Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Archie Semple was born Archibald Stuart Nisbet Semple on March 31, 1928 in Edinburgh, Scotland and played locally in Edinburgh at the start of his career, often with his trumpeter brother John.
Semple led several of his own bands before joining Mick Mulligan in 1952. He then worked with Freddy Randall in 1953-54, Roy Crimmins and Alex Welsh from 1955 to 1963, becoming one of Welsh’s most important sidemen.
He recorded as a leader in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well, but retired due to an encroaching drinking problem that led to health issues in the middle of the decade.
A very distinctive player with a rich and quirky musical imagination, Semple was one of the most strikingly individualistic musicians to emerge from the sometimes predictable British trad scene. His presence in the already formidable Welsh band helped to create much memorable music.
Clarinetist Archie Semple, whose influences included Edmond Hall and Pee Wee Russell passed away on January 26, 1974 in London, England.
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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2004
There was anticipation in the air as the days of jazz approach. The 2004 press conference and announcement party were now a part of jazz history, and the city awaited the gathering of jazzheads on May 29th through the 31st in Piedmont Park. It’s Alonzo Craig’s second year as the festival manager and to his credit he programmed a fabulous lineup of performers, notwithstanding the brothers Heath from his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina. It is also the third year for the festival’s Youth Jazz Band Competition where middle and high school students compete for a coveted spot to open each day of the festival weekend.
Performing at the 2004 festival were both local favorites and national acts including Ahmad Jamal, Arturo Sandoval, the Bernard Linnette Trio, the Bob Miles Ensemble, E.J. Hughes Group, Earmail, the Heath Brothers, Hiromi, Hugh Masekela, the Ian Show Trio, International Groove Conspiracy (Future of Jazz Winner), J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble, Jimmy Scott & the Jazz Experience, Joe Jennings & Howard Nicholson’s Life Force, Johnnie Eason, Julie Dexter, K-Zari Quintet, Lamar County High’s “Trojan Pride” Jazz Band, Life Force & Friends, Lizz Wright, North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band, the Ojeda Penn Experience, Randy Weston Quintet, the Regina Carter Quintet, the Rick Bell Quintet, Ron Wiggins, the Roy Hargrove Quintet, Russell Gunn & Ethnomusicology, Selah2, Shirley Horn, Takana Miyamoto, the Milkshake Quartet, Tommie Macon & the Gentlemen of Jazz, Toni Redd, Vinicius Cantauria, Yusef Lateef & the Adam Rudolph Duo, and Yusef Sharif.
Sponsoring this weekend of free jazz for the public are Michelob, Atlanta Brewing Company, Borders Books, Music & Movie Cafe, MARTA, Publix Super Markets, Caversham Financial, Comcast, Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, Premier Events Management, BET Jazz The 24 Hour Jazz Channel, Creative Loafing, Smooth 107.5, WRFG 89.3 FM, Southwest Atlanta Magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Magazine, General Motors, The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Atlanta Tribune The Magazine, HPNOTIQ, Delta Air Lines, Armstrong Marketing, Rolling Out, JazzTimes, Jazz 91.9FM WCLK, Mundo Hispanico, Upscale and Abyss Jazz Magazine. #AJF40
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Daily Dose OF Jazz…
George Edward “Ted” Heath was born March 30, 1902 in Wandsworth, England. After playing tenor saxophone at the age of six, encouraged by his father and leader of the Wandsworth Town Brass Band, he later switched to trombone.
Earning a living for his family in the post-war years Ted formed a band along with his brother Harold and three other musicians, played to commuters outside London Bridge Station and outside the Queen’s Hall Gardens venue. It was here that he was spotted and asked to play with the Jack Hylton Band who had a residence there. Though not having the experience required he did not last long, his professional career began and he went on to pursue a career as a professional musician.
His first real band gig was in the 1920s touring Europe with the American band called the Southern Syncopation Orchestra, followed by the Metro-Gnomes, a small band fronted by Ennis Parkes, then again joined Hylton’s theatre band. Heath played with the Kit Cat Club band led by American Al Starita, and heard Bunny Berrigan, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Paul Whiteman when they toured Europe.
By 1928 he joined Bert Ambrose’s orchestra at London’s Mayfair Hotel and stayed until 1935 when he moved on to Sydney Lipton’s orchestra at the Grosvenor House. But it was Ambrose who taught Heath how to be a bandleader during a time that Heath became the most prominent trombone player in Britain, renowned for his perfect tone. He played on numerous recordings. During the late ’30s and early ’40s, he played as a sideman on several Benny Carter sessions.
