Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Martin France was born on February 29, 1964 in Rainham, Kent, England and began performing at the age of twelve backing singers in working men’s clubs with organ trios in and around Manchester. He studied under Geoff Riley, Kenny Clare, Joel Rothman, and principal percussionist Richard Smith of The Hallé, the Manchester orchestra.
In 1983 Martin began his recording career performing as a sideman on several records for ECM Records, toured with several of the labels roster during the 80s and 90s and subsequently led several sessions as a leader.
The turning point in his early career was as a member of the 1980s big band Loose Tubes, where he began working on projects that included film soundtracks, jazz theatre and cross cultural collaborations with other big bands and orchestras.
France formed his own band Spin Marvel, that showcased more electronic and sequence drumming, and would be an integral rhythm backbone on more than 60 albums working with some of the world’s finest musicians including Kenny Wheeler, Elvis Costello, Bob Mintzer, Steve Swallow, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, Marc Johnson and Dave Holland to name a few and is currently a regular performer with the NDR Radio Orchestra in Hamburg.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Charles Gayle was born February 28, 1939 in Buffalo, New York and his childhood was influenced by religion, and his musical roots trace to black gospel music. He began his musical education on piano then added tenor and alto saxophone. Much of his history is murky, he spent an apparent homeless period of about twenty years playing saxophone on street corners and subway platforms around New York City.
A multi-instrumentalist playing pianist, bass clarinetist and percussion, his music is spiritual, heavily inspired by the Old and New Testaments, explicitly dedicated several albums to God. Gayle credits among his influences Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum.In 1988, he gained fame through a trio of albums recorded on the Swedish label Silkheart Records. Since then he has become a major figure in free jazz, recording for Black Saint, Knitting Factory, FMP and Clean Feed record labels.
Charles has performed and recorded with Cecil Taylor, William Parker and Rashied Ali with his most celebrated work to date being Touchin’ on Trane with Parker and Ali. He would include lengthy spoken-word addresses in his performances and for a period performed as a mime, “Streets the Clown”. As an educator he taught music at Bennington College.
In 2001, Gayle recorded an album titled Jazz Solo Piano of consisted mostly of straightforward jazz standards in response to critics who charge that free jazz musicians cannot play bebop. In 2006, Gayle followed up with a second album of solo piano originals, and his most recent release in 2012 is titled Streets.
Jazz In Film
The Subterraneans is a 1960 film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s book about the “new bohemians”, today’s young rebels who live and love in a world of their own. This is their story told to the hot rhythms of fabulous jazz!
Directed by Ranald MacDougall and stars Leslie Caron, George Peppard, Janice Rule, Roddy McDowell, Anne Seymour, Jim Hutton and Arte Johnson.
Music by Andre Previn with appearances by Carmen McRae, Gerry Mulligan, Bob Enevoldsen, Art Pepper, Art Farmer, Russ Freeman, Red Mitchell, Dave Bailey, Shelly Manne, Bill Perkins and Chico Hamilton.
#preserving genius
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Harold Jones was born on February 27, 1940 in Richmond, Indiana. His early professional years were spent drumming with the Count Basie Orchestra and over a five year span recorded fifteen albums before moving on to work with Sarah Vaughan. He toured the world with her, playing the White House five time. Natalie Cole enlisted him on her landmark album “Unforgettable” and subsequent tour.
He has played with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Williams, Nancy Wilson and Tony Bennett to Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith, Donald Byrd and Benny Goodman to Marlena Shaw, Billy Eckstine, Kay Starr, Carmen McRae and John Lee Hooker on the short list.
As an educator, Jones has held a position on the staff for the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of California in Los Angeles and leads drumming workshops at colleges and universities throughout the country.
He has performed on the Quincy Jones CD, “Count Basie and Beyond,” fronts his own 17-piece big band, The Bossmen, bringing the Basie swing style back by playing for community events and corporate occasions.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Claire Daly was born on February 26, 1959. At the age of 12 she began playing the saxophone and was soon turned onto jazz by way of a live performance by the Buddy Rich Big Band. She went on to attend Berklee College Of Music and upon graduation she became a full-time professional musician.
In the late 70s and early 80s Claire played with various groups in the jazz and rock arenas, and her powerful tenor saxophone suited the latter perfectly. However, playing more jazz than rock, Daly switched to the baritone saxophone and has worked in New York City since the mid-80s.
A seven-year association with the all-female big band, Diva, was followed with her working with People Like Us. Daly’s versatility moves between jazz, R&B and Latin, releasing two CDs as a leader for Koch Records and three on her own label DalyBread.
Her influences include Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Sonny Rollins and, on baritone, Serge Chaloff, Ronnie Cuber and Leo Parker. She has performed with Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Joe Williams, and Rosemary Clooney among many others, and her first CD Swing Low resides in the William Jefferson Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Claire Daly, a gifted improviser whose rich tone and emotional depth has earned her a place as a respected member of the baritone saxophone family, continues to lead her own jazz groups and to pass the gift of music on to the next generation.
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