Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Reuben Wilson was born April 9, 1935 in Mounds, Oklahoma but grew up in Pasadena, California from age five when his family moved. While in his teenage years he taught himself to play piano, but boxing diverted his attention. When he was 17, he moved to Los Angeles, married a nightclub singer, met a number of professional musicians and returned to music. Instead of pursuing the piano, he decided to take up the organ, and it wasn’t long before he became a regular at the Caribbean club.

Reuben played the L.A. circuit for several years before trying his luck unsuccessfully in Las Vegas. Returning to L.A. he struck up a friendship with Richard “Groove” Holmes, an organist who would greatly influence his own style. In 1966 he moved to New York City, formed the soul-jazz group Wildare Express and began concentrating more on hard bop and soul-jazz. This proved fortuitous as Grant Green, Roy Haynes and Sam Rivers among others took notice and began to perform with him.

Two years later Wilson began recording a series of five albums for Blue Note Records, his debut being On Broadway. Throughout the 70s he recorded sporadically, eventually retired from music in the early 80s and but by the end of the decade a rediscovery of his music by fans, saw his music sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, Brand New Heavies and Nas.

He returned to music in the 90s writing new material, performing and recording in new groups, including combos he led himself. Over the course of his career organist Reuben Wilson has recorded 16 albums as a leader and eight as a sideman working with Grant Green Jr., Bernard Purdie, Melvin Sparks and Willis Jackson. He currently resides in New York City and continues to pursue new directions in jazz.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

George Dixon was born on April 8, 1909 in New Orleans, Louisiana but grew up throughout the South traveling with his father as he ministered. He began playing trumpet as a child, then while living in Natchez, Mississippi at age thirteen he began playing the violin. He would go on to study the instrument at Arkansas State College, where he picked up the alto saxophone.

Dixon’s move to Chicago in 1926 would have him playing with Sammy Stewart from 1928, including a tour of New York City in 1930. His longest and most important residency was with Earl Hines and for nearly twelve years he would play trumpet, saxophone and arrange for the band.

During World War II George led a Navy band in Memphis, Tennessee, then returned to Chicago playing with Floyd Campbell, Ted Eggleston and others. During the Forties into the next decade he led his own band at the Circle Inn. Never recording as a leader, from about the mid-1950s trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist George Dixon stopped playing full-time, though he continued to play occasionally up until his death on August 1, 1994.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría Rodríguez was born on April 7, 1917 in Havana, Cuba and learned rumba as a kid in the streets of the barrio. Mentored on bongos and rumba quinto by Clemente “Chicho” Piquero, Mongo recorded some of the very first recorded folkloric rumbas.

Santamaría began playing bongos with Septeto Beloña in 1937. In the 1940s he worked in the house band of the prestigious Tropicana nightclub. When Chicho could not join a late Forties Mexico tour, Mongo stepped in and opened a wider audience. Then a move to New York proved fortuitous as he joined Tito Puente followed by Cal Tjader’s Latin jazz combo.

In 1959 he composed and recorded Afro Blue that has since become a jazz standard. In 1963 when Chick Corea left the band, Santamaria hired Herbie Hancock and a subsequent backstage conversation between Mongo and Donald Byrd who recommended Herbie play Watermelon Man, led to Santamaria recording the tune that soared to the top of the charts.

He recorded over thirty-six albums as a leader and sideman, established a niche of blending Afro-Cuban and African American music. He was an integral figure in the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with R&B and soul, paving the way for the boogaloo era of the late 1960s such as the Temptations 1969 hit “Cloud Nine”, on which he played congas.

Mongo Santamaria, rumba quinto master, conguero and percussionist, whose rendition of Watermelon Man has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and whose name has been punned in the classic Mel Brooks/Richard Pryor comedy screenplay Blazing Saddles as “Mongo! Santa Maria!” passed away on February 1, 2003 in Miami, Florida.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Dorothy Donegan was born on April 6, 1922 and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.  She began studying piano at the age of eight taking her first lessons from West Indian pianist Alfred N. Simms. Graduating from DuSable High School she went on to study at the Chicago Musical College and the University of Southern California.

