BIRTHDAYS
1929     Edward Blackwell, Drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Oct. 8, 1992, Hartford, CT, USA. age 62 During his career, Blackwell toured extensively with such Jazz stars as Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Randy Weston, among others. Active mainly during the 1950s, he was also a member of the original 'American Jazz Quintet', comprised of Harold Battiste, Ellis Marsalis and others.
1903     Lee Blair, Banjo/guitar, b. Savannah, GA, USA. d. Oct. 15, 1966, USA.
1942     Cecil Bridgewater, Trumpet/flugelhorn, b. Urbana, IL, USA.
1948     Charles Brimmer, vocals, New Orleans, LA, USA.
1926     Oscar Brown, Jr., Vocal, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. May 29, 2005, Chicago, IL, USA. (Blood Infection). In a career that spanned more than 50 years, he became a Jazz giant, revered as a lyricist, songwriter, composer, singer and performer. Upon his demise, Joe Segal, owner of the Jazz Showcase in Chicago and a longtime friend. said " He certainly was a genius,...... he was really a dramatist. He was more than a vocal artist because his shows were very easy and dramatic at the same time." At just age 15, Oscar made his professional debut when he appeared on "Secret City", a national radio show. He graduated from Englewood High School and attended classes at the University of Michigan and Lincoln University, a small college in Pennsylvania, but dropped out of both in order to concentrate on writing songs and musicals. In the 1960s, Brown hosted the West Coast television program "Jazz Scene U.S.A.", and began writing musicals such as "Kicks and Company" and "Great Nitty Gritty, It i estimated that Oscar Brown wrote more than 1,000 songs over his career, of which 125 were published. Despite the respect he received from the larger Jazz community, he never received adequate acknowledgment from the recording industry.
1958     Alex Bugnon, piano, b. Montreux, Switzerland
1932     Frank Busseri, baritone vocals, b. Toronto, ON, Canada. Member: 'Four Lads'
1961     Jonathan Butler, guitar/vocals, b. Capetown, South Africa.
1918     Robert "Bobby" Byrne, trombone/singer/leader, b: Columbus, OH, USA. d. Nov. 25, 2006, Irvine, CA, USA. Age: 87. With Dorsey Brothers Orch. and then the Jimmy Dorsey Orch. Worked with singers Dorothy Claire; Jimmy Palmer.
1902     Blanche Calloway, piano/leader, b: Baltimore, MD. USA. Sister of Cab Calloway. Blanche also led her own band.
1945     Alan George Cartwright, bassist, b. England. Member group: Procol Harum, 1967 single "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" charted UK No.1 .
1960     Al Connelly, guitar, b. Ontario, Canada. Member group: Glass Tiger, 1986 UK No.29 single Don't Forget Me, When I'm Gone. The group was fronted by Scottish-born singer Alan Frew and guitarist Al Connelly, included Sam Reid on keyboards, Wayne Parker on bass and drummer Michael Hanson.
1964     Graham Crabb, drums, b. England. Member group: 'Pop Will Eat Itself'. The group consists of Clint Mansell (Vocals), Graham Crabb (Vocals/drums), Adam Mole (Guitar/Keyboards), Richard March (Guitar), and "Fuzz"/Dr. Nightmare (Drums, né: Robert Townshend).
1903     Vernon Duke, composer, b. Pskov, Russia, d. 1969. né: Vladimir Dukelsky.
1915     Harry "Sweets" Edison, Trumpet, b. Columbus, OH, USA. d. July 27, 1999. Harry got his early experience with Alphonso Trent, - one of the great old New Orleans bands. By 1937, he was playing in the Lucky Millender band in New York City. In Sept '37 he became one of the mainstays of Count Basie's band staying with the Count until the Big Band era ended in the 1950s. He then played briefly with the Buddy Rich band, toured with the wonderful vocalist Josephine Baker, and also played with the JATP. 1957 saw him working with Benny Carter in Hollywood, performing on film sound tracks, and also playing club dates and recording with his own Combo. In Jan. '58, he was briefly with Loius Bellson band, and in Feb '58 he worked with singer Pearl Bailey at New York's prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel. In same year he worked with and recorded with Frank Sinatra, and in late '58, he led own quintet in some New York Clubs. Over the years, Harry had played with such men as Dick Hyman, Jimmy Giuffre, Shorty Rogers, Cy Touff, Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Illinois Jacquet, Red Norvo, Barney Kessel, Woody Herman, and many others.
