BIRTHDAYS
1953     Brenda Bell, vocals, b. Newport News, VA, USA.
1930     Clifford Brown, trumpet, b. Wilmington, DE, USA. d. June 26, 1956 (auto accident)
1954     T. Graham Brown, Actor/C&W vocals, b. Arabi, Georgia, USA. né: Anthony Graham Brown. Member group: 'Bailie And The Boys'.
1954     Tom Browne, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA.
1925     Charles "Chas" Burchell, tenor-bari sax/flute, b: London, England, UK, d: June 3, 1986, Middlesex, England, UK.
1907     Renato Cesana, Actor, composer, songwriter and author, b. Rome, Italy, d. Nov. 8, 1970, Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA, USA (Lung cancer). As a young man, he was educated at a Jesuit Academy in Italy, and became a playwright and actor in Rome. In 1905, his family emigrated to San Francisco, California. Subsequently, Renato (he was sometimes called 'Renzo') Cesana created such hit radio programs as "Art Linkletter's Party", "Stop That Villain", and the "Radio Hall of Fame". He appeared in the road production "Time of the Cuckoo". His brother was famed composer Otto Cesana (see our July 7 calendar). Among his popular-song compositions include "Buy a Bond for a Soldier for Christmas" (the official song of the 6th War Bond Drive), "Roses and Champagne", "Don't Be Afraid, My Darling", and "Halfway to the Stars". In 1953, he became an ASCAP member.
1930     Ray Crane, Trumpet/piano, b. Skegness, England, d. June 29, 1994. (some sources say b. Oct. 31)
1940     Charles Fox, writer, b: , d: 1991
1912     Lee Gillette, producer/music publisher, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA. Worked with Leadbelly. As a Capitol Records producer, it was Lee Gillette who teamed Jimmy Wakely (then called "the Bing Croshy of Country Music) up with Pop songstress Margaret Whiting (composer Richard Whiting's daughter) in what proved to be a very successful partnership.
1951     Trilok Gurtu, Percussion, b. Bombay, India
1939     Eddie Holland, Songwriter, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Member group: 'Holland-Dozier-Holland'.
1928     Bobby Jones, Tenor/soprano/alto sax, clarinet and flute, b. Louisville, KY, USA. d. March 6, 1980, Munich, Germany
1932     Bob Koester, producer/label owner (Delmark Records), b: Wichita, KS, USA
1897     Augustin Lara, composer, b. Mexico City, Mexico, d. Nov. 6, 1970. (Heart Attack). As a child, Lara studied the piano, but when at age 13, his father discovered him playing the piano in a Bordello, he was sent to a military school. By 1927, he was out of the school and playing piano around Mexico City. 1928 saw the first recording of one of his tunes, "Imposible", by Adelaido Castelleda's Orchestra. He excelled in a very large variety of song styles composing rancheras, boleros, tropical songs, even an occasional Tango and brought a cosmopolitan flair to Mexican film music with such songs as "Granada," "Solamente una Vez," "Maria Bonita," "Farolito," and "Palabras de Mujer." The 1930s were his most active years, touring South America, performing on Radio and contributing to the Mexican Film industry. During the 1950s and '60s, he toured Europe, after which his popularity wained somewhat. The many artists who have performed his works include Desi Arnaz, Celia Cruz, Lola Beltran, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Xavier Cugat. Famed singer Placido Domingo recorded a full album of Lara compositions, "Por Amor" during the centenary of Lara's birth.
1925     Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero, composer/flute/drums/producer/saxes, b. Glens Falls, NY, USA. (produced most of Miles Davis' 1960s Columbia records.)
