BIRTHDAYS
1961     Franck Amsallem, piano, b. Oran, Algeria, (grew up in Nice, France).
1925     Elester Anderson, guitar, b. Conetoe, NC, USA
1944     Jon Anderson, R&R vocals. b. Accrington, Lancashire, England. Member: Yes. Also both Solo; and duo, with team called 'Jon and Vangelis'
1923     Don Banks, Composer/piano/educator, b. Oct.,25,1923, Melbourne, Australia, d. Sept. 5, 1980
1903     Arthur "Rip" Bassett, banjo, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Worked with Ma Rainey
1937     Jeanne (Gloria) Black, C&W vocals. Biggest hit: "He'll Have to Stay"
1927     "Sascha" Burland, vocalist, b. New York, NY, USA. Did some work with the Howard McGee Quintet in the '60s.
1927     Barbara Cook, vocals/actress. Among the musical shows in which she has appeared are Flahooley, The Music Man, Candide, Any Wednesday, Oklahoma, Plain and Fancy, She Loves Me, The Gay Life, Carousel, Funny Girl, and The Gershwin Years.
1914     Dave Dallwitz, Piano/Composer/trombone/cornet/arranger, b. Adelaide, Australia
1944     Taffy Danoff (Nivert), vocals. Member: Starland Vocal Band
1938     Don Davis, alto sax. Caution: There are still other Don Davis', including Don Davis, Composer, (b. Feb. 4, 1957, Anaheim, CA, USA). Among his film scores are 'A Goofy Movie' (1995), 'The Matrix' (1999), 'Jurassic Park III' (2001), 'The Matrix Reloaded' and 'Matrix Revolutions' (2003). There is also the Don Davis, who is a CD producer/guitarist, (b. Detroit, MI, USA), who started out as a teenaged jazz guitarist working the Detroit studios during Detroit's soul music heyday. Then, there's Don Davis, Steel Guitar, (b: Dec. 22, 1928, Calvert, AL, USA). Don played steel guitar for Hank Williams' and Pee Wee King recording sessions. There's a Don Davis who played alto sax with Philip Johnstons Transparent Quartet, a Don Davis (b. Manchester, NH, USA) who played alto sax with Daevid Allen and the 'New York Gong'. (The New York Gond had Bill Laswell: Bass, Bill Bacon: Drums, Fred Maher: Drums, Cliff Cultreri: Guitar, Gary Windo: Tenor Sax, Michael Beinhorn: Synth, Don Davis: Alto Sax, Mark Kramer: Cheap Organ, and Daevid Allen: Rhythm Guitar, Glissando Guitar.
1955     Robin Eubanks, Trombone, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA
1961     Ray Gelato, sax/vocals/leader, b. London, England, UK. Ray Keith Irwin. Tenor Sax, Vocals
1918     Bobby Gimby, trumpet, b. Cabri, Sask, Canada. d. 1998, Canada.
1948     John Hall, drums, b. Islington, London, England. Member: 'The Equals'.
1956     Paul Hancox, drums, b. Birmingham, England. Member: 'The Mindbenders'.
1933     Jack Hannah, Western vocals/guitar, b. Marshfield, MO, USA. Member: "Sons of the San Joaquin", a group formed 1987 in California. Jack also wrote a book of music (for any C-instrument) entitled "Songs Of The Trail" celebrating the romance attached to the cowboy and the old West.
1926     James Edward "Jimmy" Heath, soprano-Tenor Sax/flute/leader/composer, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA Jimmy is the middle brother of the Heath Brothers (Percy Heath/bass and Tootie Heath/drums). "All I can say is, if you know Jimmy Heath, you know Bop." -- Dizzy Gillespie
1942     Terumasa Hino, Trumpet, b. Tokyo, Japan
1955     Matthias Jabs, R&R vocals. Member: Scorpions
1918     Greig "Chubby" Jackson, Bass, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Oct. 1, 2003, Rancho Bernardo, CA, USA. (just shy of his 85th birthday) A Charlie Barnet band alumnus; member of Woody Herman's band; Winner of Esquire's New Star Award, bass, 1945. Gold Award 1946. Chubby, according to Woody Herman, was the catalyst for the first and second herd's amazing cohesiveness and espirit d'corps. These were Woody's sentiments:
       "What an immense influence he had on us! And what enthusiasm! He used to
       get around to hear everything. He was always screaming about this
       musician and that musician. He'd been with Charlie Barnet, along with
       Ralph Burns, Neal Hefti and Frances Wayne, and he kept telling us we
       should hire them. So we did, and you know how much they've meant to us!"
