Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Herman Foster was born on April 26, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began his musical career before age ten playing the violin, clarinet, saxophone, and piano. A self-taught pianist, Foster created a distinguished earthy sound. When his family moved to New York City in 1947, Herman began to attend jam sessions and then played with Eric Dixon, Dick Carter and the big band of Herb Jones.
His success came when he met Lou Donaldson and the two played together for thirteen years from 1953 to 1966. During the 1950s he worked with King Curtis, Bill English and Seldon Powell, in the 1960s with Al Casey, in addition to playing with his own trio over the next decade. He returned to work in Donaldson’s quartet in the 1980s.
He released four records as a leader for Epic, Argo and Timeless Records and as a sideman recorded nineteen albums with Lou Donaldson, Gloria Lynne, Johnny Hartman, Hisayo Tominaga, George V. Johnson Jr., Joan Shaw, Al Casey and King Curtis. On April 3, 1999, bebop pianist Herman Foster passed away.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Harry Miller was born Harold Simon Miller on April 25, 1941 in Cape Town, West Cape, South Africa. He began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and settled in London. He became a central figure in the mixture of South-African township music and free jazz, which became dynamic on the London scene at the end of the Sixties and into the Seventies.
Miller recorded frequently with musicians such as Mike Westbrook, Chris McGregor, John Surnam, Mike Cooper, Louis Moholo, Keith Tippett and Elton Dean. He found work as a session player and appeared on the 1971 album Islands by the progressive rock band, King Crimson. For economic reasons at the end of the 1970s he moved to the Netherlands, working with musicians of Willem Breuker’s circle.
He recorded five albums between 1972 and 1983 for Cuneiform, Reel Recordings, and his Ogun Records that he founded with his wife Hazel Miller. The label was vital for documenting that period, and is still active today. Bassist Harry Miller passed away on December 16, 1983, in the Netherlands.
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notoriously Vocal
Spain (I Can Recall) / Al Jarreau – This Time ♦ Birdland / Manhattan Transfer – Extensions ♦ Old Black Magic / Bill Henderson – Beautiful Memory ♦ Lonesome Lover / Joe Chambers – Horace To Max ♦ Along Came Betty / Mark Murphy – Jazz Standards ♦ Dancing In The Wings / Melissa Walker – May I Feel ♦ China Doll / Leon Thomas – Blues & Soulful Truth ♦ Take The A Train / Echoes Of An Era ♦ River Man / Andy Bey – Shades Of Bey ♦ Secret Of Life / Rosemary Clooney – 70 ♦ Then I Met You / Kenny Burrell – Blue Muse ♦ Istanbul (Not Constantinople) / Wave Mechanics Union – Second Season: Progressive & Classic Rock As Jazz
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in Lima, Ohio and was encouraged by his parents to study music. Growing up he studied drums, piano, saxophone and composition, and listened to Lester Young, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, Lee Konitz and Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. While in high school he wrote several scores for the school band and rock groups.
Active on the Detroit jazz scene by eighteen, Henderson was playing jam sessions with visiting New York stars in the mid-50s. He attended Wayne State University studying sax, flute and bass, Joe played with fellow classmates Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris and Donald Byrd.
A two-year Army stint saw him touring worldwide entertaining troops and while in Paris met Kenny Drew and Kenny Clarke. After discharge he moved to New York, and soon joined Horace Silver’s band, providing the seminal solo on Song For My Father. Leaving Silver he freelanced and in 1966 co-led a big band with Dorham, whose arrangements went unrecorded until 1996 on the Joe Henderson Big Band.
Henderson appeared on nearly three-dozen albums as a leader and over 50 as a sideman during his career. He would join but never record with Miles Davis, move to Milestone Records, co-lead the Jazz Communicators with Freddie Hubbard, became more politically and socially conscious with his music, played with Blood, Sweat & Tears briefly and started teaching.
He would play with Echoes Of An Era, the Griffith Park Band, Chick Corea, but remained a leader experiencing a resurgence in 1986, record for An Evening with Joe Henderson for Red Records, get signed with Verve and enjoy critical success and popularity after releasing Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. On June 30, 2001, saxophonist Joe Henderson passed away of heart failure after a long battle with emphysema.
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Jazz In Film
The Andromeda Strain: This 1971 film adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel follows a group of scientists investigate a deadly new alien virus before it can spread. Directed by Robert Wise, stars James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid and Paula Kelly.
The music score provided by tenor/baritone saxophonist and film composer Gil Melle.
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