Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Cynthia Scott was born July 20th in El Dorado, Arkansas, the tenth of twelve children. She started singing at the age of four, and was exposed to a wide variety of music. She grew up soaking in a myriad of influences such as Carmen McRae, Robert Flack, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.
After high school Scott moved to Dallas, Texas and while working as an airline stewardess honed her craft with James Clay, Claude Johnson, Roger Boykin, Onzy Matthews and Red Garland. In 1972 she became a Raelette, backing Ray Charles for two years. During this time they toured Europe with Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, The Count Basie Orchestra and Joe Williams.
Following Charles’ death she would work with Hank Crawford, Marcus Belgrave, and David “Fathead” Newman. By the late 80s she was in New York’s Chelsea Place hiring a young Harry Connick Jr., turning a four-week engagement into three years. She has since headlined at such jazz spots as Birdland, Iridium, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and the Super Club.
Cynthia has worked with Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, Kevin Mahogany, The Harper Brothers, Bill Charlap, Julius LaRosa, Norman Simmons and Wynton Marsalis, the later bringing her in to be the first vocal to sing in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Room to test its acoustics.
Scott’s list of accomplishments are too long to enumerate but on the short list she has performed at festival worldwide, toured with the musical “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, was a finalist in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition, and the 2005 International Songwriting Competition, is a vocal teacher at The New School and City College and teaches private students and among other things has been a Jazz Ambassador for U.S. State Department. Vocalist and educator Cynthia Scott continues to perform, tour and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Cliff Jackson was born Clifton Luther Jackson on July 19, 1902 in Culpepper, Virginia. Learning to play stride piano he played in Atlantic City until moving to New York City in 1923. He played with Lionel Howard’s Musical Aces in 1924, recorded with Bob Fuller and Elmer Snowden, led his own ensemble, the Krazy Kats, for recordings in 1930, and following this group’s dissolution he played extensively as a solo pianist in several New York nightclubs.
During this time Jackson accompanied singers such as Viola McCoy, Lena Wilson, Sara Martin and Clara Smith. He recorded with Sidney Bechet in the early Forties and would record as a soloist or leader by mid-decade and again in the Sixties. His greatest success came as house pianist at Cafe Society from 1943-5; but he also toured with Eddie Condon, and played with Garvin Bushell, J.C. Higginbotham and Joe Thomas.
Cliff married singer Maxine Sullivan, had his powerful stride piano style showcased on such solo recordings as “Limehouse Blues”, and his left-hand techniques highlighted and explained in detail in books Ricardo Scivales’ method Jazz Piano: Left Hand. Stride pianist Cliff Jackson passed away of heart failure on May 24, 1970 in New York City.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Matt Slocum was born on July 18, 1981 in New Richmond, Wisconsin. From his sophomore year in high school on he studied drums with Phil Hey, while playing in a Ska band. At the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, Matt studied with Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, John Clayton and Joe LaBarbera. After graduating USC, Slocum spent three years in Pasadena but in 2007 he moved near New York City.
Since his move Slocum has toured with vocalist Sarah Gazarek for three years and has played with Shelly Berg, Seamus Blake, Alan Broadbent, Bill Cunliffe, Danny Grissett, Larry Koonse, Lage Lund, Wynton Marsalis, Linda Oh, Dayna Stephens, Gerald Wiggins, Anthony Wilson and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, among numerous others.
Slocum’s list of influences on composing is impressive citing Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Wayne Shorter, Tom Harrell, Dave Holland, Debussy and Ravel; and drummers Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Kendrick Scott and Marcus Gilmore.
Drummer Matt Slocum is the recipient of a Meet the Composers Foundation grant, and has lead recording sessions for his debut album, Portraits and After The Rain. He continues to perform, record and tour.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Norman Hedman was born July 17, 1945 in the West Indies and discovered his first hand drum, a conga, in a Brooklyn garbage can. Instinctively repairing the conga at age 12, he has been playing music ever since.
Hedman founded Tropique in 1995 and the percussion instruments of timbales, cowbells and congas formed his Latin jazz and island flavor sound. This first call percussionist brought together an array of talent from around the globe to create music that spanned teenage to silver generations appreciating and enjoying his music. His new and inventive concepts, clean, tight lines and original compositions were his hallmark of success.
Over the course of his career Norman composed five number one R&B hits with one receiving 5 Grammy awards, in addition to two platinum and two gold albums, composed three songs for movie soundtracks for Ali, Shaft and Dr. Doolittle 2. His One Step Closer, Taken By Surprise and Healing Hands albums by his group Norman Hedman’s Tropique were nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album.
He has worked with Arturo Sandoval, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Watson, Grady Tate, Pat Martino, Chico and Vaughn Freeman, Arthur Blythe, George Cables, John Hicks, Gary Bartz, Ahmad Alladeen, Giovannie Hidalgo, Hilton Ruiz, Horacee Arnold, Airto Moreira, Monguito Santamaria, Delmar Brown, Lew Soloff and Marcus Miller.
Percussionist, producer and composer Norman Hedman passed away from acute myeloid leukemia and pneumonia on September 29, 2008 in New York City.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Nat Pierce was born on July 16, 1925 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Learning to play piano as a child he went on to attend the New England Conservatory. After graduation he worked as an amateur musician around Boston, then led his own band featuring Charlie Mariano from 1949-51. He would go on to play with Woody Herman through 1966 as chief arranger and asst. road manager.
Taking up residence in New York City, Nat freelanced with musicians such as Pee Wee Russell, Lester Young, Emmett Berry and ruby Braff, to name a few. From 1957-1959 Pierce led his second band off and on which featured Buck Clayton, Gus Johnson and Paul Quinichette. He recorded with a number of other well-known musicians as well, including Quincy Jones, Coleman Hawkins and Pee Wee Russell.
Pierce arranged the music for The Sound of Jazz, a 1954 CBS television special hosted by John Crosby. Most of the pieces he composed and arranged were predominantly created for the use in big bands. Pianist Nat Pierce passed away on June 10, 1992.
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