Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ella Johnson was born Ella Mae Jackson on June 22, 1919 in Darlington, South Carolina. She joined her brother Buddy Johnson in New York as a teenager, where he was leading a popular band at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.

Ella scored her first hit in 1940 with “Please, Mr. Johnson” with subsequent hits included “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?”, “When My Man Comes Home” and “Hittin’ On Me”. Her popular 1945 recording of “Since I Fell For You” composed by her brother, led to its eventual establishment as a jazz standard.

She continued to perform with Buddy Johnson into the 1960s and her singing drew comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. In February 2004, she died in New York City of Alzheimer’s disease, at the age of 84.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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Requisites

The Baddest Monk: This 2012 sophomore offering follows the Dancing Monk debut of the Thelonious Monk trilogy by jazz pianist Eric Reed. Having received critical acclaim for both, Reed along with his colleagues prove once again that he can illustrate the breadth of his thought on one of the most idiosyncratic jazz composers. This is an insightful and vital re-examination by a group of young players of the remarkable talent of the composer and sets a new path for those desiring to partake, understand and appreciate.

Personnel: Eric Reed – piano, Seamus Blake – tenor saxophone, Etienne Charles – trumpet, Matt Clohesy – bass, Henry Cole – drums and Jose James – vocal

Producer: Joe Fields / Savant Records

Record Date: Dubway Studios, New York City / December 5, 2011

Cover: Keiji Obata

Songs: Rhythm-A-Ning, Epistrophy, Green Chimneys, Monk’s Mood, ‘Round Midnight, Evidence, Monk Beurre Rouge, Bright Mississippi, The Baddest Monk

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Lalo Schifrin was born Boris Claudio Schifrin in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 21, 1932. At the age of six he began a six-year course of study on piano with Enrique Barenboim and at 16 studied piano with Andreas Karalis and harmony with Argentine composer Juan Carlos Paz. By twenty he was attending the Paris Conservatoire during the day and playing at night in jazz clubs.

1955 saw Lalo playing with Astor Piazzolla and on stage at the International Jazz Festival in Paris. Back in Argentina he formed a jazz orchestra, met Dizzy in ’58 and wrote Gillespiana for his big band. He would go on to work with Xavier Cugat, move to New York, take the piano chair in Dizzy’s quintet and wrote a second extended composition titled, The New Continent.

The Sixties had MGM signing Schifrin to his first movie score, he moved to Hollywood, changed The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to a jazz melody and won an Emmy for the theme. He would go on to score television and movies like Mission Impossible, Mannix, Cool Hand Luke, Dirty Harry, The Exorcist, Bullitt and even ABC’s Eyewitness News.

Over the course of his career Lalo Schifrin has recorded over 50 albums and soundtracks, 90 television and film scores as a leader, composer and conductor; and has worked with Cannonball Adderley, Eddie Harris, Count Basie, Luiz Bonfa, Candido Camera, Louis Bellson, Al Hirt, Jimmy Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Cal Tjader, Paul Horn and many others.

In 1997, the composer founded Aleph Records; played an orchestra conductor in Red Dragon, has had his music sampled by hip-hop artists, has been nominated twenty-one times and won four Grammy Awards, one Cable Ace Award, received six Oscar nominations and has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. He continues to compose, conduct and perform.

FAN MOGULS

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Lammar Wright Sr. was born on June 20, 1907 in Texarkana, Texas but grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He began his musical career playing and recording with Bennie Moten’s band in 1923. Relocating to New York City in 1927 Lammar played with The Missourians, staying with the group after Cab Calloway became its leader. Wright remained Calloway’s lead trumpeter until 1942.

Playing sporadically with Calloway through the rest of the decade, Wright would also played with Don Redman, Claude Hopkins, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Sy Oliver and Louis Armstrong.

In the 1950s and 1960s he taught music and worked as a studio musician, in addition to recording with Arnett Cobb, Count Basie, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra and George Shearing.

Wright led his own groups from time to time, had a role in the 1968 film The Night They Raided Minksy’s. Trumpeter Lammar Wright passed away on April 13, 1973 in New York City.

ROBYN B. NASH

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Notorious Jazz App

Introducing you to the new Notorious Jazz APP. Now you can easily follow us anytime, anywhere on your Smart Phone and IPad by simply scanning our new QR CODE. Get all your favorite posts at the touch of your fingertip: Daily Dose Of JazzJazz In Film, From Broadway To 52nd Street, Hollywood On 52nd Street, Requisites (for the collector) and The Jazz Voyager (jazz for the world traveler).

Added value to your daily history lesson about jazz professionals in our blog are the Music Podcasts, the Notorious Jazz Calendar, the Notorious Jazz Feature, Photo Gallery, the Featured Lyric Composer at the top of the homepage, and the in the works to be launched is the Notorious Jazz E-Mag. You’re just a scan away from all your Notorious Jazz moments!

Scan the QR code to enjoy mobile applications from the Notorious Jazz site. Get your Daily Dose Of Jazz, Music, the Jazz Calendar and more.

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