Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Kamil Hála was born on August 1, 1931 in Most, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia and during his musical career he worked as a pianist and arranger with a number of renowned jazz and dance orchestras, among them he starred in the Zdeněk Barták Orchestra.

As a composer and arranger he spent time collaborating with the Karel Vlach Orchestra and also directed his own jazz big band. Together with Josef Vobruba, they worked as conductors at the Czechoslovak Radio Dance Orchestra and the Jazz Orchestra of Czechoslovak Radio .

Pianist, composer, conductor and arranger Kamil Hála, brother of trumpeter and music composer Vlastimila Hala, passed away on October 28, 2014 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Stanley Jordan was born July 31, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois and when he was six, he started on piano, then switched to guitar at eleven. He began his career playing in rock and soul bands, however in 1976, he won an award at the Reno Jazz Festival. AIt was while attending Princeton University that he studied music theory and composition with Milton Babbitt, computer music with Paul Lansky, and performed with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie.

In 1985, Bruce Lundvall became president of Blue Note Records and Stanley was the first person he signed. They released his album Magic Touch, which sat at No.1 on Billboard ‘s jazz chart for 51 weeks, setting a record. He has worked with Quincy Jones, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Michal Urbaniak, Richie Cole, The Dave Matthews Band, The String Cheese Incident, Phil Lesh, Moe, and with Umphrey’s McGee, among others.

A favorite at festivals he has played Kool Jazz Festival, Concord Jazz Festival, and the Montreux International Jazz Festival to name a few. He has released fourteen albums as a leader, another seventeen across musical genres as a sideman, released three videos, more than a dozen television appearances, has written seven papers and presentations on guitar and technique, and has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award and four Grammy Awards.

Guitarist Stanley Jordan, whose technique involves tapping his fingers on the fretboard of the guitar with both hands, has appeared in the film Blind Date with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger, has scored short film and tv specials and continues to compose, perform and record.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Roy Lee Porter was born on July 30, 1923 in Walsenburg, Colorado and moved from Walsenburg to Colorado Springs when he was eight years old and began playing drums in rhythm and blues bands while a teenager. He attended Wiley College in Texas briefly, where trumpeter Kenny Dorham was a fellow student. He joined Milt Larkin’s band in 1943, replacing Joe Marshall.

After military service Porter settled in Los Angeles, California and his talents were soon in demand by some of the pioneers of bebop. He worked with Teddy Bunn and Howard McGhee, making his first recordings with the latter. In 1946 he backed Charlie Parker on such Dial classics as A Night In Tunisia, Yardbird Suite, Ornithology and the unfortunate recording of Lover Man.

Playing on Los Angeles’ Central Avenue afforded him opportunities to perform with with Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray and Teddy Edwards. In San Francisco, California he performed with Hampton Hawes and Sonny Criss. In 1949 Roy organized and went on the road with a big band that included Art Farmer, Jimmy Knepper and Eric Dolphy.

During the 1950s he was inactive as a jazz musician due to drug problems and only returned to music infrequently afterwards. Drummer Roy Porter never led a recording session and passed away on January 24 or 25, 1998 in Los Angeles.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Nancie Banks was born Nancie Manzuk on July 29, 1951 in Morgantown, West Virginia and as a child sang in a church choir with her father. She learned piano from her mother beginning at age four. For a while she lived in Pittsburgh, then relocated to New York City in the Eighties where she studied with Edward Boatner, Barry Harris, and Alberto Socarras.

Performing with both small ensembles and big bands, during the late 1980s she joined Charlie Byrd’s band, met and married bandmate and trombonist Clarence Banks. Among the musicians she worked with were Lionel Hampton, Dexter Gordon, Walter Davis Jr., Bob Cunningham, Duke Jordan, Diane Schuur, George Benson, Woody Shaw, Jon Hendricks, Walter Booker, Bross Townsend, Charlie Persip, Walter Bishop, Jr., and Sadik Hakim.

In 1989 she founded her own big band and recorded four albums between 1992 and 2001. She also worked on film soundtracks, including Mo’ Better Blues and Housesitter, and in Broadway musicals such as Swingin’ On a Star. During the 1990s, she taught jazz at the City University of New York.

Vocalist, bandleader and educator Nancie Banks passed away in New York City in November 2002. Her body was discovered in her home and the precise day she died is unknown.

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The Jazz Voyager

On my way to Columbus, Ohio, specifically to 150 S High Street in the 43215 zip code at de|NOVO Bistro & Bar. This Jazz Voyager is going to check out some jazz while sampling their New-American style cuisine that is infused with touches of Asian, Latin, French and Italian on small plates and sandwiches. Not limited to the aforementioned, this sleek artsy locale also offers a brunch and happy hour.

For the enthusiast live jazz and/or blues can be enjoyed on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Wrapped in a modern décor of exposed brick, rod iron and floor-to-ceiling windows giving patrons a nighttime view of Columbus Commons. Recommended reservations at this busy nightspot for couples or groups up to 250 can be made at 614-222-8830.  #jazzvoyager#wannabewhereyouare

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