1981     Jerome Jones, (hip-hop flavored) R&B vocals., b. Los Angeles CA, USA.
1945     Les Jones, Trumpet/Flugelhorn, b. Oswestry Shropshire, England, UK. During 1971-1973, Les led his own "Les Jones Big Band", who were resident at 'Room at The Top' In Ilford in the early 1970s, and also on Monday nights at the 'Iron Bridge Tavern Canning Town' East London, (Scene of the Barbara Windsor "Film Sparrows Can't Sing"). Les somehow managed to bring together some of the greatest jazz musicians in England. including legendry drummers Trevor Tomkins, Bobby Gien, Phil Sieman, Ronnie Stevenson and John Marshall, Trumpeters Albert Hall Greg Bowen Alan Downing Nigel Carter , Trombonists David Horler, Barry Forgy, John Bridge , Saxes, Martin Frith, Roy Carter; The Scidmores, Roy Burns; Guitarist Cedric West, Bassist; Brian Jones, and pianist Pete Kelly. Alto saxist Laurie Taylor, now head of the Laurie Taylor Entertainment agency, was a regular member. In 1974, Les was also involved with managing a number of singers, One was the late Dennis D'ell (ex 'Honeycombes' lead singer) whom he got on to the 'New Faces' TV Show, which Dennis won in 1974. Les was active with some version of the band into the early 1980s. Currently (2007) , Les is playing (Trumpet/Flugelhorn) with a newly formed big band 'Toot Sweet' at 'Craven Arms' in Shropshire.
1902     Eddie Lang, Guitar, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. March 26, 1933, New York, NY, USA (tonsillectomy). né: Salvatore Massaro. As a youngster, this son of an Italian-American String-instrument maker took violin lessons for 11 years. As a very young man, he formed a friendship with one of his fellow students at James Campbell High School, -violinist Joe Venuti. These two men would work together for much of their life-long careers. By 1918, Lang was already playing his violin, as well as guitar and banjo, in various local bands. During late 1924 to early 1925, he was working in London, England (using the name Willie Dunn), after which he returned to the U. S., settling in New York city where he freelanced in the radio and recording studios. During this period, he also worked with such bands as Roger Wolfe Kahn, Adrian Rollini, Jean Goldkette, and his good schooldays friend Joe Venuti. Using names such as 'Joe Venuti's Blue Four', Lang led and/or co-led with Venuti some 20 sessions on various labels. Their work on those recordings still remains as a standard for small group Jazz. Famed Jazz critic Leonard Feather, for an article in The Encyclopedia of Jazz, has written that they, "achieved a unique style, a tonal finesse and Jazz chamber-music quality hitherto unknown in Jazz." During the 1920's, Lang recorded with African American Blues singer-guitarist, Lonnie Johnson, under the name, "Blind Willie Dunn and his Gin Bottle Four". Johnson once told interviewers that, "Lang could play guitar better than anyone I knew; the sides I made with him were my greatest experience. He was the nicest man I ever worked with." (It is very interesting to note that Lang used the name 'Blind Willie Dunn' because in those days very few people thought that a White man could play the Blues.) Lang worked with other Afro-American Blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Victoria Spivey under his pseudonym of 'Blind Willie Dunn', and under his own name with "White" singers such as Russ Columbo, Cliff Edwards, Ruth Etting and many others. 1929 found him working in Paul Whiteman's Orchestra (and also appearing in the Whiteman film "The King of Jazz", - a very early "Talkie"). Lang had formed a friendship with Whiteman's star singer, Bing Crosby, and when Crosby left Whiteman, Lang went with Bing as his accompanist. Crosby and Lang appeared together in the film "The Big Broadcast in 1932". It has been reported that Lang, then suffering from laryngitis, was urged by his friend Bing to have an operation. While undergoing this very routine tonsillectomy in New York City, a sudden hemorrhage resulted in his demise at the age of just 31. A sad end to such a very talented musician. Crosby and Jazz musicians everywhere were devastated at Lang's early demise. After Lang's demise, some historians noticed a change in Venuti's drive, or ambition. Once, when Venuti was asked why he played the violin, and Lang, also an expert violinist, played the guitar, Venuti replyed that they had flipped a coin to determine who would play the vioin, and who would play the guitar. Venuti said he won the toss, and chose the violin. Lang's harmonic and rhythmic skills virtually created the Jazz guitar, and he was, without a doubt, the world's first internationally known Jazz guitarist. It has been often said that 'Fame is Fleeting'. Lang was perhaps the greatest of all the Jazzmen who came out of Philadelphia. Incredibly, his 100th birthday was ignored in his own home town. Not even one local Philadelphia newspaper, radio or TV station bothered note the centenary of one of America's most significant Jazz pioneers.
1885   Sam M. Lewis, lyricist, b. New York, NY, d. Nov. 22, 1959, New York, NY, USA.
1921     "Little Hatchet", harmonica. b. Sledge, MS, USA.
