Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Reinhold Svensson was born December 20, 1919 in Husum, Germany. He recorded as a solo artist in 1941-1942, then joined the ensemble of violinist Hasse Kahn. In 1948, Putte Wickman took leadership of the group, and he worked with it until 1960 as a performer, arranger, and composer.
Reinhold appeared at the Paris Jazz Festival in 1949, worked with Arne Domnerus’s orchestra, and played with Charlie Norman in 1950-1951 as a duo under the names Ralph & Bert Berg and the Olson Brothers.
He also recorded with his own ensembles including Ragtime Reinhold. Domnerus, Jack Noren, Simon Brehm, and Thore Jederby were sidemen of his in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Pianist, Hammond organist and composer Reinhold Svensson transitioned on November 23, 1968 in Stockholm, Sweden.
More Posts: composer,history,instrumental,jazz,music,organ,piano
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Alfred Williams was born December 17, 1919 in Memphis, Tennessee but moved as a young child with his family to Chicago, Illinois. He studied classical piano and worked as a professional pianist from the age of 16, initially as leader of a 12-piece dance orchestra in local venues. In 1942, he formed a trio, the Three Dudes, and also played with trumpeter Henry “Red” Allen, clarinetist Jimmie Noone, and violinist Erskine Tate. He wrote arrangements for many Chicago bands.
His marriage to singer Audrey Hobbs brought about the couple performing together in the late 1940s as Alfred and Audrey. From the early Fifties he performed in New York City at venues including the Savoy Ballroom and the Metropole Cafe. He played in a Dixieland band, and also with Sam “The Man” Taylor, Jimmy Rushing, and others.
As a session musician Al appeared on Langston Hughes’ 1958 album Weary Blues. He toured Europe with Buck Clayton in 1959 and Johnny Hodges in 1961. He also recorded as the leader of a trio, accompanied the 1968 satirical revue The Establishment, and in the 1970s worked as arranger and pianist with the Deep River Boys.
Pianist Al Williams transitioned in New York on November 15, 1998 at the age of 78.
More Posts: history,instrumental,jazz,music,piano
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Don Stovall was born on December 12, 1913 in St. Louis, Missouri. He began playing violin as a child before settling on the alto saxophone. He played around his hometown with Dewey Jackson and Fate Marable on riverboats in the 1920s, and then played with Eddie Johnson’s Crackerjacks in 1932-33.
During the 1930s he lived in Buffalo, New York where he led his own ensemble and played with Lil Armstrong. He moved to New York City in 1939, and played there with Sammy Price, Eddie Durham, and Cootie Williams.
Following this he recorded extensively with Red Allen, remaining with him until 1950. He also recorded with Pete Johnson and Snub Mosley over the course of his career, though he never recorded as a leader.
Retiring from the music industry in 1950 he spent the remainder of his life working for a telephone company. Alto saxophonist Don Stovall transitioned on November 20, 1970 in New York City.
More Posts: history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Donald Bruce Roberts was born on December 4, 1917 in Melbourne, Australia and studied both clarinet and saxophone. Known to the world by his nickname Pixie, he started his music career in the 1930s.
Over the course of his career Pixie was a member of the Don Roberts’ Wolf Gang, Graeme Bell And His Australian Jazz Band, Graeme Bell And His Dixieland Jazz Band, Graeme Bell And His Orchestra, Graeme Bell’s Original Four, Pixie Roberts’ Leprechauns, Roger Bell’s Jazz Gang, The Bell-Lyttelton Jazz Nine, The Bell-Lyttelton Jazz Ten, The Bell-Lyttelton Jazz Twelve.
He was among the co-founders of the Australian jazz label Swaggie Records. Clarinetist and saxophonist Pixie Roberts transitioned on August 16, 1992 in his home city of Melbourne. He was 74.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ike Isaacs was born on December 1, 1919 in Rangoon, Burma and was self-taught on guitar. He started playing professionally in college while pursuing a degree in chemistry. Moving to England in 1946, he became a member of the BBC Show Band.
During the 1960s and Seventies, he was a member of the Hot Club of London, led by guitarist Diz Disley, who often collaborated with Stéphane Grappelli. He was a member of the band Velvet with Digby Fairweather, Len Skeat, and Denny Wright.
He recorded not only with Grappelli but with Ted Heath, Barney Kessel, Barry Gray, Jake Thackray, Martin Taylor and Stan Tracey. In the 1980s, he moved to Australia and taught at the Sydney School of Guitar.
Guitarist Ike Isaacs, best known for his work with violinist Stéphane Grappelli, transitioned from cancer on January 11, 1996 at the age of 76 in Sydney, Australia.