Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ron Jefferson was born on February 13, 1926 in New York City and began as a tap dancer before taking up the drums. He quickly became a fixture on the postwar bop scene collaborating, touring and/or recording with Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Charles Mingus, Freddie Redd, Teddy Edwards and Roy Eldridge to name a few.

He also spent a number of years as a sideman with Oscar Pettiford, and working with Charlie Rouse and Julius Watkins forming the Jazz Modes in 1957. After two years the trio split up and Ron signed on with Les McCann prior to moving to Los Angeles in 1962. It was there he cut his debut album as a leader titled “Love Lifted Me” on the Pacifica label.

In addition to playing behind Groove Holmes, Zoot Sims, Carmell Jones and Joe Castro, Ron also toured with Roland Kirk’s “Jazz and People’s Movement”, spent a number of years in Paris working with Hazel Scott, taught music for the U.S. Embassy and in 1976 he cut “Vout Etes Swing!” for the Catalyst label.

Upon returning to New York, Jefferson hosted the cable TV series Miles Ahead with fellow musician John Lewis. Despite a steady work schedule, he never attained the visibility or renown of many of his contemporaries, and after a brief illness drummer Ron Jefferson died in Richmond, Virginia on May 7, 2007.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Thomas S. McIntosh was born February 6, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland and studied at the Peabody Conservatory. During his time in the Army band he played trombone, followed by a move to New York in 1956 where he played with Lee Morgan, Roland Kirk, James Moody, Art Farmer and Benny Golson. During this period he also graduated from Julliard.

By 1961 he was composing “The Day After” for trumpeter Howard McGhee and two years later for Dizzy Gillespie’s “Something Old, Something New” album.  The following year his composition “Whose Child Are You?” was performed by the New York Jazz Sextet, of which he was a member.

Working with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis in the late Sixties, as a leader McIntosh recorded Manhattan Serenade and worked with earl Coleman, Jerome Richardson, Billy Taylor, Frank Foster, Eddie Williams, Gene Bertoncini, Bobby Thomas and Reggie Workman. He arrange for Bobby Timmons and Milt Jackson, working as a sideman with the later and also Oliver Nelson and Shirley Scott.

Tom gave up jazz and moved to Los Angeles and began a long and successful career composing for film and television writing music for such films as The Learning Tree, Soul Soldier, Shaft’s Big Score, Slither, A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But A Sandwich and John Handy. In 2008 he was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master. Trombonist and composer Tom McIntosh passed away in his sleep at age 84 on July 26, 2017.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Don Goldie was born Donald Elliott Goldfield on February 5, 1930 in Newark, New Jersey. While still a young boy, Goldie had started learning the violin, the trumpet, and the piano, and he was good enough on the trumpet to earn a $1,000 scholarship to the New York Military Academy, later studying with the New York Philharmonic’s Nathan Prager.

After Army service he relocated to Miami, Florida in 1954 winning the Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scout Award. This was followed with a gig with Bobby Hackett in New York and subsequent engagements and recording work with Lester Lanin, Neal Hefti and Jackie Gleason.

Catching the attention of Jack Teagarden, he joined the band in 1959 and was a part of Teagarden’s first Roulette recording “At The Roundtable”. Over the next three years he distinguished himself as a soloist and sharing the vocals including a perfect impersonation of Louis Armstrong.

After leaving the group, Don led his own band for a time, but by the late ’60s was working with Jackie Gleason in Miami Beach, as well as playing jazz and pop gigs of his own.  He cut albums for Chess Records’ Argo offshoot and the Verve label in the early ’60s, and in the 1970s reemerged with his own Jazz Forum label, for which he cut a string of eight LPs, each dedicated to the works of a single composer. He released his final LP, “Don Goldie’s Dangerous Jazz Band” on the Jazzology label in 1982.

With declining health, mostly associated with diabetes, he was forced into retirement and on November 25, 1995 trumpeter Don Goldie committed suicide.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Red Prysock was born Wilburt Prysock on February 2, 1926 in Greensboro, North Carolina. One of the early Coleman Hawkins influenced saxophonists he played in both jazz and rhythm and blues worlds.

He first gained attention playing with Tiny Bradshaw’s band, playing the lead sax solo on his own composition “Soft”, which was a 1952 hit. He also played with Roy Milton and Cootie Williams. While with Tiny Grimes and his Rocking Highlanders, Prysock staged a memorable sax battle with Benny Golson on “Battle of the Mass”.

