Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank Lowe was born on June 24, 1943 and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Taking up the tenor saxophonist he was extremely influenced by the first and second waves of free jazz throughout the 1960s. He moved to San Francisco, California to explore the avant-garde jazz scene. While making several visits to New York City he began playing with Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane, recording with the later in 1971.
As a leader he recorded two-dozen albums between 1973 and 2002 working with the likes of Don Cherry, Billy Bang, Jack Walrath, James Carter, Geri Allen, Charnett Moffett, Carlos Ward and numerous others.
Composer and tenor saxophonist Frank Lowe passed away on September 19, 2003 of lung cancer. His legacy was a varied body of recordings and memorable performances and his composition “Spirits in the Field” was performed on Arthur Blythe’s 1977 album The Grip.
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Jazz In Film
The Film: Carmen Jones
The Year: 1954
The Director: Otto Preminger
The Stars: Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey and Brock Peters.
The Music: Soundtrack work done by Cozy Cole along with great performances by Pearl Bailey, Max Roach, Richie Powell and Curtis Counce.
The Story: This adaptation of the 1944 Broadway success provided a modern Black version of the Merimee story that retained the original Bizet music. At an all-black army camp, civilian parachute maker and “hot bundle” Carmen Jones is desired by many of the men. Naturally, she wants Joe, who’s engaged to sweet Cindy Lou and about to go into pilot training for the Korean War. Going after him, she succeeds only in getting him into the stockade. While she awaits his release, trouble approaches for both of them.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ivan Lins was born on June 16, 1945 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began studies at the Military College in Rio, received an industrial chemical engineering degree from the Federal University and spending several years in Boston, Massachusetts with his naval engineer father, he continued his graduate studies at M.I.T. He considered a career in volleyball before discovering his considerable musical talent.
As a pianist Luiz Eça and João Donato influenced Lins. While in college he performed in a jazz-bossa trio. In 1970 Ivan started his music career by winning second place in a competition with the song “O Amor É o Meu País” and that same year famed Brazilian singer Elis Regina recorded his composition “Madalena”. He would host the TV Globo show Som Livre Exportaçã, partner with Vitor Martins and the two would become MPB history with romantic verses and political anthems.
His influence of jazz and bossa nova became evident in his music and an invitation from Quincy Jones brought him to international attention. Quincy recorded “Velas” (Sails) which won a Grammy, and George Benson recorded his Love Dance, and Paul Winter recorded “Velho Sertão”, renaming it Common Ground. It wasn’t too longer afterward that jazz artists like Patti Austin, Herbie Mann, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Pass, Diane Schuur, Manhattan Transfer and Ella Fitzgerald were recording his melodies.
He has recorded three-dozen albums, won two Latin Grammy awards, has won Best MPB Album of the Year, and many of his tunes have been part of Grammy winning albums and is one of the three most recorded Brazilian composers outside their native land.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Karl Marsh was born on June 14, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. He learned to play the saxophone as a child coming out of the tradition of John Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders, with an added twist of Ben Webster.
Marsh’s big & warm toned tenor saxophone is comfortable in a variety of performance settings, from combos, duos and quintets delivering heartfelt ballads and standards and straight-ahead, earthy and spirit-filled original compositions.
Since 2009 Karl has held a regular gig at the Left Coast Wine Bar and Gallery, has played Maggiano’s at The Grove and the LA Farmer’s Market Summer Jazz Concert series in Los Angeles, has performed at Belgocargo in France, the Joe Henderson Tribute Concert and art venues throughout metro Los Angeles. He released his debut album titled “Push’N Ahead!” in 2005.
Tenor saxophonist Karl Marsh currently serves as the saxophone instructor for the Pasadena Community Youth Orchestra and also offers private instruction.
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Jazz In Film
The Film: Bells Are Ringing
The Year: 1960
The Director: Vincente Minnelli
The Stars: Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Eddie Foy Jr. and Jean Stapleton
The Music: Composed by Jule Styne; appearance by baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan
The Story: Ella Peterson is a Brooklyn telephone answering service operator who tries to improve the lives of her clients by passing along bits of information she hears from other clients. She falls in love with one of her clients, the playwright Jeffrey Moss, and is determined to meet him. The trouble is, on the phone to him, she always pretends to be an old woman whom he calls “Mom.”
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