1908     Patsy Montana, C&W vocals, b. Hope, AR, USA. née: Ruby Rose Blevins
1927     John Murtaugh, Reeds, synthesize, b: Minneapolis, MN, USA.
1926     David Myers, bass guitar, b. Byhalia, MS, USA. Member: 'The Aces'
1958     Lewis Nash, drums, b. Phoenix, Arizona, USA. (Some sources claim born Dec. 30). By age 10, he was already playing the drums, and by age 18, was performing with local jazz groups. By age 21, Nash had become the "first call" jazz drummer in Phoenix, where he worked with Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Red Garland, Lee Konitz, Barney Kessell and "Slide" Hampton when they appeared in Phoenix. In 1981, Nash moved to New York City and became the drummer in jazz vocalist Betty Carter's trio. For nearly four years, he worked and toured internationally Betty. In 1984, Nash played and toured with bassist Ron Carter's nonet, quintet and quartet. In the fall of 1986, Nash joined saxophonist the Branford Marsalis quartet, remaining with Mrsalis for two years. In 1988, J.J. Johnson asked Lewis to provide rhythm duties for his new band. Also in 1988, Nash joined the Don Pullen/George Adams quartet, where he succeeded the late Dannie Richmond. In 1989, Nash toured with saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and also performed with Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Clark Terry and Milt Jackson. From 1990 to 2000, Lewis was a member of the Tommy Flanagan Trio. and subsequently toured and recorded with both the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. In the late 1990s, he formed his own group, the Lewis Nash Ensemble, and in 2001, he joined the jazz studies faculty of Juilliard School of Music. His only album as a leader is "Rhythm is My Business" (1989). His discography (over 300 recordings) includes work with such jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Benny Carter, Hank Jones and John Lewis, as well as new jazz stars Diana Krall, Joe Lovano and Roy Hargrove. Nash is also featured on recordings by vocalists Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rankin, Melissa Manchester and George Michael.
1976     Kassidy Osborn, C&W vocals, b, Magna (near Salt Lake City), UT, USA. Member: "SHeDAISY", a Sister trio comprised of Kristyn, Kelsi, and Kassidy Osborn
1925     Errol Parker, Jazz piano/drums, b. Oran, Algeria (then a French colony), d. June 2, 1998, New York (Manhattan), NY, USA. Age: 72 (Liver cancer). né: Raphael Schecroun. During World War II, he fought in the French Army. After the war's end, he settled in Paris where he first studied sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts, and spent his spare time teaching himself to play the piano. In the early 1950s, this self-taught pianist, began to 'gig' around Paris, playing with such men as Django Reinhardt and later with James Moody, Don Byas and Kenny Clarke. In 1964, he composed the song "Lorre", which became a hit in France. In 1967, he moved to New York City and started his own record label (Sahara Records, which eventually issued over a dozen records). While in New York, he switched to playing drums, but in a somewhat North African rhythmic style of Jazz drumming, utilizing a conga drum in place of snare, and with minimal cymbals. In 1983, he formed an innovative band, the Errol Parker Tentet. His work emphasized polytonality (playing in 2 keys at the same time), and simultaneous improvisation. In 1995, he wrote his own autobiography ("A Flat Tire on My Ass") published by Cadence Books in the USA, and by Filipacchi in France the next year. At the time of his demise, he was survived by his sister, Janine Beisson, of Gif-sur-Yvette, France, and his daughter, (keyboardist) Elodie Lauten (b. October 20 1950, Paris, France) , who has been described as ".....a seminal figure, one of the leaders of the postminimalist movement " (20th Century American Music, Schirmer, 1997), and as "...a force on the experimental music scene" (Fanfare, Spring 98). Ms. Lauten currently (2005) resides in New York city.
1919     Jane Randolph, vocals. Jane was the backup singer for Tony Orlando and 'Dawn'
1925     Tommy Ridgley, piano/songwriter, b. Shrewesbury, LA, USA.
1952     Arlen Roth, Guitar b. New York, NY, USA. Worked as session guitarist for Simon & Garfunkel, and Phoebe Snow, and has released several solo albums. Roth is perhpas best known as the founder of 'Hot Licks', a firm manufacturing guitar tuition videos.
1951     "Poncho" Sanchez, percussion.
1947     Timothy B. Schmit., Bass guitarist/singer, b. Sacramento, CA, USA. Member: 'Poco'
1946     Chris Slade, drums, b. Pontypridd, Wales, UK. Member groups: 'Manfred Mann's Earth Band', 'AC/DC', 'Gary Moore', 'The Firm'.
