Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Raymond Eberle was born on January 19, 1919 in Mechanicville, Saratoga County, New York. He started singing in his teens without formal training. In 1938 while looking for a male vocalist for his big band asked Bob Eberly if he had any siblings at home who could sing and his brother was hired on the spot.
Eberle went on to find success with Miller, deeming the songs for the film Orchestra Wives, such as the jazz standard “At Last”, to be among his favorites, as they were songs he could make a story out of. During the Forties he appeared in Twentieth Century Fox movies, and several Universal Studios films, singing mostly ballads.
He led his own orchestra, The Ray Eberle Orchestra, as well as the Serenade In Blue Orchestra from 1943. In the 1950s and 1960s.he also appeared on numerous television variety shows. He maintained his band until his death.
After his departure from Miller, Eberle briefly joined Gene Krupa’s band before launching a solo career. He later joined former Miller bandmate Tex Beneke’s orchestra in 1970 for a national tour, and reformed his own orchestra later in the decade.
Vocalist Ray Eberle died of a heart attack in Douglasville, Georgia on August 25, 1979, aged 60.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
James Charles Jackson Jr. was born on January 18, 1957 and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Hailing from a musical family, he grew up surrounded by instrumentalists and vocalists. Before reaching high school, he was the drummer in his brother’s band, Ripple, that recorded and played gigs in the area. When it was time to go on the road his mother was adamant that he must finish high school.
Graduating in 1977 he landed a job in Atlanta, Georgia as the drummer for The Counts. Jimmy played with them for a few years until they disbanded, then transitioned to the Mose Davis Trio. Though much younger than his bandmates, he played well beyond his years.
Getting his big break came with meeting jazz organist Jimmy Smith, who had a show in Atlanta and Davis loaned him his Hammond organ for the performance. After moving the instrument, Jackson asked if he could sit in on the sound check. Blowing Smith away with his playing during the sound check landed him a job with the organist. He would tour the world with the band.
While residing in Atlanta, Jimmy played with the Paul Mitchell Trio at Dante’s Down the Hatch, as well as freelancing around town. Leaving Atlanta in 2006 for New York City and then on to the Washington, D.C. area a year or so later. His heart always considered Atlanta as his second home
Drummer and vocalist Jimmy Jackson, who was affectionately known by most as Junebug, died on January 28, 2012 of complications associated with congestive heart failure at the age of 55.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffrey Arthur Berlin was born on January 17, 1953 in Queens, New York. He studied violin from the age of five until he turned fifteen 15. After seeing the Beatles he was inspired to play bass guitar. He attended Berklee College of Music to study bass.
After a period of session work with Patrick Moraz, David Liebman and Patti Austin, in 1977 he gained widespread international attention when British musician Bill Bruford. He handpicked Jeff for his debut album Feels Good to Me, and played in the namesake band until 1980.
His Bruford bandmate, Allan Holdsworth, employed Berlin for his 1983 Warner Brothers album Road Games. Over the course of his career he recorded with Esther Phillips, Don Pullen, Ray Barretto, David Liebman, Herbie Mann, David Sancious, Clare Fischer and numerous others. As a leader, bass guitarist Jeff Berlin continued to record and tour throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and still performs to this day.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sandy Block was born on January 16, 1917 in Cleveland, Ohio. Growing up in Cleveland and Brooklyn, New York he played violin as a child. He picked up the bass in high school and worked professionally in big bands from the late 1930s.
Block worked with Van Alexander, Chick Webb, Alvino Rey, and Tommy Dorsey. He recorded with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. He played with Charlie Parker on the only television appearance Parker ever made.
After the 1950s Sandy worked extensively as a studio musician, including with folk ensembles such as The Greenbriar Boys. He played with Jimmy McPartland and Johnny Costa, but went into semi-retirement after the 1960s.
Bassist Sandy Block, who was also credited as Sid Block, died on October 1, 1985.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dick Lammi was born on January 15, 1909 in Red Lodge, Montana. Early in his career he played violin and banjo, playing as a banjoist in various dance bands and orchestras in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1920s. Settlling in Portland, Oregon in the early Thirties, and played bass in a group there.
After a move to San Francisco, California in 1936 he began playing tuba alongside bass. His best-known work was as a member of Lu Watters’s rehearsal band, which evolved into the Yerba Buena Jazz Band, playing regularly at the Dawn Club.
With World War II interrupting his tenure with the ensemble, after his discharge he rejoined the YBJB and stayed with them until they disbanded in 1950. The Fifties saw Dick working with Bob Scobey, Turk Murphy, Wally Rose, and Clancy Hayes. He recorded little after the early 1960s.
Tubist and bassist Dick Lammi, who was the first tuba player to record during the San Francisco revival, died on November 29, 1969 in San Francisco.
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