Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dick Johnson was born Richard Brown Johnson on December 1, 1925 in Brockton, Massachusetts. His primary instrument was clarinet, however, he also played the alto saxophone and flute.
He began his professional career as a musician while serving in the U.S. Navy in 1944-1946 and played with the navy band on the USS Pasadena during World War II. He often credited his stint in the Navy for kicking off his career in jazz. After the war, Johnson toured with the big bands of Charlie Spivak and Buddy Morrow.
Eventually, after several years on the road, he settled in his hometown of Brockton, Mass. It was there in Brockton where he and his close friend, Lou Colombo formed a jazz sextet. The group lasted 10 years, but the friendship and musical kinship lasted for the rest of his life. In addition, Dick formed his septet, Swing Shift, which was a staple on the Boston music scene for many years.
Like Herb Pomeroy, Johnson managed a double career as a performer and an educator, teaching jazz at nearby Berklee School of Music, where he mentored many younger jazz musicians.
Between 1956 and 2006 he recorded ten albums as a leader. He worked with Frank Sinatra, the Swing Shift Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, and Tony Bennett.
Clarinetist, alto saxophonist, and flutist Dick Johnson, who also played in the free jazz genre, passed away on January 10, 2010 in Boston, Massachusetts after a short illness, aged 84.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Victor Sproles was born on November 18, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. During worked in the 1950s with Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan and appears on the Sun Ra recordings Super-Sonic Jazz, Sound of Joy and Deep Purple.
>As a session player he recorded with Stan Getz and Chet Baker on the 1957 Verve album Stan Meets Chet. In 1960 he joined Johnny Griffin’s Big Soul Band and the following year he played in Muhal Richard Abrams’ Experimental Band.
1964 saw him joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, recording the album ‘SMake It for Limelight, Lee Morgan and his old Sun Ra bandmate John Gilmore were in the group. He recorded two more albums with the Messengers after Gilmore left. This led to his subsequent appearance on Morgan’s Blue Note albums The Rumproller and The Sixth Sense.
In 1974 he played in Clark Terry’s big band and appeared on Buddy DeFranco’s album Free Fall. He recorded sixteen albums as a leader and another fifteen as a sideman. Bassist Victor Sproles passed away on May 13, 2005.
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Three Wishes
Baby Laurence responded to the Baroness’ question of this wishes with these answers:
- “That show business~not Negro or white show business, but show business~would come back like it used to be.”
- “That the American people would have a better appreciation of art.”
- “That pretty soon again, you won’t see a presentation show without a jazz tap dancer.”
*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…
Eddie Calhoun was born November 13, 1921 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Illinois. During the late Forties, he worked with Dick Davis and Ahmad Jamal in the early 1950s. Through the decade he played with Horace Henderson, Johnny Griffin, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis. He joined Erroll Garner in 1955 and played with him through 1966, recording extensively and touring worldwide.
After his time with Garner, Calhoun settled again in Chicago, where he played with vocalist and pianist Norvel Reed from 1967 to 1968. For two years from 1972 to 1974, he ran a nightclub called Cal’s in Chicago and led a sextet at the Fantasy Club from 1975 to 1980.
1980 to 1986 saw him accompanying pianist Lennie Capp before joining the Chicago All-Stars alongside Erwin Helfer for a tour of Europe. Never recorded as a leader, he recorded ten albums as a sideman during his career. Double bassist Eddie Calhoun passed away on January 27, 1993 in Paradise Lake, Mississippi.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Charlie Mariano was born Carmine Ugo Mariano on November 12, 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Italian immigrants. Growing up in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, after high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After his discharge, he attended Schillinger House of Music, now Berklee College of Music. He was among the faculty at Berklee from 1965–1971.
Moving to Europe in 1971, he eventually settled in Köln, Germany, with his third wife, Dorothee Zippel. He played with one of the Stan Kenton big bands, Toshiko Akiyoshi, his second wife, Charles Mingus, Eberhard Weber, the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, Embryo and numerous other notable bands and musicians.
He was known for his use of the nadaswaram, a classical wind instrument from Tamil Nadu. He recorded thirteen albums as a leader and another sixty records as a sideman, working with Shelly Manne, Eberhard Weber, Manny Albam, Max Bennett, Chet Baker, Philip Catherine, Serge Chaloff, Peggy Connelly, Herb Ellis, Maynard Ferguson, Michael Gibbs, John Graas, George Gruntz, Chico Hamilton, Bill Harris, Bill Holman, Jackie and Roy, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Mel Lewis, Arif Mardin, Toshiko Mariano, Vince Mendoza, Modern Jazz Quartet, Mike Nock, Nat Pierce, Herb Pomeroy, Irene Reid, Johnny Richards, Jimmy Ricks, Shorty Rogers, Frank Rosolino, Sal Salvador, Fredy Studer, Harvie Swartz, McCoy Tyner, Sadao Watanabe, Stu Williamson.
Alto and soprano saxophonist Carmine Mariano passed away from cancer on June 16, 2009
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