue Foley, guitar, b. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1949     Dave Greenfield, Vocals/Keyboards/producer, b. Brighton, England, UK. Member group: 'The Stranglers'
1951     Barry Goudreau, guitar, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member group: 'Boston'
1911     Brigitte Horney, actress/singer, b. Berlin-Dahlem, Germany, d. July 27, 1988, Hamburg, Germany. (cancer). Her father was a German industrialist, and her mother, Karen Horney (née: Else Danielsen), was a German psychoanalyst. Brigitte attended acting classes at the Ilka-Grüning-Schule in Berlin, and in 1930, her friendship with theater magnate Max Reinhardt bropught her a role as a sales clerk in Robert Siodmak's Billy Wilder-scripted "Abschied" (1930). Interestingly, Horney refused further film work in favor of the Live stage. She spent the next decade engaged by Berlin's Volksbühne theater. However, in 1934, she accepted the starring role of a waterfront girl in the highly popular "Liebe, Tod und Teufel" ("Love, Death and the Devil") where in her inimitable husky voice, sang "So Oder Ist Das Leben" (474 kb) ("Such Is Life") Lyric: Hans Fritz Beckmann. and Music: Theo Mackeben. (This song shows more clearly that Brigitte was not really a singer, but rather a diseuse.) Over her career, Brigitte appeared in over 70 German films. Although her mother had fled to New York, Horney remained in the Third Reich, performing with the Volksbühne and starring in such popular Nazi-era films as 'Savoy-Hotel 217' (1936) and 'Das Mädchen von Fanö' ('The Girl From the Isle of Fanö', 1941). 'Catherine the Great' (1943), 'The Adventures of Münchhausen' and Gustav Ucicky's prophetically titled 'Am Ende der Welt' ('The End of the World', 1944). In early 1945, she fled to Switzerland, - getting out of Germany just before the Allied occupation. In 1949, she was seen in a Swiss production of Jean-Paul Sartre's 'Les Mains Sales', and then, in 1950, she emigrated to America. After her mother`s death, she founded the "Karen Horney Psychiatric Institute" in New York City, in honor of her mother's achievements. In 1953, Brigitte became a U.S. citizen. Subsequently, she returned to Germany, where she appeared in such TV productions as Sartre's 'No Exit' and the popular soap opera 'The Guldenburgs'. In addition, she appeared in a supporting role in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1981 film 'Veronika Voss'
1914     Camille Howard, piano, b. Galveston, TX, USA
1944     Terry Jacks, Rock and Roll vocals. b: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Member: 'The Poppy Family', with Susan Pesklevits, b. Aug. 19, 1948 Sask. Canada.
1956     LaToya Jackson, vocals, b. Gary, IN, USA.
1942     Eden Kane, vocals, b. Great Britain.
1945     John "Speedy" Keen, vocals, b. Ealing, London, England. d. March 21, 2002 (heart failure). Member group: 'Thunderclap Newman', and solo artist.
1947     Bobby Kimball, vocals, b. Vinton, LA, USA. né: Robert Toteaux. Member group: 'Toto', and solo artist.
1968     Regina Leigh, C&W vocals
1907     Abe Lincoln, Trombone, b. Lancaster, PA, USA. d. June 8, 2000, age of 93. né: Abram Lincoln. Abe came from a musical family (6 brothers). His older brother, Bud, had a popular orchestra known variously as the Bud Lincoln Orch., and as the Brunswick Dance Orchestra, in which Abe played. The band played around their home area of Lancaster and Philadelphia, PA. During the 1920's, Abe worked with Arthur Lange and then left for New York City and a job with Ace Brigode and His Fourteen Virginians, with whom he made some acoustic recordings during 1924-'25. After Brigode, he joined James B. Dimick's Million Dollar Sunny Brook Orchestra which then went to Detroit (MI) and played at the Arcadia Dance Hall and the Hollywood Theater. After that, he returned to New York in 1926, where he replaced Tommy Dorsey in the California Ramblers. The Ramblers were very popular and did a lot of recording (one of the first bands to record with a microphone.) He next joined Sammy Dilbert's band in Detroit, MI. Sammy (reeds) and his brother John (banjo) were from Lancaster and had worked in Bud Lincoln's band In Detroit. Abe also sat in with the Goldkette orchestras, and played in the Michigan Theater Orchestra (then conducted by Ed Werner) when they recorded Rossini's William Tell Overture. That recording became the radio theme song for the new 1930 'Lone Ranger' program produced in Detroit, MI. After Detroit he returned to Lancaster and formed his own 9 piece band, which included his three brothers, Bud, Roy, and Chet. They made no recordings and soon disbanded with Abe returning to New York. In the '30s, he worked in the bands of Roger Wolfe Kahn, Leo Reisman, Paul Whiteman, and Ozzie Nelson, staying with Nelson for five years. In 1936. when Nelson's orchestra went to California to appear on the Joe Penner radio program, Abe remained in Los Angeles after Nelson left in 1939, and worked as a studio musician for many years. He worked with John Scott Trotter (Kraft Music Hall), Billy Mills (Fibber McGee and Molly), Victor Young (Al Jolson Show), Johnny Green (Packard Show with Fred Astaire), Freddy Rich (Abbott & Costello Show), etc. He would play first chair trombone in radio studios for the next 25 years. He is heard on recordings with Bing Crosby (1937, 1941), Hoagy Carmichael and Pinky Tomlin (1938), and Judy Garland (1939). The Carmichael recordings used Abe's trombone in Perry Botkin's Orchestra's hit recordings of Hong Kong Blues and Riverboat Shuffle. Abe's trombone was also heard in several Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker cartoons and Buster Keaton comedies because of the way he could make his trombone create various animal sounds. With the 1940s resurgence of Dixieland, Abe returned to jazz recording with such groups as Wingy Manone, "Wild Bill" Davison, Pete Fountain, Bob Scobey, Matty Matlock, and Red Nichols. (Interesting sidenote: In 1926, Abe had played (and recorded) with Loring "Red" Nichols in New York City, at the very peak of the Jazz Era. Now, in 1956 -three decades later, was again playing Jazz with Red Nichols, - this time in Los Angeles, CA.) In the 1960's, he mainly freelanced, but was briefly with the Village Stompers, as well as with "Wild Bill" Davison in early 1967 (both in NYC). On August 1, 1975, he was playing with "Wild Bill" Davison in Indianapolis, IN, and in 1976, Abe was featured at the Sacramento (CA) Dixieland Jubilee. On August 2, 1999, the Jim Cullum Jazz Band visited Abe at his home and played some of his favorite tunes. Abe died June 8, 2000 at the age of 93.