In 1954, he signed with Mercury Records as a bandleader and moving to R&B had his biggest instrumental hit, “Hand Clappin” in 1955. That same year, he joined the band that played at Alan Freed’s stage shows. He also played on several hit records by his brother and vocalist Arthur Prysock in the 1960s.

Red Prysock released five albums for Mercury and another two for Forum Circle and Gateway record labels. He passed away of a heart attack on July 19,1993 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 67.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Buddy Montgomery: The Youngest Brother Who Kept the Music Alive
Charles “Buddy” Montgomery was born on January 30, 1930, in Indianapolis, Indiana—the youngest of the Montgomery brothers, a family that would become one of jazz’s most remarkable musical dynasties. While his older brothers Monk and Wes would achieve fame on bass and guitar respectively, Buddy carved his own path, mastering both piano and vibraphone with equal facility.

Early Steps in a Legendary Family
Buddy began his professional career in 1948 at just eighteen years old. By the following year, he was playing with blues shouter Big Joe Turner, then working alongside the innovative trombonist Slide Hampton—learning the ropes from established masters while developing his own voice.

After fulfilling his military service in the Army—where he led his own quartet, never letting Uncle Sam keep him away from music for long—Buddy returned to civilian life ready to make his mark.

The Mastersounds Era
In the late 1950s, Buddy joined forces with his brother Monk to form the Mastersounds, a vibrant West Coast jazz group that produced ten recordings and helped define the accessible, groove-oriented sound that made jazz appealing to wider audiences without sacrificing musicality. The Mastersounds were part of that great wave of organ-and-vibes combos that kept the clubs packed and the jukeboxes humming.

Simultaneously, Buddy led the Montgomery-Johnson Quintet with saxophonist Ray Johnson from 1957 to 1959, helming his first recording session as a leader—proof that even within the family business, he had his own ideas about what jazz could be.

A Brief Brush with Miles
Buddy played briefly with Miles Davis—imagine being good enough to catch Miles’ attention, even momentarily. But when the Mastersounds disbanded, family called once again. Buddy and Monk joined their brother Wes for a series of “Montgomery Brothers” recordings, with Buddy contributing sophisticated arrangements that showcased all three siblings’ talents.

Tragedy on the Road
The brothers toured together in 1968, three Montgomery brothers bringing their distinctive Indianapolis sound to audiences across the country. But in the middle of that tour, tragedy struck: Wes died suddenly of a heart attack at just 45 years old, robbing jazz of one of its most influential guitarists and the Montgomery family of its brightest star. The loss was devastating, both personally and professionally.

Starting Over, Giving Back
In 1969, still processing his grief, Buddy moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he dedicated himself to teaching music—passing on what three generations of Montgomerys had learned about swing, harmony, and making music that moved people. He spent years nurturing young talent, ensuring that the knowledge didn’t die with his brother.

Oakland and a Second Act
In the 1980s, Buddy relocated to Oakland, California, where he experienced something of a renaissance. He released solo material that showcased his mature artistry and played with the Riverside Reunion Band alongside heavyweights like saxophonists Charlie Rouse and David “Fathead” Newman, and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, peers who understood and appreciated what Buddy brought to the bandstand.

A Full Musical Life
Buddy Montgomery—vibraphonist, pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, producer, and teachercontinued working in all these capacities right up until his death on May 14, 2009. He produced fourteen recordings as a leader over his career, each one a testament to his versatility and his refusal to be limited by anyone’s expectations.

More Than “The Other Montgomery Brother”
It would have been easy for Buddy to be overshadowed by Wes’ legendary status or defined solely as “one of the Montgomery brothers.” Instead, he built a career that honored the family legacy while establishing his own distinct identity. His vibraphone playing had a clarity and swing that was unmistakably his own. His piano work combined the influence of Indianapolis stride players with bebop sophistication. His arrangements showed a deep understanding of how to make a small group sound rich and full.

And perhaps most importantly, his decades of teaching ensured that the Montgomery musical tradition, that Indianapolis approach to swing, melody, and making accessible music still challenges close listening. His legacy would continue through his students who never met Monk or Wes but learned from Buddy what it meant to be a complete musician.

The Youngest, But Not the Least
Buddy Montgomery lived to 79, longer than either of his famous brothers—and used that time wisely, creating, teaching, and keeping the music alive. He proved that being the youngest Montgomery brother wasn’t a limitation but an opportunity to build something that lasted.

From teenage piano prodigy in Indianapolis to elder statesman of Oakland’s jazz scene, Buddy Montgomery showed that longevity in jazz isn’t just about surviving, it’s about continuing to grow, give, and create until the very end.

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