From Broadway To 52nd Street
The music composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart seven months earlier for a new two act musical called Spring Is Here opened at the Alvin theatre on March 11, 1929 and ran for 104 performances. It starred Dick Keene, Inez Courtney and John Hundley. Adapted from the play Shotgun Wedding, from this production came two songs destined to become a classic in the jazz world, With A Song In My Heart and Spring Is Here.
The Story: Terry loves Betty, Betty falls for Stacy and attempt to elope but are stopped by her father. Terry flirts with other girls to make Betty jealous. It works and she returns to his arms for the happy ending.
Broadway History: The “Great White Way” is a nickname for a section of Broadway in the midtown section of the borough of Manhattan, specifically the portion that encompasses the Theatre District, between 42nd and 53rd Streets, and encompassing Times Square. However, this was not always the location of the theatre district. In 1880, a stretch of Broadway between Union Square and Madison Square was illuminated by Brush arc lamps, making it among the first electrically lighted streets in the United States.
By the 1890s, the portion from 23rd to 34th Street was so brightly illuminated by electrical advertising signs, that people began calling it The Great White Way. When the theatre district moved uptown, the name was transferred to the Times Square area. The phrase Great White Way has been attributed to Shep Friedman, columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph in 1901, who lifted the term from the title of a book about the Arctic by Albert Paine. The headline “Found on the Great White Way” appeared in the February 3, 1902, edition of the New York Evening Telegram.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Diana Jean Krall was born on November 16, 1964 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. At age four she was playing piano and playing jazz in a local restaurant at 15. She went to the Berklee College of Music on scholarship before heading out to Los Angeles, California.
In 1993, Krall released her debut album, Stepping Out, with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton. Her sophomore project hit the stands two years later followed by a third, a dedication to Nat King Cole in 1996. She teamed up with guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Christian McBride on her next release Love Scenes that quickly became a hit recording in 1997.
Diana has been on tour with Tony Bennett, teamed up with Claus Ogerman, incorporated orchestral arrangements by Johnny Mandel, performed closing credit music for the DeNiro film The Score, joined Ray Charles on his Genius Loves Company, featured in a Lexus ad campaign, produced Barbra Streisand’s Love Is The Answer album.
She has been awarded the Order of British Columbia, an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria, inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame, has had a plaza named after her, has won two Grammy and eight Juno awards. Pianist and contralto vocalist Diana Krall continues to perform, record and tour.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks was born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into a musical family, his mother a gospel and classical pianist and organist, his uncle, Ray Bryant, was a jazz pianist, brother Robin, a trombonist and brother Duane, a trumpeter. He studied violin and trumpet, before settling on the guitar.
As an elementary school student, Eubanks was trained in violin, trumpet, and piano at the Settlement Music School and later attended Berklee College of Music. Following graduation he moved to New York to begin his professional career. He began performing with such jazz musicians as Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton, Sam Rivers, Bill Dryden and Dave Holland.
In 1983 Kevin formed his own quartet and went on a State Department tour of Jordan, Pakistan and India. He first recorded as a leader with his debut album, Guitarist, at age 25. This led to contracts for 11 albums with GRP and Blue Note labels. He has also appeared on over 100 albums and in 2001, he founded the label Insoul Music releasing six albums to date.
As an educator, Eubanks has taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts, Rutgers University and the Charlie Parker School in Perugia, Italy. In 1992 he moved to Los Angeles, California and took the guitar seat on the Tonight Show, composed the show’s closing theme “Kevin’s Country” and three years later replaced Branford Marsalis as leader of the Tonight Show band. He continues to compose, perform and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Don Ewell was born November 14, 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland. Playing stride piano, from 1956 to 1962, Ewell was a leading member of the Jack Teagarden band. Following Teagarden’s death Ewell did several European tours before moving back to New Orleans, playing clubs and hotels.
Ewell played with such musicians as Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, George Lewis, George Brunis, Muggsy Spanier, Barbara Dane and Bunk Johnson among others.
He recorded a couple of albums as a leader for the Pumkin and Good Time Jazz labels and as a sideman with Willie “The Lion” Smith, Barbara Dane and Doc Evans. Pianist Don Ewell suffered two strokes before passing away on August 9, 1983.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Idris Muhammad was born Leo Morris on November 13, 1939 In New Orleans, Louisiana. Learning to play drums in his youth, at fifteen he played on Fats Domino’s 1956 hit “Blueberry Hill” and by sixteen he turned professional, playing primarily soul and R&B during the early sixties. In 1965 he was a member of Lou Donaldson’s band, then went on to become the house drummer for Prestige Records from 1970-72.
As a sideman Idris would play with Johnny Griffin, Nat Adderley, George Benson, Paul Desmond, Pharoah Sanders, George Coleman and the Paris Reunion Band and record with Ahmad Jamal, Grant Green, Grover Washington, Jr., Hank Crawford, Benjamin Herman, Andrew Hill, Freddie Hubbard, Bobbi Humphrey, Gene Ammons, Rodney Jones and Houston Person among others.
Known for his funky playing style, as a leader he has recorded everything from post-bop to dance music for such labels as Prestige, Kudu, Fantasy, Theresa, and Lipstick. He changed his name in the 1960s upon his conversion to Islam and is endorsed by Istanbul Agop cymbals. Drummer Idris Muhammad continues to compose, record and perform.
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