BIRTHDAYS
1897     Gus Arnheim, leader/composer, b. Philadelpia, PA, USA, d. Jan. 19, 1955, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1899     Johnny Bayersdorfer, Trumpet/cornet/Tenor sax/Leader, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. Nov. 17, 1969, New Orleans, LA, USA, age 70. Very active and popular band leader in New Orleans and vicinity all during the 1920s.
1970     Igor Cavalera, drums, b.Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Member group: 'Sepultura', 1996 single "Roots Bloody Roots"charted UK No.19. In 1983, this 'heavy metal' band was originally formed by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, when they teamed up with school friends Paulo Jr. and Jairo T. and recorded "Bestial Devistation" and "Morbid Visions" - their first album. In 1986 Jairo left and guitarist Andreas Kisser joined. (Current members -with Igor- include Andreas Rudolf Kisser born August 24, 1968 in S� Bernardo Do Campo, S� Paulo, Brazil, Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. born April 30, 1969 In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Derrick Leon Green, vocals/guitar, who was born on January 21, 1971 in Cleveland, Ohio.). Ex-members include co-founder Max Cavalera born in Belo Horizonte Brazil, and Jairo T.:(né: Jairo Guedz, born Brazil -Lead Guitar). After leaving Sepultura, Jairo worked with 'Schizophrenia' and now plays with 'Eminence'.
1930     John "Bowling Green" Cephas, guitar, b. Washington, D.C., USA. Bowling Green" John Cephas is so nick-named because though born in Washington, he was raised in Bowling Green, VA, hence his nick-name. While growing up in Virginia, Cephas was first exposed to the Blues by his aunt and her boyfriend, -both of whom played guitar. The couple showed the eight year old Cephas some Blues chords, and he was off and running.
1951     Martin Chambers, Drums. Member group: 'The Pretenders'
1948     Michael Cochrane, piano, keyboards, In the fall of 1974, Cochrane made the New York city area his permanent home. He has performed and/or recorded with: Sonny Fortune, Hannibal, Jack Walrath, Eddie Gomez, Valery Ponomorev, Paul Nash, John Clark, Clark Terry, Nancy Monroe, Chip White, Michael Brecker, Chico Freeman, Galen Abdur Razzaq, The Spirit Of Life Ensemble, Bob Ferrel, The New World Quintet, Ted Curson, Oliver Lake, Bradford Hayes and many more. Cochrane has toured to 16 European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and England. He has also performed in Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, The Philippines, The Caribbean, and Estonia. In 1985. he led a quintet that included Tom Harrell, Bob Malach, Dennis Irwin and James Madison. . The Soul Note/Black Saint label recorded the group. (His lone album as a leader.)
1961     Kenny Davis, bass, electric bass, guitar, percussion, arranger, b. Chicago, Illinois, USA. Kenny grew up listening to 'Earth Wind & Fire', 'Brothers Johnson', and 'The Temptations'. He didn't "discover" jazz until college (Northeastern Illinois University), but quickly immersed himself in the tradition by sitting in with Chicago groups led by saxophonists Von Freeman, Ari Brown, and Fred Anderson. In 1986, he moved to New York, and started out by taking gigs his roommate, Lonnie Plaxico, couldn't fit into his own schedule, before hooking up with 'Out of the Blue' (OTB). He subsequently played/recorded with such artists as the 'Ron McCurdy Quintet', Cecil Bridgewater, Rodney Jones, Art Farmer, Don Byron, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Freddy Hubbard, the avant-garde jazz/klezmer group 'Hasidic New Wave', Carla Cook's 'Simply Natural' (2002), and fusion violinist Michael Urbaniak. He has also toured/recorded with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, and gigs with pop stars like Roberta Flack, Cassandra Wilson, Della Reese, Regina Carter, Dianne Reeves, Lyle Lovett, and Willie Nelson;
CAUTION: Do not confuse with jazz trumpeter, and Oberlin Conservatory of Music faculty member Kenneth Davis, also known as Kenny Davis.
1951     Dan Del Santo, guitar, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Oct. 12, 2001, Oaxaca, Mexico. Age: 50 (esophageal bleeding)
1946     Gary Duncan, guitar, b. San Diego, CA, USA. né: Gary Grubb. . Member: 'Quicksilver Messenger Service'
1918     Archie Edwards, guitar, b. Union Hall, VA, USA
1946     Greg Elmore, drums, b. Coronado Naval Air Station, CA, USA. Member group: 'Quicksilver Messenger Service'
1945     Danny Gatton, Guitar, b. Washington, D.C., USA.
1930     Mitzi Gaynor, actress/singer. b.Chicago, IL, USA. nee. Francesca von Gerber. While Mitzi appeared in many light musicals, she is best remembered for her role as the nurse in the Film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific". (Mary Martin played the role in the original Broadway production.) In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mitzi hosted a string of successful annual musical TV specials. In 1954, she married Jack Bean. (Mitzi Gaynor should not be confused with Janet Gaynor, an actress best recalled as an actress and for her rendition of "I'm A Dreamer (Aren't We All)", in an early Hollywoood "Talkie" - 'Sunnyside Up'.)
