BIRTHDAYS
1902     Danny Alvin, Drums, b. New York, NY, USA, d. Dec. 6, 1958, Chicago, IL, USA. Father of Guitaries Teddy Walters. Danny played with Sophie Tucker at Reisenweber's in 1919 New York; then settled in Chcicago where he played with many Dixielanders incl. Sidney Bechet; Joe Marsala; George Brunis; Buck Clayton; Wingy Manone; and Wild Bill Davison.
1895     Busby Berkeley, choreographer. d. 1976. If you ever enjoyed watching all those great early Hollywood musicals such as Footlight Parade', the 'Golddiggers of 193x' series, etc., then you were looking at Busby's work - as a choreographer! (He didn't play any musical instrument - the Chorus line was his instrument! But, there.. is absolutely no doubt that his dance stagings greatly enhanced the tunes.)
1932     Edward Isaac "Ed" Bickert, Guitar, b. Hochfeld, Manitoba, Canada
1911     Harry Blons, clar/tenor sax, b. St. Paul, MN, USA.
1928     Otto Bredl, trombone, b. Munich, Germany, d. July,1985, Cologne, Germany. Studied Bassoon at Academy. Was Soloist with Kurt Edelhagen 1949-'57; w/Eddie Sauter '57-'58 then back to Edelhagen.
1941     Myrna Joy Brooks, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, b. Phoenix, AZ, USA. aka: "Jody Miller"
1889     Richie Brunies, cornet, b. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, d. March 28, 1961. a member of the musical Brunies family of old New Orleans, LA, which included guitarist Ada, bassist Rudy, Trombonist Henny, Cornetist and Trombonist Marritt, Cornetist Abbie, and Trombonist George Brunies
1965     Wallis Buchanan, vibraphone, b. Stretford, Manchester, UK. Member group: Jamiroquai, a group formed by singer/songwriter Jason Kay (aka J.K. b. Dec. 30, 1969, Stretford, Manchester, UK). Kay's mother, Karen, was a Jazz vocalist who regularly performed at local clubs, and had her own TV show in the 1970s . (Jamiroquai's best-known lineup included drummer Derrick McKenzie, keyboard player Toby Smith, bassist Stuart Zender, and vibraphonist Wallis Buchanan)
1968     Martin Carr, guitar, b. Liverpool, England. Member group: The Boo Radleys
1944     Felix Cavaliere, Hammond organ/piano, b. Pelham, NY, USA. Member group: 'The Young Rascals', -one of the first groups to have the term "blue-eyed soul" applied.
1934     Anthony George "Tony" Coe, Tenor-alto-soprano saxes/clarinet, b. Canterbury, England, was reporter on "Kentish Gazette" then made music career. Played with Joe Daniels' Hotshots; Nat Gonella; Al Fairweather and Humphrey Lyttelton bands.
1920     Dagmar, "Busty" blonde American TV Star.who became famous for her work on the Garry Moore TV show.
1941     Denny Doherty, vocalist. Best known as member of 'The Mamas and The Papas' vocal group.
1922     Robert Stanley "Bobby" Donaldson, Drums, b. Boston, MA, USA. d. July 2, 1971. His brother Don was Musical Director for "Fats" Waller in late 1930s
1927     Charles "Chuck" Edwards, guitar, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1932     John Gary, Pop vocals. d. Jan. 4, 1998.
1917     Nathan "Nat" Gershman, (Jazz) Cello, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Studied music Curtis Inst. (Phila. PA). With the Cleveland Symphony '40-7. '58 with Chico Hamilton at many Jazz Fests.
1926     William John Godrich, music author/discographer, b. France, d. Jan. 13, 2000, Swansea, England, UK (heart attack, his 2nd). Godrich co-authored with Robert M. W. Dixon (b. Jan. 25, 1939, Nottingham, England, UK.) and Howard W. Rye. In private correspondence, Mike Godrich has said: "My father was born 29.11.1926 somewhere in France to Charlotte Fowler Godrich (née: Williams) from Swansea, and she was a Doctor in training she was married to an officer in the Special Intelligence Corps, but this marriage didn't last long and he left and later took up residence in Australia...........John (my father) was a very private man and listened and researched Blues and Gospel music over many years and spent some time visiting America when he was a young seaman. He married Viiolet Muriel Williams in June 24th 1948 and I was born in April 1949, I have one brother and one sister. My mother died January 13th 2000. We have always lived in Swansea. I am not aware that my father played any instrument..."
