The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The continual disregard of the health and safety of others during this medical state of our country by certain factions who want the recently removed days of old by contributing new surges in Covid cases, gives me added incentive to remain sequestered and listening to great music. This week I am turning to a resident of Cannes, France and pulling from the shelves the March 12, 1991 released album Rooms In My Fatha’s House by Vinx.

To claim him as a vocalist would be an injustice, Vinx owns the songs on this debut release, where up is the only way he can go. His unique, interpretive phrasing and melodic presentation expresses so much more that I was taken from the first note of his voice, which is why I have enjoyed this over the years and recommend it for your listening pleasure.

The session was produced by Greg Poree, John Eden, Sting, and by Vinx on track 2. It was released on the Pangea record label and distributed by Capitol Records-EMI Of Canada.

1. Tell My Feet ~ 4:44
2. I Should Have Told Her ~ 3:41
3. My TV ~ 4:19
4. While The City Sleeps ~ 4:46
5. I’ll Give My All To You ~ 4:23
6. Captain’s Song ~ 4:32
7. Somehow Did You Know ~ 4:44
8. Little Queen ~ 3:44
9. Temporary Love ~ 4:07
10. Porch Light ~ 6:02
11. Don’t Got to Be That Way ~ 5:16
12. A Little Bit More ~ 6:24

• Sting ~ Bass, Backing Vocals
• Herbie Hancock ~  Piano
• Sheryl Crow ~ Vocal, Guitar
• Taj Mahal ~  Guitar, Vocal
• Branford Marsalis ~ Saxophone

When the curtain goes up and the pandemic is controlled I will return to flying around the globe discovering the best of jazz. Until that time arrives, stay safe and healthy.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John Ore was born on December 17, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Attending the New School of Music in Philadelphia from 1943 to 1946, he studied cello followed this with studies on bass at Juilliard.

In the 1950s he worked with Tiny Grimes, George Wallington, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Elmo Hope, Bud Powell and Freddie Redd. From 1960 to 1963 he played in Thelonious Monk’s quartet, and then with the Les Double Six of Paris in 1964.

Later in the 1960s he returned to Powell’s band, also recording with Teddy Wilson. In the 1970s he worked with Earl Hines and was with the Sun Ra Arkestra in 1982.

Following this he became less active, never recorded an album as a leader, however recorded fifty~one albums as a sideman with not only the above but with Hank Mobley, Cecil Payne, Bud Powell, Sun Ra, Charles Tyler, Lester Young, Eric Alexander, Billy Bang, Andrew Cyrille, Earl Hines, Marva Josie, Steve Lacy, Freddie Redd, and Hampton Hawes. Bassist John Ore passed away on August 22, 2014.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Turk Murphy, born Melvin Edward Alton Murphy on December 16, 1915 in Palermo, California. Serving in the Navy during World War II, during which he played and recorded with Lu Watters and Bunk Johnson. In 1952, he headed Turk Murphy’s Jazz Band, which included pianist Wally Rose, clarinetist Bob Helm, banjoist Dick Lammi, and tubist Bob Short, and had a residency at San Francisco North Beach’s Italian Village. The band appeared twice on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1959 and 1965.

1979 saw Robert Schulz joining the band for eight years with various members joining as others departed. They included trumpeters Don Kinch and Leon Oakley; pianists Pete Clute and Ray Skjelbred; banjoist Carl Lunsford, tubist and trombonist Bill Carroll, singers Pat Yankee and Jimmy Stanislaw.

Murphy was the singer for the 1971 Sesame Street cartoon shorts, The Alligator King and No. 9 Martian Beauty, animated and produced by his friend Bud Luckey. Murphy arranged and performed on many of Luckey’s other Sesame Street animated shorts.

Murphy’s band played his nightclub, Earthquake McGoons, which opened in 1960 and moved three times before closing in 1984. He got an opportunity to play Carnegie Hall in 1987. Trombonist and bandleader Turk Murphy, who played traditional and Dixieland jazz, passed away on May 30, 1987 in San Francisco, California.

Three Wishes

The Baronness inquired of Lee Morgan as to his three wishes and his response was:  

1. “To be  held in high esteem by my fellow jazzmen, as well as by the audiences ~ I mean the jazz public.”
2. “To make oodles of money, and use it wisely.”
3. “To make a wonderful husband and father.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Daniel Eugene Quill was born on December 15, 1927 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He played often with Phil Woods in the duet Phil and Quill. The two often engaged in celebrated alto battles, exemplifying musical sportsmanship at its finest. As a leader, he recorded three albums and collaborating with Phil Woods recorded six albums between 1956 and 1959.

Recording for Roost and Dawn on his own dates, Quill certainly had no problem playing melodically and was in very melodic settings when employed in Claude Thornhill’s big band and Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band from 1960-1962.

Working as a sideman, Gene recorded forty-three albums for Buddy DeFranco, Quincy Jones, Gene Krupa, Gerry Mulligan, Manny Albam, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Michel Legrand, Joe Newman, Johnny Richards, Steve Allen, Buddy Arnold, Gil Evans, Dick Garcia, Billie Holiday, Teddi King, Jimmy Knepper, Mundell Lowe, Oscar Pettiford, Pony Poindexter, Bill Potts, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Rushing, and George Williams.

During the last years of his life, he was in extremely poor health during the last years of his life, after suffering brain damage and partial paralysis. On December 8, 1988 alto saxophonist Gene Quill passed away at the age of 60 in his hometown of Atlantic City.

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