1922     Bob Greene, Piano, b. New York, NY, USA.
1920     "Shot" Jackson, steel guitar/electric guitar/Dobro/session musician, b. Wilmington, NC, USA. d. Jan. 24, 1991. né: Harold B. Jackson. While still a child, he earned the nickname Buckshot--which was later abbreviated simply to 'Shot'. His wife, Donna Darlene, was a former vocalist on the Jamboree radio program. Shortly after retirement (ca. 1980), he suffered a stroke leaving him unable to speak or to play music. In the late 1980s, he suffered another stroke, and died a few years later.
1942     Merald "Bubba" Knight, vocals. b. Atlanta, GA, USA. Member group: 'Gladys Night and the Pips'.
1981     Beyonce Knowles, vocals, b. Houston, Texas, USA. Member group: Destiny's Child, 2000 single "Say My Name" charted US No.1, 2001 single and album Survivor, Bills, bills, bills charted US and UK NO.1.
1966     Bireli Lagrene, Guitar, b. Saverne, France
1891     Sam Lanin, leader, drums, vocal, b. Russia, (raised in Philadelphia, PA, USA) d. May 5, 1977, Hollywood, Florida, USA
1905     Meade "Lux" Lewis, Piano, b. Chicago, IL (or Louisville, KY), USA. d. June 7, 1964, Los Angeles, CA area (or Minneapolis, MN) (Auto crash). né: Meade Anderson Lewis. His birthdate is variously reported as either Sept, 3, 4, or 14.
1946     David Liebman, Tenor-soprano Sax, b. New York, NY, USA.
1923     Virginia Maxey , vocals. sang w/ Tony Pastor, Ziggy Elman, George Paxton, Charlie Barnet and was one of Mel Torme's Mel-Tones.
1900     Rubin "Big Mike" Mckendrick, banjo and guitar, b. Paducah, KY, USA. d. . March 22, 1965, Chicago, IL, USA.. Their father, violinist and trombonist Gilbert McKendrick, Sr. had five sons, - and gave all of them the middle name of Michael. Thus the Mike McKendrick who played trombone was Richard "Mike" McKendrick, the violinist was Daniel "Mike" McKendrick and the pianist was James Mike McKendrick. SInce both .Rubin "Mike" Mckendrick and Gilbert "Mike" Mckendrick both played banjo and guitar, they required some additional indentification, and so ,the younger of the two became known as "Little Mike" McKendrick, while his 2 year older older brother became "Big Mike" McKendrick. Interestingly, all 5 boys were raised in Paducah, and all 5 boys relocated to Chicago, IL, at the same time. All during the 1920s and 1930s, Big and Little Mike were stalwarts of the Chicago "Trad" Jazz, Swing and Blues scenes. At times, "Big Mike" McKendrick managed as well as played in Louis Armstrong's band. It is not now well remembered, but "Little Mike" McKendrick, was at one time involved in a tussle with Sidney Bechet.that involved some gunplay
1914     Tommy McQuater, Trumpet, b. Maybole, Scotland Tommy first learned music while playing in a brass band. He began his professional career playing with the Louis Freemane band, then playing on transatlantic cruise ships. Subsequently, he worked with the Jack Payne (1934), Lew Stone (1934-5), and Bert Ambrose (1936-8) bands. He played briefly with the Heralds of Swing (1939) before returning to Ambrose. Both during and after World War II, he played with the famned RAF "Squadronaires". During 1952-3, he worked with the "Skyrockets", who were then mostly working as a show "pit" band. After the Skyrockets, he joined Cyril Stapleton's BBC Showband, after which he worked as a staff musician in television under Jack Parnell. He freelanceed well into the 1980s. McQuater recorded with Benny Carter (1936-7), Danny Polo (1937), George Chisholm (1938, 1944-5,1961), John Dankworth (1955, 1961), and Benny Goodman (1969).
