Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Donald Neff Bagley was born on July 18, 1927 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received formal training on the double bass, and studied in Los Angeles, California. He played in 1945 with Shorty Sherock and Wingy Manone, and in 1948 with Dick Pierce.
From 1950 to 1953, and sporadically thereafter, Bagley played with Stan Kenton and during his time with Kenton, A Study for Bass by Bill Russo and Bags by Bill Holman were written to feature his playing. Beginning in 1954, he fronted his own ensembles. Between 1950 and 1952, he worked extensively as a session musician with Nat King Cole, Maynard Ferguson, and Dexter Gordon. In the middle of the 1950s, he played in Europe with Zoot Sims, Lars Gullin, Frank Rosolino, and Åke Persson.
From 1956 to 1967, he returned to Kenton and worked with Les Brown. Toward the end of the 1950s he played with Jimmie Rowles, Shelly Manne, and Phil Woods. Don played with Pete Fountain, did a session with Ben Webster, and performed in Japan with Julie London. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bagley composed and arranged for film and television. Between 1976 and 1984, he worked with Burt Bacharach.
Double bassist Don Bagley, who recorded three albums under his own name, passed away on July 26, 2012 at the age of 85.
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Three Wishes
The Baroness asked Oscar Peterson what his three wishes would be and he said:
1. “I wish I could play the piano the way I want to.”
2. “I wish everyone was born with innate understanding of all art forms.”
3. “Love throughout the world, individual to individual.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Pedro Iturralde Ochoa was born in Falces, Spain on July 13, 1929. He began his musical studies with his father and performed in his first professional engagements on saxophone at age eleven. GraduatING from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, he had studied clarinet, piano, and harmony.
When he was 20 years old he composed Czárdás for saxophone and dedicated the present version of the work, orchestrated by his brother Javier, to a friend, saxophonist Theodore Kerkezos. He went on to lead his own jazz quartet at the W. Jazz Club in Madrid, Spain and experimented with the combined use of flamenco and jazz, and making recordings for the Blue Note label.
In 1972 he undertook further study in harmony and arranging at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He taught saxophone at the Madrid Conservatory from 1978 until his retirement in 1994. He appeared in Spain and abroad as a soloist with the Spanish National Orchestra under the baton of Frühbeck de Burgos, Celibidache, Markevitch, and others.
He made recordings with the renowned flamenco guitarists Paco de Lucia, Paco de Algeciras and Pepe de Antequerra, and Paco Cepero. He also recorded with jazz vocalist Donna Hightower on her I’m In Love with Love album and arranged/conducted on her El Jazz y Donna Hightower album.
Saxophonist, teacher and composer Pedro Iturralde Ochoa passed away on November 1, 2020. in Madrid on November 1, 2020.
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Three Wishes
When Ed Thigpen was approached by Nica and asked what his three wishes would be if given he told her: 1. “That there would be love amongst all people in the world~complete, you understand.” 2. “That I always keep my family happy. You know, my wife. It would be nice to say “in sickness and in health.” 3. “I’d like to be a master, or a complete musician. Know music completely, inside out.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Bruce Turner was born on July 5, 1922 in Saltburn, North Yorkshire, England and educated at Dulwich College. He learned to play the clarinet as a schoolboy and began playing alto saxophone while serving in the Royal Air Force in 1943 during World War II. He played with Freddy Randall from 1948~53 and then worked on the Queen Mary in a dance band and in a quartet with Dill Jones and Peter Ind.
In 1950 he briefly studied under Lee Konitz in New York City. His first period with Humphrey Lyttelton ran from 1953 to 1957. After leaving Lyttelton he led his Jump Band from 1957~65, which was featured along with his arrangements in the 1961 film Living Jazz. In 1961, Turner recorded Jumpin’ at the NFT (National Film Theatre) and the album was issued later that year on Doug Dobell’s 77 Records label, coinciding with the film’s release.
In January 1963, the British music magazine New Musical Express reported that the biggest trad jazz event to be staged in Britain had taken place at Alexandra Palace. The event included George Melly, Diz Disley, Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Kenny Ball, Ken Colyer, Monty Sunshine, Bob Wallis, Alex Welsh, Mick Mulligan and Turner.
Returning to Randall’s group from 1964 to 1966, he then played with Don Byas and Acker Bilk till 1970. He went on to work with Wally Fawkes, John Chilton, Stan Greig), Alex Welsh, and Dave Green. He led small ensembles in the 1990s until his death. His autobiography Hot Air, Cool Music, published by Quartet Books, appeared in 1984. He wrote a column on jazz for the Daily Worker. Saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader Bruce Turner passed away on November 28, 1993 in Newport Pagnell.
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