1914     Coleridge Goode, (Jazz) bassist, b. St. Andrew, Jamaica, West Indies
1951     Barry Goudreau, (hard rock) guitar, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member group: 'Boston'
1940     Billy Hart, Drums, b. Washington, DC, USA.
1894     Lucille Hegamin, Blues vocalist, b. Macon, GA, USA, d. March 1, 1970. née: Lucille Nelson, and aka Fanny Baker. On Nov. 20, 1920, she recorded "Jazz Me Blues" for Arto Records.
1914     Albinia Jones, vocals, b. Gulfport, MS, USA, d. June 24, 1989
1962     Ronny Jordan, Guitar, b. London, England
1924     Jack Kane, clarinet/leader/arranger, b. London, England, UK. d. 1961. One of Canada's best known entertainers. His father was a British vaudevillian. The family moved to Canada while Jack was still a child, and he was already performing on stage with his dad when he was just 9 years old.
1968     Jonathan Knight, vocals, b.Dorchester, MA, USA. Member group: 'New Kids On the Block'. All during the 1980's - '90's NKOTB toured the world enjoying sold out concerts, and selling millions of albums. During the tour for their last album, "Face The Music", Knight decided to call it quits. Suffering from an anxiety and panic disorder, he could no longer continue performing. Knight retired to his Massachusetts farm, where he raised horses, and began a new career working in real estate.
1961     Duke Levine, guitar, b. Worcester, MA, USA.
1940     "Chuck" Mangione, trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, keyboards, vocal, arranger, b. Rochester, NY, USA. né: Charles Frank Mangione. His Brother, Gap Mangione, also has own band. also played with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
1933     John Mayall, Guitar/Vocal, b. Macclesfiel (near Manchester), Often called the "Father of British Blues." His father, Murray Mayall, was an amateur guitarist whose record collection exposed Mayall to such jazz greats as Charlie Christian, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang. By age 12, Mayall was playing the guitar and ukulele, and at 13, began to play the piano, influenced by the boogie-woogie piano music of Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson. Other influences of this period-including Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters-intensified his interest in the Blues. Between 1945 to 1949, Mayall honed his piano skills in the Manchester Junior School of Art, . In 1951, he joined the British Army, serving for three years in the Korean War. In 1954, following his service discharge, , Mayall enrolled at the College of Art in Manchester where one of his fellow students was drummer Peter Ward, and this led to the formation of the 'Powerhouse Four' in 1956, a group that. played local dances in the Manchester area. Mayall also found time to teach music at a local youth club in Wythenshawe, Manchester, where he met drummer Hughie Flint, who would later played a major role in Mayall's 'Bluesbreakers' group.
1914     Harold W. "Hal" McIntyre, Alto Sax/Leader, b. Cromwell, CT, USA. d. May 5, 1959, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (in his apartment in fire caused by cigarette)
1941     Jody Miller, (C&W) folk/vocals, b. Phoenix, AZ, USA.
1939     Meco Monardo, Trombone, b. Johnsonburg, PA, USA. Meco received his first formal musical training from his father, a trombone player in a small italian band. In 1957 Meco studied at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, on a scholarship. While there, he formed a Jazz band with Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter. He later joined the West Point Army Band in the early sixties. After his U. S. Army service, Meco played in Kai Winding's four-trombone band, and from 1965 to 1974 worded as a sessions musician. He also started arranging, - examples being the horn section of Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion", and some TV commercials (Neil Diamond's series of Coke commercials). Since then, he has been most active recording, arranging, and writing for Hollywood and TV.
1947     Ronnie Montrose, guitar, b. Denver CO. USA. Member group: Montrose / Edgar Winter Group
1955     Adam Nussbaum, Drums, b. New York, NY, USA.
1912     James "Chippie" Outcalt, trombone, b. Newark, NJ, USA. Worked with the Tiny Bradshaw Orch.
1936     Nathaniel Perrilliat, tenor sax, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. Jan. 26, 1971, Sacramento, California, LA. Nat first started playing the sax while attending Joseph S. Clark High School, and later got his first professional gig with legendary New Orleans pianist "Professor Longhair". Nat went on to tour with Roy Montrell and do some session work for Allen Toussaint. In the early 1960s, Perrilliat joined the Ellis Marsalis Quartet, recording the album "Monkey Puzzle". After that, Nat toured with Junior Parker, Joe Tex and "Fats Domino".
1949     Stan Rogers, singer-songwriter/guitar. b. Hamilton, ONT, Canada. d. 1983. Stans song, "Northwest Passage", could become the Canadian national anthem should "O Canada" ever disappear.
1885     Luigi Romanelli, leader, b. Bellsville, ONT, Canada d. 1942. Perhaps no other name in the history of Canadian Dance Bands conjures as much fondness as The Romanellis, - and in particular as Luigi Romanelli.