In 1940, Heath joined Geraldo’s orchestra and played numerous concerts and broadcasts and became one of the “boys” in Geraldo’s vocal group, ‘Three Boys and a Girl’. His composition That Lovely Weekend with Dorothy Carless on vocal became an immediate wartime hit. The royalties from this song and another composition Gonna Love That Guy allowed Heath to form his own band.
On D-Day 1944, the Ted Heath & His Music band was officially formed and played on the BBC radio. He went on to provide music for film, performed dates with Lena Horne and Ella Fitzgerald, toured Scandinavia, were regular Poll Winners in the Melody Maker and the New Musical Express and performed twice for King George VI. He held Sunday Night Swing Sessions at the London Palladium from 1947 to 1955.
During the Fifties he toured the U.S. that contracted to play Nat King Cole, June Christy and the Four Freshmen and consisted of 43 concerts in 30 cities in 31 days climaxing in a Carnegie Hall. So successful was the tour that after so many encore calls at the Carnegie Hall performance that Nat King Cole had to come out on stage and ask people to leave. Ted would later successfully tour the US again and also toured Australia and Europe.
In addition to Cole, Heath established close personal and professional relationships with Woody Herman, Count Basie, Marlene Dietrich, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett. He worked with Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Donna Hightower and others. His band members included Ronnie Scott, Stan Tracey, Kenny Baker, Duncan Campbell, Don Rendell, Tommy Whittle, Don Lusher, Wally Smith, Jack Parnell, Ronnie Verrell, Johnny Hawksworth and singers Dickie Valentine, Lita Roza and Dennis Lotis. in the ’50s gave the band more teenage appeal.
He commissioned over 800 original scores and arrangements from Tadd Dameron, George Shearing, Reg Owen, John Keating, Kenny Graham, Ken Moule, Robert Farnon, Woolf Phillips, Ron Roullier, Bill Russo, Johnny Douglas, Ron Goodwin and Ralph Dollimore.
Trombonist, composer and bandleader Ted Heath, who led the greatest post-war big band and recording over 100 albums, passed away on November 18, 1969 at the age of 67.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Abram Lincoln was born March 29, 1907 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, one of six brothers, and began playing trombone at age five, instructed by his cornet playing father John. His older brother Bud, would also become a professional musician, as would brothers Roy and Chet.
He began working professionally in the early 1920s and 1930s spending time playing with Adrian Rollini’s California Ramblers, replacing Tommy Dorsey. Lincoln also performed with Arthur Lange, Ace Brigode, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Paul Whiteman, and Ozzie Nelson.
As a studio musician, Abe most prominently performed occasional solos and dixieland-stylings during the musical portions on the Old Time Radio show on NBC. In the 1930s and into the 1940s he work primarily in Los Angeles, California studios as a sideman. He played on Fibber McGee and Molly from the mid-40s until 1953 with the Billy Mills Orchestra.
During the Dixieland revival of the 1950s Abe’s career saw a resurgence, playing with Wingy Manone, the Rampart Street Paraders, Red Nichols, Bob Scobey, Pete Fountain, Jack Teagarden, and Matty Matlock.
Lincoln played his trombone for music and sound effects for Walter Lantz Woody Woodpecker cartoons and some Buster Keaton comedies. He recorded with Wild Bill Davison and did freelance work into the 1970s, though he went into semi-retirement by the 1980s. Trombonist Abe Lincoln, who played weddings and special occasions, passed on June 8, 2000 in Van Nuys, California.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ike Isaacs was born Charles Isaacs on March 28, 1923 in Akron, Ohio and played trumpet and tuba as a child before settling on bass. Serving in the Army during World War II, he took lessons from Wendell Marshall.
After being discharged Ike played with Tiny Grimes from 1948 to 1950, then with Earl Bostic until 1953, followed by Paul Quinichette in ‘53 and Bennie Green in 1956. He led a band locally in Ohio in 1956, then played for two years in the trio of Carmen McRae, whom he married late in the decade.
Throughout the Sixties Isaacs went on to work and recorded with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, then with Count Basie, Gloria Lynne, Ray Bryant, Maxine Sullivan, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Harry “Sweets” Edison and Erroll Garner, as well as with his own small groups.
Bassist Ike Isaacs only recorded once as a leader in 1967 for RGB Records. With him on the date were Jack Wilson on piano and Jimmy Smith on drums. He passed away on February 27, 1981.
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