1909     Aubrey 'Moon' Mullican, "Hillbilly" vocals/piano. b. Corrigan, Polk County, TX, USA. d. Jan. 1, 1967. Beaumont, TX, USA. (Cardiac Arrest)
1935     Ruby Murray, Irish pop singer (Softly Softly)
1923     Remo Palmieri, Guitar, b: New York, NY, USA, d: Feb. 9, 2002, New York, NY, USA. (some sources say d. Feb. 2). Remo, self-taught on guitar, began his professional career with the Nat Jaffe Trio in New York in 1942. Worked with Nat Jaffe, Coleman Hawkins, Red Norvo, Phil Moore, Vic Dickenson, Bobby Hackett, Teddy Wilson, Barney Bigard and Sarah Vaughan. Esquire New Star Award for guitar, March 1945, Silver Award 1946. In later years, Palmieri dropped the final 'i' from his name, preferring to be called Remo Palmier. His death was due to complications from leukemia and lymphoma. He was survived by his wife, Margery, two daughters, two brothers, and two grandchildren.
1967     John Popper, Rock vocals/Harmonica, b. Cleveland, OH, USA. Member groups: 'Porno for Pyros'; 'Jane's Addiction'.
1969     Jason Rebello, Piano, b. Surrey, England
1969     Brady Seals, C&W vocals, b. Hamilton, OH, USA. Brady is the cousin of Jim Seals (of Seals & Crofts), and Dan Seals (of 'England Dan & John Ford Coley'), and the nephew of Nashville legend Troy Seals. At age nine, Brady was already playing the piano, and composing.
1936     Jim Shepherd, Trombone,b. London, England
1914     Mabel Robinson Simms, piano, b. Cape Charles, VA, USA
1969     Brady Seals, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Keyboards, b. Hamilton, OH, USA. Tag: "Little Texas"
1951     Jaroslaw Smietana, Guitar/Composer, b. Krakow, Poland
1943     'Vangelis', composer/keyboard, b. Valos, Greece. né: Vangelis Papathanassiou
1914     John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, vocals/guitar, b. Jackson TN, USA. blues musician (Down & Out Blues)
Notable Events occuring this date include:
1900.    The first 'dance marathon' was held in New York City's Aududon Ballroom. (Alma Cummings danced a fox trot, one-step, and waltz with about a dozen partners.)
1961.    Alexander Victor, owner of RCA's logo "Nipper Dog", died in Monterey, CA, USA. Age: 82 1963.    Texas Ruby, C&W singer, died in a trailer (caravan) fire near Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 52. The team of "Curly Fox and Texas Ruby" were one of Country music’s great husband-wife teams of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Curly ranked as a premier hillbilly fiddler for four decades. (Curly Fox (Singer/Fiddle/Guitar, b. Graysville, Tennessee Texas, USA, d. November 10, 1995 Texas. n&ecute;: Arnim LeRoy Fox) and Texas Ruby (singer, b. June 4, 1909, Decatur, Wise County, Texas, USA. d. March 29, 1963, n&ecute;: Ruby Agnes Owens )
1966.    Jazz Gillum, harmonica, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 61
1968.    Jack Grant, Mandolin, died. Age: 64. Member: the "Tenneva Ramblers", Formed in 1927 with members: Jack Grant, Claude Grant (Guitar, Vocals, b. October 1975, Bristol, Tennessee, USA, d. October 1975 ) Jack Pierce ( Fiddle, b. 1908, Smyth County, Virginia, USA, d. March 1950), and Claude Slagle (Banjo, b. Early 1900’s, Bristol, Tennessee, USA, d. March 1950)
1980.    Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, Orchestra leader/Violinist/composer died in England at age 74.
1982.    Floyd Smith, guitar, died in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Age: 65
1986.    Paul Glass, label owner (USA Records), died in Oceanside, CA, USA. Age: 60
1991.    Lee Atwater, (blues) guitar/politican, died in Washington, DC, USA. Age: 40
1991.    Jimmy Noone Jr., clarinet, died in San Diego, CA, USA. Age: 52
Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1945    "Sentimental Journey", Les Brown Orch
     1945    "Little On The Lonely Side, A", Guy Lombardo Orch.
     1969    "Hair", Cowsills
     1969    "It's Your Thing", Isley Brothers
     1975    "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)", Dawn
     1986    "Take Me Home", Phil Collins
     1986    "Bad Boy", Miami Sound Machine
     1986    "Why Can't This Be Love", Van Halen