1953     Mitch Seidman, guitar, b. Albany, NY, USA. While still in his teens, Mitch was already performing around the Albany area. In 1973, he relocated to Boston, MA, to continue his studies. In 1979, he moved to New York City and freelanced before returning to Boston in 1985, where he became one of New England's busiest Jazz guitarists. Annually, Mitch, appears at the 'Classic American Guitar Show' in New York city. Internationally, Mitch has performed at the 'Jazz is Toulon' festival in France, was artist-in-residence for the Centro Cultural Norteamericano in Costa Rica. and has appeared at the 'Internationales Jazz Guitar Meeting' in Germany (with guitarist Fred Fried and bassist John Goldsby). Mitch is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music where he instructs a variety of ear training classes and ensembles. He has taught guitar, and presented jazz clinics throughout New England and abroad.
1915     William "Billy or Swee' Pea" Strayhorn, bass, Composer, Lyricist, piano, arranger, b. Dayton, OH, USA. (but raised in Hillsboro, NC, USA.), d. May 31, 1967, New York, NY, USA. (Some sources say born Nov. 19) Studied music with private instructor. Schooled in Pittsburgh, PA, where he played the classics in school orch. His deep desire was to be a lyricist for Duke Ellington, whom he met in 1938. On meeting the Duke, Billy played him one of his compositions - "Lush Life". He then went on to work for Mercer Ellington before full time with the Duke In 1939, when he became full time arranger, and part time pianist for Ellington's band. In later years, band members recalled that the sympathy between Billy and the Duke was such that at times it was impossible to tell at which point one's work fell off and the other's carried on. Yet, curiously, he rarely appeared publicly with the band - usually only when he temporarily replaced the Duke on Piano. (He demonstrated a fine swinging style.) Among Billy's best known tunes are: "Midriff"; "Take The A Train"; "After All"; "Raincheck"; "Johnny Come Lately"; "Chelsea Bridge"; and "Day Dream". He was less active in early 1950s, but productive again in late '50s, again collaborating with the Duke on such works as "A Drum is A Woman"; "Such Sweet Thunder" (composed for Canada's Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival). In very eary 1958, he led his own 'Ellington's Indigos Trio', with himself, Jimmy Grissom and Johnny Hodges.
1917     Merle Travis, (C&W) vocals/guitar, b. Rosewood, KY, USA, d. Oct. 20, 1983. né: Merle Robert Travis. Also worked with 'The Brown's Ferry Four'
1934     Jack van Poll, piano, composer, arranger, b. Roosendaal, Holland.
1939     Joel Whitburn, Author ("Century of Pop Music" --with Top 40 Charts), b. Menomonee Falls, WI, USA.
1954     Michael White, Clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. (calls himself Dr. Michael White.)
         Notable Events on this date include:
1932.    Cole Porter's musical "The Gay Divorcee" starring Fred Astaire was first performed in New York. (Hit song was "Night and Day".)
1954.    Dink Johnson, clarinet/piano/drums, died in Portland, OR, USA. Age: 62
1965.    Joseph Falcon, Cajun accordion, died in Crowley, LA, USA. Age: 65. In 1928, Falcon, one of the pioneers of Cajun music, made the first commercial Cajun recording, "Lafayette", with his wife Cleoma (playing the guitar and singing).
1979.    Ray Smith, C&W guitar/vocals, died in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. (This 'Sun' label recording artist was b. Oct. 30, 1934 in Melber, KY, USA.)
1989.    Ann Burton, Dutch Jazz vocalist, died.
1998.    David "Butch" McDade, drums, died in his home (cancer). Age: 52. A founding member of the "Amazing Rhythm Aces" (Country-rock band)
1998.    George Van Eps, guitar, died in Newport Beach, CA, USA. (pneumonia)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1945  "On The Sunny Side of the Street", Stan Kenton band. June Christy on voc.
     1940  "Ferryboat Serenade", Andrews Sisters
     1940  "Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat", Will Bradley ORch
     1945  "Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)", Perry Como
     1945  "Nancy", Frank Sinatra
     1946  "Huggin' And Chalkin'", Hoagy Carmichael
     1946  "Ole Buttermilk Sky", Paul Weston Orch.
     1952  "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", Jimmy Boyd
     1952  "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes", Perry Como
     1952  "Oh Happy Day", Howard, Don
     1969  "Midnight Cowboy", Ferrante &Teicher
     1975  "Times Of Your Life", Anka, Paul
     1975  "Walk Away From Love", David Ruffin
     1980  "Tide Is High, The", Blondie
     1980  "Tell It Like It Is", Heart
     1980  "Passion", Rod Stewart
     1986  "Someday", Glass Tiger
     1986  "War", Bruce Springsteen