The Jazz Voyager

Since it’s winter in most of America ther’s no reason to put up the scarves, hats, gloves and coats that have been keeping this Jazz Voyager warm and healthy. Bundled up and heading back to the Gateway City for the ambience and music at Jazz St. Louis. Set within the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, the venue has grown since its humble beginnings in 1995.

This week I’ll be enjoying a favorite vocalist of mine, nine time Grammy nominated Tierney Sutton for her debut at the venue. She is joined by pianist Christian Jacob, bassist Trey Henry and the young drum phenom CV Dashiell III.

Jazz St. Louis is situated at 3536 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit https://jazzstl.org.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Hank Marr was born January 30, 1927 in Columbus, Ohio. He and tenor saxophonist Rusty Bryant co-led a group that toured for several years, beginning in 1958. During the early 1960s Hank worked with guitarist Freddie King and recorded and worked with Wilbert Longmire for a couple of years starting in 1963.

The late 1960s saw Marr performing in a duo with guitarist Floyd Smith in Atlantic City, New Jersey and a duo album with Frank Foster. He had two minor U.S. hit singles, The Greasy Spoon which hit No. 101 in 1964 and Silver Spoon #134 in 1965.

He recorded eight albums as a leader, and 19 singles for Wingate, King and Federal record labels. Hammond B-3 organist Hank Marr died at age 77 on March 16, 2004.

Get a dose of the musicians and vocalists who were members of a global society integral in the making and preservation of jazz for over a hundred and twenty-five years…

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Frank Assunto was born on January 29, 1932 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a musical family where the trumpeter had two sisters who played piano and woodwinds, and a trombonist brother. They all grew up studying with their father, banjoist Jacob “Papa Jac” Assunto.

He and his brother founded the group Dukes of Dixieland in 1949 and eventually became an institution in the city. Producer and bandleader Horace Heidt took them on tour, and when the group returned to New Orleans they practically took over the Famous Door club.

Dixieland revival peaking in popularity in the 1950s took the Assunto brothers group to national popularity. They toured clubs, released a string of albums and performed on television variety shows. Their first stereo jazz album, recorded in 1958, had one brother on the left channel, the other on the right.

His style was heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan and Bobby Hackett. He also performed vocal duties with the group. Trumpeter Frank Assunto died on February 25, 1974.

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Jazz Poems

CHARLES PARKER: ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE

These are the shadows of water when water

is thick and no longer transparent

They are everywhere–on the walls

across the ceiling.

It was always this good.

One night you undressed me in your sleep.

Very slowly, you told me later. You said I smelled good.

The sweater i said I’d taken it

out of the drawer where I kept

my winter clothes.

It smelled of pine and a long summer.

No, you said. Not wood.

More like the inside of a saxophone case,

all velvet and sweet regrets.

All blues, I said. Blues

and whatever shadows are made of,

I said, falling on you like slow water.

from Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Niels Hartvig Foss was born on January 28, 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began playing guitar and from 1933 to 1934 began performing with the Svend Asmussen Group. He went on to play bass with Asmussen and others.

From 1940 to 1948 Niels led and played trombone in orxhestras and bands he formed. In 1949 for the next two years he performed with Peter Rasmussen and in 1957 moved to Switzerland where he continued to play part-time.

Over the course of his career Foss was a member of All Danish Starband, Etly Lizette And Her Orchestra, Kai Ewans Og Hans Orkester, Kaj Timmermann’s Septet, The Kordt Sisters Med Swingtet, and The Swingin’ Birds. He recorded for Odeon, His Master’s Voice, Imperial record labels.

Bassist, trombonist and guitarist Niels Foss died on May 16, 2018.

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