1908     Johnny Green, arranger, leader, piano, composer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. May 17, 1989
1923     Eugene M. "Fats" Heard, drums, b. Cleveland, OH, USA, d. Dec. 5, 1987. . "Fats" started as a piano student at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was next heard playing drums with famed tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and then with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. For several years, his 'day job' was as a television salesman; From 1952 through 1955, he worked with Errol Garner, It is his quiet brush strokes that are heard on pianist Erroll Garner's original "Misty, and 'Fats' is perhaps best recalled for this single recording. .He then left Garner and went into various business enterprises in his hometown of Cleveland, OH. He subsequently purchased Cleveland's Cotton Club, renamed it the 'Modern Jazz Room'. and began booking many famous Jazzmen. .
1913     Harold Holmes, bass, b. Mobile, AL, USA.
1935     Paul Humphrey, drums
1914     "Ivory" Joe Hunter, Singer/pianist/songwriter, b. Kirbyville, TX, USA.
1906     Freddie "Posey" Jenkins, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA. d. 1978
1891     Ed Kirkeby, Manager, leader, producer, b: New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. d. June 12, 1978, Mineola, NY, USA. Managed the California Ramblers and later on managed "Fats" Waller.
1921     Roy Kral, Vocal/piano, b. Chicago, IL, USA, d. Aug. 2, 2002, Montclair, NJ, USA. (Congestive heart failure). né: Roy Joseph Kral. Worked with The George Davis Quartet and Charlie Ventura. He was half of the 1940s and '50s .duo Jackie And Roy with his wife Jackie Cain. Among their hit releases were "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "Full Moon".
1943     Jerry Lacroix, vocals/sax/harp, b. Alexandria, LA, USA. Member group: Blood Sweat & Tears
1906     Les Lambert, trumpet, b. London, U.K., d, Dec. 24, 1966, London, U.K. Member of the Skyrockets orchestra. His wife, née: Nancy Patricia Dawes, used the stage name of Jill Varden.
1910     Milton "Tippy" Larkin, Trumpet/valve t'bone/Leader, b. Houston, TX, USA. d. Aug. 31, 1996, Age: 85 Many sites wrongly claim he was born in Houston, TX, but he was born in Navasota, TX (~75 miles from Houston). At first, Larkin failed to gain any significant national exposure, but his 1930s and '40s Houston-based Swing bands were breeding grounds for such future stars as saxophonists Arnett Cobb and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. With the end of World War II, and the public's changing tastes in music, Larkin moved (in the early 1950s) to New York City, where he was the leader of the Apollo Theatre's house band. By the late '70s, Larkin was back in Houston, where he continued to play and where he helped to bring music to students and to the disadvantaged through various educational programs and nonprofit organizations. In 1990, the 'Milt Larkin Jazz Society' was formed with Larkin serving as its honorary chair, while continuing to perform until Alzheimer's disease and other health problems forced him retire.
1959     Chris Lowe, trombone/keyboards. b. Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Member groups: Pet Shop Boys: Left to My Own Devices. Chris started out playing the trombone in a seven piece dance band named "One Under The Eight" that featured old-time popular favourites like "Hello Dolly", "La Bamba" & "Moon River". In 1978, Chris studied architecture at Liverpool University, and was a practicing architect for a while.
1959     Kirsty MacColl, singer/songwriter, b. Croydon, England , d. Dec. 18, 2000, boating accident.
1963     Jonny Male, guitar, b. ?London, England. Member group: Republica, 1997 single "Drop Dead Gorgeous" charted UK No.7. Republica consists of "Saffron"- Vocals, Tim Dorney- Keyboard, Johnny Male- Guitar, and Pete Riley- Drums. As of 2002, they are not currently recording together, Johnny went off to a band called 'Cheap Glue', and 'Saffron' is now working in a new band called 'Swarm Swarm'.
1928     Julian Clifford "Junior" Mance, Piano, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1911     'Zeke' Manners, Leader/vocals/guitar/composer, b. San Francisco, CA, USA, d. Oct. 14, 2000. né: Leo Ezekiel Mannes. aka: The Jewish Hillbilly, and sometimes as 'Zeke Craddock'.
1906     Leo Mathiesen, leader, arranger, composer, piano, accordion, vocals, "goofus", b. Copenhagen, Denmark, d. Dec. 16, 1969. né: Hans Leo Mathisen.