1939     Grace Slick, r&r vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA. née: Grace Wing. Member Groups: 'Jefferson Airplane and Starship'. Her 1987 single "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" charted US and UK No.1.
1951     Gus Thornton, bass, b. St. Louis, MO, USA. Worked with Johnnie Johnson
1938     Ben Wells, drums, b. Lucedale, MS, USA.
1939     Norman West, vocals, b. Monroe, LA, USA. Member: 'Soul Children'
1941     Otis Williams, vocals, b. Texarkana, TX, USA. Member: 'The Temptations'
1944     Richard Youngstein (aka: Noah Young), acoustic bassist, b. New York, NY, USA. In 1975, Richard changed his name to 'Noah Young'. He has played with Carla Bley, Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, Roswell Rudd, and others.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1941.    Chu Berry, tenor sax, died in Conneaut, OH, USA. Age: 33 Worked with Count Basie, and others
1962.    Billy Berg, club owener/producer, died in Hollywood, CA, USA. Age: 52. Owner: 'Billy Berg's' club in Los Angeles, CA. USA
1962.    Paul Lingle, piano, died in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
1969.    George "Pops" Foster, bass, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 77.
1970.    Bill Gaither, guitar, died in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Age: 60.
1972.    Alan Roth died. Age 68. Best recalled as the orchestra leader on the Milton Berle Show.
1976.    Rudy Powell, alto sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 69.
1981.    Foster Johnson, tap dancer, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 64. Worked with Count Basie.
1986.    Lewis Allan, composer, died in Longmeadow, MA, USA. Age: 83. Perhaps best recalled for his song "Strange Fruit Growing On Southern Trees",-Billie Holiday's huge hit. Louis Armstrong's release of "Black and Blue," with lyrics written in 1929 by Andy Razaf, was the first Black protest song aimed at a largely White audience. White songwriters rarely ever touched on the subject of race prejudice. Famed songwriter Irving Berlin was one of the bravest writers. His "Supper Time" (a song Ethel Waters made famous), referred to a lynching. Still, before Meeropol and Holiday came along, no one had ever confronted the subject so directly. No one ever tampered with Meeropol's music and words (he wrote both for this song), but composer Arthur Herzog, who wrote another famous song (and another Billie Holiday hit) "God Bless the Child" - claimed that arranger Danny Mendelsohn was really responsible for the final sound.
"One of the first numbers we put on was called: "Strange Fruit Grows on Southern Trees," the tragic story of lynching. Imagine putting that on in a night club! " --Barney Josephson, in 1942.
"I wrote "Strange Fruit" because I hate lynching, and I hate injustice, and I hate the people who perpetuate it." -Abel Meeropol (a.k.a. Lewis Allan in 1971).
ADDENDA:
Abel Meeropol, is often recalled today for raising the two orphaned sons of the executed atomic spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, For 27 years, he worked as an English teacher at New York's De Witt Clinton High School. However, Meeropol also led two other, parallel lives; one persona was as a political activist, and the other persona was as a poet and songwriter. Politically, he and his wife were 'closet' Communists donating a percentage of their earnings to the Communist Party. (In later years, the F.B.I. maintained that he had "been identified by reliable informants" as a Party member until 1947, although the FBI followed him for 23 years after that). Using the nom de plume "Lewis Allan" (the names of his two biological children, neither of whom survived infancy), he incessantly composed poems, ballads, musicals, and plays. Apart from "Strange Fruit," he is also well known for writing the lyrics to "The House I Live In" (music by Earl Robinson). Frank Sinatra introduced that paean to tolerance in a 1945 Oscar-winning short subject.
1992.    James Walker, vocals, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 66 Member: 'Dixie Hummingbirds'
2000.    Steve Allen died at age 78. He was the 'MC' of the original "Tonight Show" and composed over 4,000 songs.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1939   "El Rancho Grande", Eddie Duchin Orch.
1961   "Heartaches ", - Marcels
1965   "Let's Hang On ", - Four Seasons
1965   "I Hear A Symphony ", - Supremes
1971   "Have You Seen Her ", - Chi-Lites
1976   "Nights Are Forever Without You ", - England Dan and John Ford Coley