1909     Kasper Delmar "Kas" Malone, bass, b. Paducah, KY, USA.
1924     Bob McKinney, trombone/bass/piano, b: Philadelphia (Rosborough section), PA, USA. d. July 9, 2002, Philadelphia, PA, USA. (Stroke Complications). né: Charles Robert McKinney. In addition to being a well decorated war veteran, he had appeared with such other musicians as Ray Bryant, Billy Krechmer, and Charlie Byrd.
1958     Mark Miller, (Christian) vocals, b. Dayton, OH, USA. Frontman of the veteran band "Sawyer Brown".   CAUTION: Do not confuse with the Mark Miller, who is one of Canada's top Jazz critics, writing for Toronto's Globe and Mall since 1978. Or for the Mark T. Miller, who is a Classical clarinetist, conductor, and composer living in Massachusetts, USA. Nor for the Mark Andrew Miller, who currently (2005) serves on the faculty at both the Drew Theological School and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University where he teaches music and worship. And, also not for the TV actor Mark Miller, who has been seen on such sitcoms as 'Guestward Ho' (1960), 'Please Don't Eat the Daisies' (1965) etc.
1924     Earl Palmer, Drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1912     "Minnie Pearl", C&W vocals/comedienne. née: Sarah Ophelia Colley. Member: Grand Ole Opry; CMA Hall of Fame.
1947     Marilyn Middleton Pollock, Vocal, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1941     Helen Reddy, Pop Vocals, b. Melbourne, Australia. Some of her hit releases include "Delta Dawn", "I Am Woman", "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)", "Peaceful", "I Don't Know How to Love Him", "Keep on Singing", "Angie Baby", and "You& Me Against the World" .
1905     Rueben "Red" Reeves, Trumpet, b. Evansville, IL, USA. d. Sep 8, 1975, New York, NY, USA.
1970     Ed Robertson, guitar, b. Canada. Member: Barenaked Ladies
1962     Chad Smith, R&R vocals. Member: Red Hot Chili Peppers
1897     Edmond "Doc" Souchon II, MD, USA. Guitar/banjo/vocal, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Aug. 24, 1968
1934     Sam Taylor Jr., guitar.
1965     Nick Thorpe, Bass/Vocals, b. London, England. Member group: 'Curiosity Killed The Cat'. The band consisted of Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot, (b. 19 May 1964, London, England), Julian Godfrey Brookhouse, (b. 13 May 1963, London, England), Nicholas Bernard Throp, (b. 25 October 1964, London, England) and Migi/Michael Drummond (b. Miguel John Drummond, 27 January 1964, Middlesex, England).
1949     Glen Tipton, R&R vocals. Member: Judas Priest.
1970     Chely Wright, C&W vocals, b. Kansas City, MO, USA.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1941.    Nisse "Bagarn" Lind, accordion, piano, died
1961.    Peter Jensen who waas the co-inventer of the loud speaker died at age 75.
197.    2Cal Massey, composer, trumpet, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. (heart attack) Age: 44
1983.    Alonzo Elvis "Tony" Alderman, C&W fiddler (Member: "The Hill Billies") died. Age: 83 (b. Sept. 10, 1900, River Hill, VA, USA)
1984.    Johnnie Lee Wills, C&W fiddler/Songwriter, younger brother of Bob Wills, died. Age: 72
1985.    Vocalist Morton Downey died at age 83.
1986.    Johnny Mbizo Dyani, bass, died in Berlin, Germany, Age: 40
1987.    Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson, tenor sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 59
1988.    Johnnie Louise Richardson, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 43. Member duo: 'Johnnie & Joe'
1990.    "Banjo Ikey" Robinson, banjo/guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 86
1990.    Major Holley, bass, died in Maplewood, NJ, USA. Age: 66
1991.    Bill Graham, promoter (Fillmore West), died in Sonoma City, CA, USA. Age: 60
1992.    Roger Miller died in California, USA. (throat cancer).
1993.    Tommy "Mad Dog" Jones, tenor sax, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 71
1993.    Bruno Carr, drums, died in Denver, CO, USA. (cancer)
2003.    Richard Kazuo Hamada, saxophone, died in Loomis, CA, USA. Age: 96
2004.    Angela Herzberg, wife of Gary Allan, died in Hendersonville, TN, USA. (self-inflicted gunshot)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1945   "That's For Me ", - voc: Dick Haymes
1946 "Ole Buttermilk Sky ", - Kay Kyser Orch
1946   "Rumors Are Flying ", - voc: Tony Martin
1969   "And When I Die ", - Blood, Sweat and Tears
1969   "Take A Letter Maria ", - R. B. Greaves
1975   "Fly, Robin, Fly ", - Silver Convention
1986   "To Be A Lover ", - Billy Idol
1986   "Hip To Be Square ", - Lewis, Huey & The News
1986   "Everybody Have Fun Tonight ", - Wang Chung