1943     Steve Miller, guitar, b. Dallas, TX, USA
1917     Thelonious Sphere Monk, Piano, b. Rocky Mount, NC, USA. d. Feb., 17, 1982, Weehauken, NJ, USA. Composed: "Straight, No Chaser"; "In Walked Bud"; "Well, You Needn't"; "Epistrophy"; "Ruby My Dear"; "Rhythm-a-ning"; "'Round About Midnight"; "Off Minor"; "Stickball (I Mean You)"; "Thelonious"; "Misterioso"; and "Introspection".
1921     William Howard "Monk" Montgomery, Electric Bass, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA. d. May 20, 1982
1979     "Mya", vocals, Washington, D.C., USA. née: Marie Harrison. 2000 single "Case Of The Ex" charted US No.2, and her 2001 single (with Christina Aguilera), "Lil' Kim and Pink", "Lady Marmalade" charted US and UK No.1 .
1976     Richard Oakes, guitar, b. London (raised in Poole, Dorset), England. Member group: Suede, 1996 UK single "Trash" charted No.3.
1956     Johnny O'Neal, piano,
1966     Kevin Paige, vocals, ("Don't Shut Me Out")
1915     Don Pierce, producer/label owner (Hollywood Records), b. Ballard, WA, USA.
1907     Raymond Pinder, bass vocals, b. Nassau, Bahamas. Member: 'The Pinder Family', consisting of Raymond, his wife Edith on lead vocals, and their daughter Geneva singing treble. Edith is the sister of another Bahamian singer, Joseph Spence —"The Voice from Heaven”.
1946     John Prine, singer-songwriter/guitar, b. Maywood, IL, USA. When John was age 14, his older brother gave him guitar lessons. Prine also took inspiration from his grandfather, who had played with Merle Travis. Prine spent two-years in the U.S. Army, and upon his service discharge, became a fixture on the Chicago folk music scene in the late 1960s (becoming friends with another young performer named Steve Goodman). Kris Kristofferson "discovered" him, and was instrumental in helping him win a recording contract. In 1971, he went to Memphis where he recorded his first album.
1930     Howard Reay, drums, b. Seamham Harbour, England, UK
1955     David Lee Roth, rock vocals. b. Bloomington, IN, USA. Member: 'Van Halen' - 1984 single "Jump" charted No.1 and UK No.7
1965     John Rzezik, guitar/vocals, b. Buffalo, NY, USA. Member group: 'Goo Goo Dolls'. The bands consists of Johnny Rzeznik (b. Dec 5, 1965, Buffalo, NY, USA), Robby Takac (b. Sept. 30, 1964, Buffalo, NY, USA), and Mike Malinin (b. Oct 10, 1967, Buffalo, NY, USA).
1945     Headman Shabalala, vocals, b. South Africa. Member: "Ladysmith Black Mambazo", a group that includes Joseph Shabalala, Headman Shabalala, Ben Shabalala, Jockey Shabalala, Albert Mazibuko, Geoffrey Mdletshe, Russel Mnthembu, Jabulani Mwelase, Abednigo Mazibuko, Inos Phungula (vocals). Athough they had been producing music of their own in South Africa since the 1970's, L.B.M. (and their frontman Joseph Shabalala) only rose to prominence in America as the backing group for Paul Simon's phenomenally successful album "Graceland". They are also well known in pop culture circles as 'The Voice of Lifesavers' candy, as the singers in Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America", and the band performing at the end of Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker". There is also an allied group called "Women of Mambazo" whose lead singer was Nellie Shabalala, wife of Joseph Shabalala. In 2002, Nellie was murdered (the reason is still unclear). In the resulting trial, Joseph's son Vivian Nkosinathi (Nellie's stepson) was accused of hiring a man to kill Nellie. During the court trial, Nkosinathi testified that white African policemen offered him freedom if he would implicate his own father in the murder. Women of Mambazo's first (and perhaps only) album was entitled "I Say No".
1899     Billy Ternent, Violin/Saxes/Multi-instrumentalist/Arranger/bandleader, b. Whitley Bay, Northumberland, England, UK. d. March 23. 1977
1904     "Lovin'" Sam Theard, (Blues) vocals/songwriter, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Dec 7, 1982, Los Angeles, CA, USA. His composition, " Hey, Spo-Dee-O-Dee", has been recorded (King 4383) by the Paul Williams Sextet (Paul Williams (as, bs); John Lawton (tp); Walter Cox (as, ts); T.G. Fowler (p); Hank Ivory (b); Clarence Stamps (d), and other groups as well, including .Clifton Chenier, -The "King of Zydeco"