In 1942 she made her recording debut, appeared in Sensations of 1945 with Cab Calloway, Gene Rodgers and W.C. Fields, worked in Chicago nightclubs and was Art Tatum’s protégé.

Dorothy’s flamboyance helped her find work in a field that was largely hostile to women. To a certain extent, it was also her downfall; her concerts were often criticized for having an excess of personality. Her outspoken view of sexism, along with her insistence on being paid the same rates as male musicians, limited her career. However limited, her career would overshadow her recordings until the 80s when recognition of her jazz recordings would gain notice.

Pianist Dorothy Donegan, who played stride piano, boogie-woogie, bop, swing and classical music was the first Black woman to play at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, was a recipient of an American Jazz Master” fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and an honorary doctorate from Roosevelt University, passed away of cancer on May 19, 1998 in Los Angeles, California.

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Requisites

Yardbird Suite ~ Frank Morgan Quartet | By Eddie Carter

A few evenings ago, I spent the time listening to a few saxophonist albums, and one in particular inspired thismorning’s discussion. I first heard Yardbird Suite (Contemporary Records C-14045) by the Frank Morgan Quartet on WNOP 740 AM, Cincinnati, Ohio’s then jazz station, when I lived there, and I forgot what an entertaining record it was. Recorded and released in 1988, it was my introduction to alto saxophonist Frank Morgan and was his seventh as a leader. On this homage to both bebop and Charlie Parker, Morgan is joined by an outstanding supporting cast: Mulgrew Miller on piano; Ron Carter on bass; and Al Foster on drums. The copy I own is the original U.S. Stereo Release.

The album opener is the title tune, Yardbird Suite by Charlie Parker. Mulgrew’s happy introduction sets the stage for the quartet’s lively melody. Frank opens with a splendid study of soulful improvisation, then Mulgrew relishes every moment of the following statement. Ron takes a short walk through the third reading, and Frank and Al share a brief conversation ahead of the group’s reprise and dead stop. The group maintains its swinging momentum with Night In Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli. Morgan takes the lead with a spirited solo, then Miller responds with a sizzling interpretation propelled by Carter and Foster into the theme’s restatement and soft summation.

Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker is taken at a medium pace and affords everyone solo space. The trio introduces the song, segueing into Frank's melody. Mulgrew leads the way with a vibrant performance. Frank soars joyously into the second solo, then Ron walks with spirit and vitality next. Frank and Al engage in a short exchange of ideas before the foursome’s closing chorus takes it out. Side Two opens with Star Eyes by Gene de Paul and Don Raye. The trio’s warmth and charm in their introduction lead to Morgan’s relaxed, mellow melody. He continues building the opening solo smoothly. Miller develops the following reading with finesse before the song concludes on an uplifting note.

The beat moves upward for Scrapple From The Apple by Charlie Parker, with the rhythm section’s introduction to Frank’s spirited theme. He then launches into the opening solo aggressively. Mulgrew takes over and hits an ideal groove in the following reading, then both soloists share a scintillating dialogue of musical ideas before the theme returns and the song ends. Skylark by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer is one of the few songs Parker didn’t record during his lifetime. The quartet pays homage to the standard, beginning with the trio’s tender introduction to Morgan’s gorgeous melody. As the song’s only soloist, he creates an elegantly thoughtful interpretation ahead of the theme’s gentle reprise and close.

Orrin Keepnews produced Yardbird Suite, and Danny Kopelson was behind the recording console for this session. George Horn mastered the album, and it was recorded to and mastered from digital tape, using the Mitsubishi X-80 digital tape recorder. The album’s sound quality is superb, placing the musicians in the sweet spot of your listening room with a tremendous soundstage across the highs, midrange, and low end. If you’re in the mood for bop and are a fan of the alto saxophone, I invite you to check out Yardbird Suite by the Frank Morgan Quartet on your next record store visit. It’s an enjoyable album of great music by one of the jazz saxophonists, in my opinion, deserving of greater recognition!

~ Skylark, Star Eyes – Source: JazzStandards.com

© 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter

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