1980     Dan Mark Miller, Vocals, b. New Hampshire (raised in Ohio). Member group: O-Town, Group were winners of US TV show 'Making The Band', 2001 single "All Or Nothing" charted US No.3
1926     Laurie Morgan, drums, b. England, UK. Laurie was already playing the drums as a very young child, and by age 15 was playing professionally. In 1946 , he sat in at the Fullado Club, and in 1947 visited New York with Ronnie Scott and Tony Crombie. He regularly played in the Johnny Dankworth Quartet (with Bernie Fenton and Joe Muddel) when Club Eleven was formed. From 1949 on he played with Ambrose and Harry Hayes, as well as with various other dance bands. In 1954 he returned to jazz with the Dizzy Reece Sextet. In 1959, he formed his own 'Contemporary Jazz Unit', and, in the early 1960s, played with Tommy Whittle. He subsequently worked in theatre and became resident percussionist and assistant musical director at the National Theatre. Happily, he was still playing and teaching in the early 2000s.
CAUTION: Do not confuse with Laurie Morgan, American C&W singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, actress, b. June 27, 1960, Nashville TN, USA.
1908     Albert "Al" Norris, Guitar, b. Kane, PA, USA d. Dec. 26, 1974. Caution: Do not confuse with the Al Norris who later changed his name to Tony Martin and found a new career singing in the Hollywood films.
1944     Gene Parsons, Drums. Member: The Byrds
1960     Lonnie Plaxico, Bass, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1946     Don Potter, C&W songwriter/session guitarist/producer/arranger, b. Glens Falls, NY, USA.
1972     Guto Pryce, bass, b. Cardiff, Wales, England. Member group: Super Furry Animals, 1999 single "Northern Lines" charted UK No.11. Pryce was in the underground band 'Anhrefn' with Gruff Rhys and Dafydd Ieuan before 'Super Furry Animals' was formed.
1930     Jerry Ragavoy, songwriter/producer, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1934     Michel Sardaby, Piano, b. Fort-de-France, Martinique
1914     Jan Savitt, leader/violin/arranger/vocals, b. Petrograd, Russia, d. Oct. 4, 1948, CA, USA. (Some sources claim b. Sept. 4, 1913 but could be as early as 1908.)
1942     Heiner Stadler, composer/arranger/leader, b. Poland There are two men with precisely the same name. One "Heiner Stadler", is a German journalist-filmmaker, b. 1948, -and this Heiner Stadler, who was born in Poland and has made New York City his home for many years, is a composer, record producer and impresario, who moves easily across the borders of Jazz, Blues, and Classical music. Stadler has produced major concerts in New York city with Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and others. He helped produce the album "Tribute to Monk" on the 'Tomato' label. Stadler is also the president of 'Labor Records', a label that has released albums on Blues guitarman "Louisiana Red", and 'Peg Leg Sam' (né: Arthur "Sam" Jackson, b. Dec. 18, 1911, Jonesville, SC, USA,) -an old time medicine show performer and harmonica virtuoso who worked and traveled across the US, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Bahamas before hewas finally recorded in the early 1970s). Stadler also produced the album "Retrospection" with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Owens, and Gerd Dudek, and has worked with such other Jazz musicians as Thad Jones, Jack Walrath, George Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Reggie Workman, Lenny White, Jay Clayton, Ken Peplowski and Randy Sandke. Stadler has also produced some Classical albums including composer John Cage's "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" (for the German " WERGO " label). Stadler also coordinated the famous release of Phillip Glass's recording "Einstein on the Beach" for the Tomato label. He has released albums of Classical music by such artists as Joäo Carlos Martins (the complete keyboard works of J. S. Bach); also Grete Sultan, Margaret Leng Tan, Pavlina Dokovska and Angela Tosheva, cellist Leslie Parnas, guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima, the Sofia Soloists, He has helped to promote the careers of Bulgarians Ivan Spassov, Gheorghi Arnaoudov, and Dimiter Christoff, Aleksandër Peçi, Americans Harry Partch, Meredith Monk, Petr Kotik and Kirk Nurock, the German Hanns Eisler, Japanese born Somei Satoh, and the Korean Isang Yun.
1963     Jan Stenfors, aka:'Nasty Suicide', guitarist, b. Member group: Hanoi Rocks, a Finnish rock band, that achieved some minor success in the early 1980s. In 1980, Hanoi Rocks, was formed in Helsinki, Finland by schoolfriends Andy McCoy (né: Antti Hulkko) on lead guitar and Nasty Suicide (né: Jan Stenfors) on rhythm guitar. They later added vocalist Michael Monroe (né: Matti Fagerholm), bass guitarist Sam Yaffa (né: Sami Takamäki, b. Sept. 4, 1963, Finland) and drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Sporre). The band's name is Andy McCoy's invention and is based upon a television documentary about the refining of heroin in Hanoi, Vietnam. To take advantage of livelier music scenes, the band moved in 1981 to Stockholm, Sweden, and then in 1982, to London, England, In late 1982, Casino was fired and replaced by Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley. The band never had any significant commercial success, although they do have a small cult following. Some sources cite them as having an influence on 'Guns n' Roses'.