1958     Tanya Tucker, C&W vocals/actress, b. Seminole TX, USA.
1953     (James) Midge Ure, R&R singer/songwriter/guitar, b. Cambuslang, Glasgow, Scotland
1949     Amy Vansingel, co-founder: 'Living Blues', b. Chicago, IL, USA
1946     Ben Vereen, dancer/singer, b. Miami, FL, USA
1923     Wade Walton, guitar, b. Lombardy, MS, USA.
1921     Julius Watkins, (Jazz) French Horn, b. Detroit, MI, USA. d. April 4, 1977. Watkins began playing French horn at just age nine. Still, during 1943-1946, he was playing trumpet with the Ernie Fields orchestra. He took some French horn solos in the late 1940s, when recording with Kenny Clarke and Babs Gonzales. 1949 found him working in the Milt Buckner big band. The next 3 years were spent studying at New York's Manhattan School of Music, after which he again returned to performing. During 1953-1954, he recorded with Thelonious Monk, as well as on some other dates. In 1956-1959, he co-led "Les Jazz Modes" with Charlie Rouse. During 1959-1961, he was working in the studios (including Miles Davis-Gil Evans collaborations), and also toured with Quincy Jones' big band. From 1965 on, he recorded with such stars as Charles Mingus (1965 and again in 1971), John Coltrane (the Africa sessions), Freddie Hubbard, and the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, and others.
   Notable Events on this date include:
1935.    "Porgy and Bess", composer George Gershwin's American opera, opened on Broadway in New York City (rave reviews).
1958.    "Kid Sox" Wilson, vocals, died in Cape May Court, NJ, USA, Age: 65
1958.    Lorraine Geller, piano, died in Los Angeles CA, USA.
1958.    Wesley Wilson, vocal, piano died in the Cape May Court House, New Jersey, USA.
1960.    June Lawrence Cole, bass, died in New York, NY, USA, Age: 45
1964.    Eddie Cantor comedian/Vocals, died. Age: 72
1964.    Russ Case, orchestra, arranger for many bands, including the Jackie Gleason show, died. Age: 52
1965.    George Tucker, bass died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 38
1969.    Manuel "Fess" Manetta, piano, cornet, saxophone, violin, died (b. 1889, New Orleans, LA, USA)
1980.    Oscar Aleman, guitar died in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1984.    Joe Johnson, vocals, died in Baltimore, MD, USA, Age: 69 Member: 'The CBS Trumpeteers'
1991.    Mac Thompson, bass, died in Chicago, IL, USA, Age: 57
1993.    Ellis Johnson, vocals/arranger, died in Richmond, VA, USA, Age: 59 Member: 'Harmonizing 4'
1999.    George "Chet" Forrest, songwriter, died in Miami, Florida, USA.
2001.    Patricia Anne McKinnon, singer whose career began on Canadian TV's "Singalong Jubilee", died of lymphatic cancer. Age: 53. She was born in Shilo, Manitoba, Canada. Began her career at age 13. Sang for the Halifax-produced CBC show "Singalong Jubilee". Later starred in such TV programs as "Show of the Week", "Juliette", and "A Go Go '66". For more than 28 years, McKinnon fought Hodgkins disease.
2002.    Abe Most, clarinet, died in Los Angeles, California, USA. Age: 82
2003.    Marie Marcus, piano died in Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA. Age: 89
2003.    Don Lanphere, tenor sax, died in Redmond, Washington, USA. Age: 75.
2006.    Ed Summerlin, tenor sax, composer, died in Rhinebeck, NY, USA. (Cancer)
   Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1928   "You're The Cream In My Coffee". ex Broadway show: 'Hold Everything'.
1940   "Moonlight And Roses", recorded this date by vocalist Lanny Ross. (Victor label.)
1941   "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", - Ink Spots
1947   "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", - Betty Hutton
1947   "Near You", - Larry Green
1947   "Apple Blossom Wedding, An", - Sammy Kaye Orch.
1947   "Feudin' And Fightin' ", - Jo Stafford voc.
1952   "Why Don't You Believe Me ", - Joni James voc
1953   "Many Times", - Eddie Fisher
1960   "Georgia On My Mind", - Ray Charles
1960   "You Talk Too Much", - Joe Jones
1960   "Stay", - Williams, Maurice & The Zodiacs
1964   "Have I The Right?", - Honeycombs
1964   "Baby Love", - Supremes
1970   "It Don't Matter To Me", - Bread
1981   "Oh No", - Commodores
1981   "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", - Police
1987   "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", - Belinda Carlisle
1987   "I've Had The Time Of My Life", - Bill Medley
1992   "How Do You Talk To An Angel", - Heights