Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gerry Hemingway was born March 23, 1955 in New Haven, Connecticut. He graduated from Foote School in New Haven and studied under Alan Dawson. In 2000 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his work in music composition.
He was a member of the Anthony Braxton quartet from 1983 to 1994. He has also performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George E. Lewis, Ray Anderson, Mark Helias, Reggie Workman, Michael Moore, Oliver Lake, Marilyn Crispell, Christy Doran, John Wolf Brennan, Don Byron, Cecil Taylor, and Cuong Vu.
He has recorded on over one hundred albums for the labels Clean Feed, Enja, hatArt, Palmetto, Random Acoustics, and Tzadik. Avant~garde drummer and composer Gerry Hemingway, who owns his own record label Auricle,continues to pursue his musical endeavors.
More Posts: bandleader,drums,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Tommy Chase was born on March 22, 1947 in Manchester, England and was largely self taught. He turned professional in the mid 1960s and after working in night clubs and on cruise liners settled in London, England in 1973.
Through the 1980s and ’90s he led his own straight ahead hard driving bebop groups with some success in the clubs and at the first Soho Jazz Festival. He used young musicians, notably sax player Alan Barnes, guitarist Dave Cliff and bassiat Andy Cleyndert. He recorded as a leader and as a collaborator with Ray Warleigh. He worked with Art Themen and Harry Becket as well as accompanying visiting Americans including Al Haig, Jon Eardley and Joe Albany.
A forceful drummer very much in the hard hitting style of Art Blakey, many musicians commented on his skill and timing. Quitting the music scene early in 1999, he played his final gig at the Jazz Cafe in Camden.
Drummer and bandleader Tommy Chase, recorded seven albums as a leader, transitioned on December 2, 2018.
More Posts: bandleader,drums,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Miff Görling was born Uno Görling on March 21, 1909 in Stockholm, Sweden. He took his nickname from trombonist Miff Mole and got his start late in the 1920s with the Frank Vernon Orchestra, where he played until 1932.
He then worked with Arne Hülphers, Gösta Jonsson, Seymour Österwall, and Gösta Säfbom before organizing his own ensemble in 1938 and led bands well into the 1950s. He also did arrangement and composition work for other jazz groups as well as for popular Swedish musicians.
Bandleader, trombonist, arranger, and composer Miff Görling transitioned on February 24, 1988 in Stockholm.
More Posts: arranger,bandleader,composer,history,instrumental,jazz,music,trombone
Requisites
Battle Stations ~ Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis & Johnny Griffin | By Eddie Carter
It happened like this; that same night after I listened to The Happy Blues, I decided to turn up the heat with my next selection. That’s what prompted this morning’s choice from the library by tenor saxophonists, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin. Battle Stations (Prestige PRLP 7282/PRST 7282), hit the stores in 1963 and both horns are anchored by a smokin’ rhythm section, Norman Simmons on piano, Vic Sproles on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1993 Japanese Mono reissue (Prestige VIJJ-30008 – PRLP 7282) by Victor Musical Industries.
Side One takes off at a fast clip on What’s Happening by Fletcher Henderson. The quintet speeds through the melody collectively, then Eddie erupts into an energetic opening statement. Norman steps up next with a spirited performance, then Johnny wails for a bit on the third reading. Both saxes move with considerable agility on a vigorous exchange into the quintet’s speedy ending. Abundance by Norman Connors slows the group’s pace just a few notches with a soulful melody in unison. “Lockjaw” goes first and gives a charming performance. Connors takes the reins next for an easy, flowing solo and Griff extends the mood on the finale with a satisfying statement succeeded by the ensemble’s reprise and climax.
If I Had You by Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly and Ted Shapiro is up next. “Lockjaw” leads the rhythm section at a relaxing tempo on the melody and exhibits a simple beauty in the opening chorus. Norman is simply enchanting on the second reading. Johnny adds a delightful depth of emotion to the closing solo complemented by Vic and Ben’s supplement. Johnny Griffin’s 63rd Street Theme begins Side Two at mid tempo with a Latin flavor established by the rhythm section’s introduction and ensemble’s opening chorus. Davis approaches the lead solo with unhurried pacing and inspired lines. Connors packs plenty of feeling into the second presentation, then Griff is very smooth on the closing statement preceding the finale.
Pull My Coat by Richard Evans is a blues that comes to life with a brief bass introduction by Vic preceding the ensemble’s collective theme. Eddie opens anchored by just bass and drums, segueing into a splendid performance with full rhythm. Norman moves leisurely into the second solo with some down-home cooking. Johnny serves some succulent soul food on the closer. The quintet ends the set with a fun original by Babs Gonzales and James Moody, Hey Jim! Connors and the rhythm section opens with a happy introduction that grows into the ensemble’s unison theme. “Lockjaw” gives the first solo some swinging excitement, then Connors rises to the occasion on the second solo. Griffin follows with a perfectly executed statement, then both horns share a final exchange ahead of the group’s exit.
Battle Stations was produced by Esmond Edwards and Rudy Van Gelder was the man behind the dials of the original album. Victor Musical Industries has done a very good job with the remastering of this reissue. The album has an exquisite soundstage through the treble, midrange, and bass that’s excellent. Griff and “Lockjaw” were brilliant when working together and they’ve recorded several great studio and live albums. If you’re in the mood for some swinging Hard-Bop and are a fan of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin, I invite you to audition Battle Stations for a spot in your jazz library. It’s forty-two minutes of great music from one of the great tenor sax partnerships that’s sure to become one of your favorites!
~ If I Had You – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2022 by Edward Thomas Carter
More Posts: choice,classic,collectible,collector,history,instrumental,jazz,music,saxophone
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Santo J. “Sonny” Russo was born on March 20, 1929 in New York City, New York and grew up in a musical family, both his father and grandfather were professional horn players. He first played piano and violin, and played with his father’s group at age 15, before settling on the trombone.
The consummate sideman, through the late Forties he started out playing with Buddy Morrow in 1947, Lee Castle in 1948, Sam Donahue in 1949, and Artie Shaw in 1949–50. The 1950s saw him performing with Art Mooney, Tito Puente, Jerry Wald, Tommy Tucker, Buddy Rich, Ralph Flanagan, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Neal Hefti, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Maynard Ferguson.
For a short period during the mid-1950s Russo found work in the bands of various Broadway shows, then in the late 1950s and 1960s he worked with Louie Bellson, Machito, Bobby Hackett, Benny Goodman, and Doc Severinsen. From 1969to 1972 he was a member of The Tonight Show orchestra, and he worked with Frank Sinatra from 1967 to 1988.
He played on Urbie Green’s 21 Trombones, soloed on numerous others, and toured with The World’s Greatest Jazz Band. Sonny recorded extensively with Jimmy Rushing, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Perry Como, Dinah Washington, Liza Minnelli, Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, Ray Charles, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme. He performs on the soundtracks to the films The Godfather, The Godfather II, Goodfellas, and Sophie’s Choice, and in 1971 on The Tonight Show he shared the stage with Louis Armstrong, playing the solo on Someday You’ll Be Sorry.
A fixture in the recording studios for radio and television, he was a regular in the Orchestra for Jerry Lewis’s Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in New York City. Always in demand he continued to work with Lewis on his one-man show, toured around the world with Sinatra who announced his playing a trombone solo on the tune I’ve Got You Under My Skin.
He has also done many gigs with the likes of Al Cohn, Zoot Simms, Mousey Alexander, and Milt Hinton. Trombonist Sonny Russo, a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, transitioned on February 23, 2013.
More Posts: history,instrumental,jazz,music,trombone