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.
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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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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Meade Lux Lewis was born Meade Anderson Lewis on September 4, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois. As a child, he was greatly influenced by pianist Jimmy Yancey.
His 1927 rendition of “Honky Tonk Train Blues” for Paramount Records marked his recording debut and his best-known work. His early recordings included Adrian Rollini, Frankie Trumbauer, classical harpsichordist Sylvia Marlowe, theater organist George Wright and drummer Cozy Cole. His performance at John Hammond’s historic “From Spirituals to Swing” concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938 brought Lewis to public attention.
He went on to perform with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, played an extended engagement at Café Society, toured as a trio, and inspired the formation of Blue Note Records in 1939. Their success led to a decade long boogie-woogie craze with big band swing treatments by Tommy Dorsey, Will Bradley and others.
He became the first jazz pianist to double on celeste, recorded with Edmond Hall and Charlie Christian, also, then continued to Chicago and California. Lewis appeared in the movies “New Orleans”, “Nightmare” and “It’s A Wonderful Life” playing piano in the scene where George Bailey gets thrown out of Nick’s Bar.
Pianist and composer Meade Lux Lewis, who played the swing, blues and boogie-woogie styles, died in a car accident in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 7, 1964.
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