Daily Dose OF Jazz…
George Mraz was born Jiří Mráz on September 9, 1944 in Pisek Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, now the Czech Republic. He began his musical studies on violin at age seven and started playing jazz in high school on alto saxophone. He attended the Prague Conservatory in 1961 studying bass violin and graduating in 1966. During that time he was performing with the top jazz groups in Prague.
His first introduction to jazz was through the Voice Of America radio and Louis Armstrong which opened him to a vast new world of possibilities across the ocean. After finishing his studies George moved to Munich and played clubs and concerts throughout Germany and Middle Europe with Benny Bailey, Carmel Jones, Leo Wright, Mal Waldron, Hampton Hawes, Jan Hammer and others.
Mraz was greatly influenced by Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro, Paul Chambers, and Ron Carter. In 1968 he ventured to Boston on a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music and played at Lennie’s on the Turnpike and the Jazz Workshop with such artists as Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Joe Williams and Carmen McRae. By ’69 he was playing with Dizzy Gillespie and then on the road with Oscar Peterson for two years followed by a six- year residency with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.
From the late seventies on he worked with Stan Getz, New York Jazz Quartet, Chet Baker, Hank Jones, Paul Motian, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie, Joe Lovano, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Tommy Flanagan and the list of jazz luminaries is to long to elaborate. He was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet and Quest. Bassist and alto saxophonist George Mraz continues to perform, record and tour.
Take A Dose On The Road
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
James Earl Clay was born on Sept. 8, 1935 in Dallas, Texas. While in school Clay played alto saxophone, became a professional musician, and played with Booker Ervin and other local Dallas bands. An early associate of Ornette Coleman, he also played with Don Cherry and David “Fathead” Newman.
He later went to California where he played in 1957 in Red Mitchell’s quartet and on recordings with Lawrence Marable but by the end of the year was back in Dallas. Clay served in the Army in 1959.
As a leader he recorded for the Antilles, Jazz West, Fresh Sounds, Polygram and OJC record labels. Jazz flautist, tenor and alto saxophonist James Clay, known for his appealing tone and bop style passed away in Dallas on January 1, 1994.
Dose A Day – Blues Away
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joseph Dwight Newman was born on September 7, 1922 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A child of a pianist father, he had his first music lessons from David Jones. He continued his study of trumpet at Alabama State College where he also played, led and toured the school band, the Bama State Collegians.
By 1941 Joe joined Lionel Hampton for two years, before signing with Count Basie, a relationship that lasted for a total of thirteen years resulting in a number of small group recordings as leader, spent time with Illinois Jacquet, and then with J.C. Heard. He also played on Benny Goodman’s 1962 tour of the Soviet Union.
Leaving the Basie band in 1961, Newman helped found Jazz Interactions, of which he became president in 1967. Jazz Interactions was a charitable organization which provided an information service, brought jazz master classes into schools and colleges, and later maintained its own Jazz Interaction Orchestra, for whom Newman wrote.
In the 1970s and 1980s Newman toured internationally, recorded for various major record labels. He suffered a stroke in 1991, however, which seriously disabled him. Joe Newman, trumpeter, composer and educator best known for his years with Count Basie passed away on July 4, 1992.
Inspire A Young Mind
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Claire Martin was born on September 6, 1967 in Wimbledon, South London, England. She grew up in a house full of music, claiming to have learned all of Judy Garland’s songs by the time she was 12. She also cites Ella Fitzgerald’s Song Books as being the life changing influence that inspired her to attend Stage School and later to study singing in both New York and London.
Her professional career started with her first engagement, aboard the QE2, where she sang in the Theater Bar for two years. In 1991, at the age of 21, Martin formed her own jazz quartet, and was signed by the Scottish jazz label Linn Records. Her debut album, “The Waiting Game” was extremely well reviewed and was selected by The Times as one of their “Albums of the Year”.
Claire has opened for Tony Bennett at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival, won the British Jazz Awards and BBC Jazz Awards for Best Vocalist, has co-presented for the Jazz Line Up on BBC Radio 3, collaborated with composer and performer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and has recorded a total of 17 albums.
Vocalist Claire was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to music. She continues to perform, tour and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Marc Courtney Johnson was born on September 5, 1967 and began singing in church youth choirs off and on from age 5 through 13. In junior high he was introduced to the clarinet and developed a love for classical music, playing in both symphony and marching bands in high school.
Matriculating at Northern Illinois University where he briefly pursued a vocal performance degree, studying for a semester with Basso Cantante Myron Myers, singing with the NIU Chorus and touring with the NIU Black Choir. However, he transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago and getting a business degree Johnson returned to his roots in church primarily as a solo vocalist.
In the summer of 2003 Marc began his serious pursuit as a jazz vocalist. He has worked with Chicago’s icons of jazz, Kimberly Gordon and the Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra; works regularly at the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge and Green Dolphin Street, fronts the Ken Arlen band Front of House and performs with the Dan Cray Trio.
In 2004 Marc produced and released his debut self-titled CD “Marc Courtney Johnson” with the dynamic Dan Cray Trio followed with his sophomore project “Dream of Sunny Days” in 2009. He continues to perform and compose.
Jazz Is Global – Share
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