Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sonny Greer was born William Alexander Greer on December 13, c. 1895 in Long Branch, New Jersey. He played with Elmer Snowden’s band and the Howard Theatre Orchestra in Washington, D.C., before joining Duke Ellington. Meeting him in 1919, he was Ellington’s first drummer, playing with his quintet, the Washingtonians. He then moved with Ellington into the Cotton Club.
As a result of his job as a designer with the Leedy Drum Company of Indiana, Greer was able to build up a huge drum kit worth over a then-considerable $3,000, including chimes, a gong, timpani, and vibes.
A heavy drinker, as well as a pool-hall hustler when he needed to retrieve his drums from the pawnbroker, in 1950, Ellington responded to his drinking and occasional unreliability by taking a second drummer, Butch Ballard, with them on a tour of Scandinavia. This enraged Greer, and the consequent argument led to their permanent estrangement.
Sonny continued to play, mainly as a freelance drummer, working with musicians such as Johnny Hodges, Red Allen, J. C. Higginbotham, Tyree Glenn, and was there for the iconic 1958 Art Kane black-and-white photograph A Great Day In Harlem. He was part of a tribute to Ellington in 1974, which achieved great success throughout the United States.
Never recording as a leader, he was quite active as a sideman recording with not only seven albums with Duke but another twelve albums with Johnny Hodges, Bernard Addison, Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Lionel Hampton, Lonnie Johnson, Brooks Kerr, Oscar Pettiford, Rex Stewart, Victoria Spivey, and Josh White.
Drummer Sonny Greer , best known for his work with Duke Ellington, passed away of a heart attack on March 23, 1982 in Lenox Hill, on the upper East side of Manhattan.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joseph L. Sanders was born on October 26, 1896 in Thayer, Kansas. Best known for co-leading the Coon-Sanders’ Nighthawks along with Carleton Coon, the pair formed the group in 1920 in Kansas City under the name Coon-Sanders Novelty Orchestra.
Their broadcast for the first time on radio the following year, they became simply known as the Nighthawks because of their frequent appearances on late night radio. They recorded in Chicago, Illinois in 1924 and held a residency at the Blackhawk club in that city from 1926. The ensemble toured as a Midwestern territory band, and after Coon’s death, Joe continued to lead the band under his own name.
During the 1940s Sanders worked mostly in Hollywood studios, and occasionally led performances at the Blackhawk once again. He was a vocalist for the Kansas City Opera in the 1950s.
Pianist, singer, and bandleader Joe Sanders, associated with Kansas City jazz for most of his career, passed away in Kansas City, Missouri on May 14, 1965.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Harry Shields was born on June 30, 1899 at 2319 First Street in Uptown, New Orleans, Louisiana, two doors down from Buddy Bolden’s house. He spent almost his whole career in New Orleans. He played with the bands of Norman Brownlee, Sharkey Bonano, Tom Brown, Johnny Wiggs, and others.
Many of his fellow musicians regarded Harry as a superior clarinetist to his brother Larry, who became a noted musician. Wiggs had once commented that Harry was the only clarinetist he’d heard who could always play the right note without fail. He was a part of George Girard and His New Orleans Five, and Johnny Wiggs and His New Orleans Band.
Clarinetist Harry Shields passed away in his hometown on January 19, 1971.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Antonio Sparbaro was born on June 27, 1897 in New Orleans, Louisiana to an immigrant Sicilian family. Early in his career he played with the Frayle Brothers Band, possibly as early as 1911, and the Reliance Band of Papa Jack Laine. He did side work with Merritt Brunies and Carl Randall.
He joined the Original Dixieland Jass Band for their initial recordings in 1917 and he became its leader in the 1940s, remaining a member of the ensemble until its dissolution in the 1960s. He was the only founding member still in the group at that time. Sbarbaro composed for the group, writing the tune Mourning Blues among others. He remained a fixture of Dixieland jazz performance for most of his life. He played later in life in New Orleans with Miff Mole, Big Chief Moore, Pee Wee Erwin, and Eddie Condon.
He played at the New York World’s Fair in 1941 and with Connee Boswell in the 1950s. Quitting music in the 1960s due to the popularity of rock & roll, drummer Tony Sparbaro, known professionally as Tony Sbarbaro or Tony Spargo, passed away on October 30, 1969 in New York City. He was the drummer of the Original Dixieland Jass Band for over 50 years and their tune Darktown Strutters’ Ball was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Albert Nicholas was born on May 27, 1900 in New Orleans, Louisiana and his primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans. Late in the 1910s he played with Buddy Petit, King Oliver, and Manuel Perez.
Spending three years in the Merchant Marines, he then joined Oliver in Chicago, Illinois from 1925 to 1927. After time in East Asia and Egypt, he returned to New York City in 1928 and played with Luis Russell until 1933. During this time in the city Albert played with Red Allen, Charlie Holmes, and J. C. Higginbotham. He would later play with Chick Webb, and Louis Armstrong with Russell and Jelly Roll Morton.
The Dixieland jazz revival of the late 1940s reinvigorated his career, playing with Art Hodes, Bunk Johnson, and Kid Ory. Nicholas had a regular gig with Ralph Sutton in 1948. In 1953 he moved to France and except for recording sessions in the U.S. in 1959-60, he remained there for the rest of his life.
Clarinetist Albert Nicholas, who was active from his teen years until his death, passed away on September 3, 1973 in Base, Switzerland.
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