Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Patt Casion was born on December 31, 1963. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and pursued a career that led her around the world, working in multiple genres. Along with playing with her own band, IOC with its rotating membership, she performed regularly in every kind of venue. Her versatility also made her an in-demand musical instructor.
Casion returned to the sound of the 50s and 60s, and introduced African based music into the post bop era music. Her music is also rooted in the Black church gospel idiom as she weaved improvisation into all her music.
Soprano saxophonist Patt Casion, who performed in both gospel and jazz genres, transitioned from cancer in Monterey, California on December 31, 2017. She was 55.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gene Mayl was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 30, 1928. He lived in France after World War II, where he worked with Claude Bolling, Don Byas, and Claude Luter.
In 1948, he formed his own Dixieland revival ensemble, the Dixieland Rhythm Kings, which recorded for London Records and Riverside Records, and was active through the mid-1970s. Among those he worked with in this group were Speckled Red and Terry Waldo.
Mayl worked extensively with George Brunis in the 1960s and 1970s, and also worked with Wild Bill Davison, Billy Maxted, Bob Scobey, and Muggsy Spanier. Double-bassist, tubaist, and vocalist Gene Mayl transitioned on May 5, 2015 in Harrison Township, Ohio.
The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager returned home to the Big Apple and caught the last performance of Kenny Barron at the Village Vanguard on Sunday and is hanging out to bring in the new year with hope that the world will turn around and be kinder. If you can’t be in some exotic destination like Bahia, Tahiti or San Blas there’s no better place to be than New York City.
I’ll be at the Blue Note for the last set of the evening by Chris Botti. Owner and founder Danny Bensusan had a vision to create a jazz club in Greenwich Village that would treat deserving artists with respect, while allowing patrons to see the world’s finest jazz musicians in a close, comfortable setting. He accomplished his goal. Since 1981, Blue Note has been a cultural institution in New York City and one of the premiere jazz clubs in the world.
As we look towards the future, I implore you to be responsible for yourself and others, promote gentleness with this world and practice random acts of kindness whenever the opportunity presents itself. Have a prosperous and Happy New Year!
The club’s number is 212-475-8592. If you want to get more information visit notoriousjazz.com/event/chris-botti.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Cutty Cutshall was born Robert Dewees Cutshall on December 29, 1911 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Early in his career he played in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, making his first major tour in 1934 with Charley Dornberger. He joined Jan Savitt’s orchestra in 1938, then played with Benny Goodman in the early 1940s.
Later in the decade he worked frequently with Billy Butterfield and did some freelance work in New York City. He started working with Eddie Condon in 1949, an association which lasted over a decade. Cutshall’s credits include work with Peanuts Hucko, Bob Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong.
While touring with Condon in Toronto, trombonist Cutty Cutshall suffered a heart attack in his hotel room and transitioned on August 16, 1968.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ben Williams was born on December 28, 1984 in Washington, D.C. and began playing bass at age 10. He graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Michigan State University and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School.
In 2009, he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Bass Competition as judged by Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Robert Hurst, Christian McBride, and John Patitucci. The honor included a recording contract with Concord Records through which Ben released his debut album, State of Art, in 2011. The album featured saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Matthew Stevens, pianist Gerald Clayton, drummer Jamire Williams, and percussionist Etienne Charles.
Williams’ 2015 album Coming of Age brought together sidemen Marcus Strickland on tenor and soprano saxophones, Matthew Stevens on electric guitar, Christian Sands on piano, and John Davis on drums.
By 2020, Ben contributed to the live streamed recording of the singer Bilal’s EP Voyage-19, created remotely during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It was released the following month with proceeds from its sales going to participating musicians in financial hardship from the pandemic.
He was a member of guitarist Pat Metheny’s Unity Band, which won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Unity Band at the 2013 award show. He was introduced as one of the “25 for the Future” by DownBeat magazine in 2016. Double bassist Ben Williams continues to compose, perform and record.
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