Daily Dose Of Jazz

Edgar Charles Thompson, known professionally as Eddie Thompson, was born blind on May 31, 1925 in London, England. After studying at the same school for the blind as George Shearing, he recorded with Victor Feldman in the late 1940s and also with the Carlo Krahmer Band at the Paris Jazz Fair in 1949.

By the 1950s he was working with Tony Crombie, making records with him under his own name, Vic Ash, Freddy Randall and Tommy Whittle. He was house pianist at Ronnie Scott’s from 1959 until 1960. Emigrating to  Manhattan, New York, from 1962 to 1972, he lived and worked at the Hickory House, a well-known jazz club on 52nd Street. He led his own trio featuring Len Skeat and Martin Drew, which recorded an album with Spike Robinson.

Thompson also formed a duo with Roger Kellaway. Thompson was considered to have been a dazzlingly inventive player during his early recording career. He recorded in the early 1980s by Hep Records,including Memories of You released in 1983.

During the 70s, Eddie returned to his homeland and regularly travelled up to Stockport on Fridays, with his dog. During the day he would perform piano tuning at Nield and Hardy’s, and played the Warren Buckley pub’s jazz cellar where Eddie played during the evening with two local musicians making up the trio. One notable evening Al Grey and Buddy Tate played a memorable session with Eddie’s trio.

Pianist Eddie Thompson, a lifelong smoking habit which caused him to develop emphysema, died on November 6, 1986 in London at the age of 61.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Benjamin David Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois and was the ninth of twelve children born to poor Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. Growing up in the slums of the Maxwell Street neighborhood, his father would take him to free band concerts in a nearby park. When he was ten his father enrolled him and two of brothers in free music lessons at the synagogue, in addition he received lessons from clarinetist Franz Schoepp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He went on to join a boy’s club band and by the time he turned thirteen he got his first union card,

He made his professional debut in 1921 at the Central Park Theater on the West Side of Chicago. He entered Harrison Technical High School in Chicago in 1922 and with card in tow Benny worked in a band featuring Bix Beiderbecke. Two years later, in 1926, he joined the Ben Pollack Orchestra and made his first recordings. Moving to New York City he became a session musician for radio, Broadway musicals, and in studios. In addition to clarinet, he sometimes played alto and baritone saxophones.

The Thirties saw him charting for the first time with He’s Not Worth Your Tears. He would go on to have top ten hits and from 1936 until the mid-1940s, with arrangements written during the Depression by Fletcher Henderson. Goodman hired Henderson’s musicians to teach his musicians how to play the music. He went on to lead one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His bands started the careers of many jazz musicians. During an era of racial segregation, he led one of the first integrated jazz groups, his trio and quartet.

Clarinetist Benny Goodman, while pursuing an interest in classical music, continued performing until the end of his life on June 13, 1986 in New York City.

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The Jazz Voyager

The Jazz Voyager is traveling from Nashville to Philly to investigate a venue that is new to him. It’s called Chris’ Jazz Cafe. Known as an institution in a city for producing revered musical artists as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Ethel Waters, it was founded in 1989 and has become the longest operating jazz venue in the history of the city.

This week taking the stage is bassist David Brodie who started playing the electric bass at the age of thirteen, not taking up the upright until  nineteen while at Berklee College of Music. A year in Spain, a return to Philadelphia, and a joining with guitarist Jimmy Bruno, he played with him for the next several years. His reputation well established, he has enjoyed a busy playing and recording career and has performed with some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians while performing regularly with a few of Philly’s finest such as Larry McKenna, John Swana, and Joanna Pascale. Joining him on this date is Chris’ All Star Quartet.

The Band: Dave Brodie ~ Bass | Neil Pogurski ~ Piano | Victor North ~ Saxophone | Byron Landham ~ Drums

Shows: 7:30pm & 9:00pm | Cover: $15.00 | A La Carte Menu

Dinner & Show: $70.00 | Includes 3 Course Inner | VIP Dinner & Show: $90.00 | Includes Dinner, Stage Front Seating | Beverages Not Included

Chris’ Jazz Cafe is located at 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. For more information contact the venue at https://www.chrisjazzcafe.com.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Thornel Schwartz Jr. was born on May 29, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Landis Institute for piano, but became known as a jazz guitarist starting in the 1950s. He was Freddie Cole’s guitarist early in the decade, then worked with Jimmy Smith and Johnny Hammond Smith later in the decade.

The 1960s saw Schwartz recording with Larry Young, Jimmy Forrest, Charles Earland, Byrdie Green, Sylvia Syms and extensively with Jimmy McGriff. In the 1970s he recorded with Groove Holmes.

Though he is known as Thornel on recordings and standard jazz reference works, having recorded one album as a leader and twenty-six as a sideman, his name is spelled Thornal on his social security application, as is his father.

Electric guitarist Thornel Schwartz Jr., who played on the recordings of many Philadelphia jazz musicians, especially electronic organ players, died on December 30, 1977 in his hometown.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Eddie Parker May 28, 1959 in Liverpool, England. A founding member of and composer for the British jazz band Loose Tubes in the 1980s. He has toured and performed with several noted bands and performers including Bheki Mseleku, Marvin Smith and John Parricelli. He has toured with the band Mister Vertigo, of which Parricelli is also a member, and conducts jazz workshops and performances involving young musicians. He was a lecturer in jazz at Middlesex University, where his students included Led Bib.

As a leader he has recorded three albums, a half doen with Loose Tubes and as a sideman he has recorded eight with Django Bates, A Man Called Adam, Keziah Jones, Oumou Sangare, Trevor Walters, and Mseleku.

Flutist and composer Eddie Parker continues to play keyboards during workshops and live performances.

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