1960     Kim Thayil, guitar, b.Seattle, WA, USA. Member group: Soundgarden, 1994 single "Black Hole Sun" charted UK No.12.
1932     Joe Viera. German professor and sax player best known for initiating the jazz scene and jazz education in Germany.
1931     Wendell Phillips Whalum, (gospel) organ, b. Memphis, TN, USA
1918     Gerald Wilson, Trumpet/Composer/Leader/Arranger, b. Shelby, MS, USA,
1935     U. P. Wilson, guitar/singer-songwriter, b. (near) Shreveport LA, USA, né: Huary Perry Wilson
         Notable Events on this date include:
1967.    "Madame" Edna Gallmon Cooke, vocals, died in Philadelpia, PA, USA. Age: 49
1971.    The Lawrence Welk Show was seen for the last time on the ABC-TV network. (But is still on TV -2005)
1973.    Bascom Lamar Lunsford, C&W singer/multi-instrumentalist died. Age: 91
1984.    Bessie Jones, vocals, died in Brunswick, GA, USA. Age: 82. Best recalled as member of "The Georgia Sea Island Singers'
1984.    Jan Morks, Dutch clarinetist, died in the Netherlands. (b. October 14, 1925, The Hague, Netherlands )
1987.    Leo Salley, trumpet/arranger, died in Newark, NJ, USA. Age: 66
1991.    Charlie Barnet, Bandleader/tenor sax, died in San Diego, CA, USA. Age: 77.
1991.    Dotie West, C&W vocalist, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 58. (As a result of injuries suffered in a car wreck on August 30, near the 'Grand Ole Opry House'. Dottie was the first female Country Artist to win a Grammy (for "Here Comes My Baby")
1992.    Carl Butler, C&W guitar/singer-songwriter, died in Franklin, TN, USA. Age: 65.
1992.    John Volinkaty, C&W composer, died. (Perhaps his best recalled song is "Satin Sheets".)
1992.    Billy Williams, tenor sax, died in Christopher, IL, USA. Age: 61
1993.    Johnny Rae, vibes, drums, percussion, died
1994.    Louis Myers, guitar/harmonica, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 64
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1914    Always Treat Her Like Baby, -Irving Kaufman voc.release tune: Berlin
1917    Somewhere in France is Daddy, -Charles Hart voc.
1923    Last Night On The Back Porch, -Paul Whiteman and his Orch. tune: C.Schraubstader-Lew Brown
1924    Follow the Swallow, - Art Kahn and his Orch.
1925    I'm Gonna Charleston Back To Charleston, -The Revelers
1925    Feelin' Kind O' Blue, - Glen Oswald and his Orch. tune: Wohlmann-Ruby-Cooper
1925    Remember, -Regent Club Orch. (Haring Orch.).Tune: Berlin
1928    The sidewalks of New York, - Paul Whiteman and his Orch.
1928    In The good old summertime, - Paul Whiteman and his Orch.
1928    Downright Disgusted, - Wingy Manone band (with Gene Krupa on drums).
1929    Too Wonderful for Words, - Jesse Stafford and his Orch.
1929    Ain't Misbehavin', - Bill Robinson and Mills Gang tune: a.razaf-t.waller-h.brooks
1930    Hullabaloo, - Abe Lyman's California orch
1932    Pink Elephants, - George Olsen and his music
1935    I Live For Love, - Jacques Renard and his Orch.
1939    From The Land of Sky Blue Water, -Columbia Salon orch
1940    Maria Elena, - Wayne King and his Orch.
1940    Falling Leaves, - Wayne King and his Orch.
1941    Brazil, - Eddy Duchin and his Orch.
1942    My Devotion, - Spivak, Charlie
1946    Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys Rose Of Old Pawnee
1961    His Latest Flame (Marie's The Name), - Presley, Elvis
1965    Catch Us If You Can, - Clark Five, Dave
1965    Hang On Sloopy, - McCoys
1965    Laugh At Me, - Sonny
1971    Do You Know What I Mean, - Michaels, Lee
1971    If You Really Love Me, - Wonder, Stevie
1976    DiscoSS Duck (Part 1), - Dees, Rick
1976    Magic Man, - Heart
1976    Rock'n Me, - Miller, Steve
1982    Gloria, - Branigan, Laura
1982    I Ran (So Far Away), - Flock Of Seagulls