Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ricard Roda was born November 13, 1931 in Barcelona, Spain and he studied at the Barcelonas Conservatorium alongside his close friend Tete Montoliu. He began playing jazz in 1947 having started when he was only seventeen in the Crazy Boys orchestra in 1948. While working at Jamboree Club he played with visiting musicians such as Tony Scott, Art Farmer and Lucky Thompson.
During the Seventies he was a member of Orquestra Mirasol Colores in 1974 and were pioneers of jazz rock fusion in his hometown. He would go on to play popular music in orchestras led by Xavier Cugat, Frank Pourcel and Orquestra Latina Americana. Ricard worked with Catalònia Jazz Quiartet, Frank Miller y Su Hispania Soul, and Latin Combo.
His vast experience in the local jazz scene didn’t limit him to the genre. He also played with musicians outside the jazz scene like Joan Manuel Serrat and Liza Minelli. Alto saxophonist Ricard Roda died on November 18, 2010 in Barcelona, five days after his seventy-ninth birthday.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Theodore Malcolm Nash Sr. was born on October 31, 1922 in the Boston suburb of Somerville, Massachusetts. His goal was to become a classical flutist until he began playing saxophone in his early teens. He started playing professionally when he went on the road with a succession of dance bands. In 1944, he became tenor saxophonist for the Les Brown big band.
The late 1940s had him married and settling in Los Angeles, California where he became an active session musician in the Hollywood movie and television studios. In 1956, he recorded with Paul Weston’s orchestra the album Day by Day, with vocals by his former colleague and close friend, Doris Day.
He was the featured soloist on The Music from Peter Gunn soundtrack, performing the alto saxophone solo on the theme and on the second bridge of Dreamsville. Through the 1950s and 1960s, he worked as a sideman for June Christy, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Wilson. During the 1970s, he worked with Judy Collins and Quincy Jones.
Retiring in the 1980s, saxophonist, flutist and clarinetist Ted Nash Sr. died on May 12, 2011.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Rick DellaRatta was born October 23, 1961 in Schenectady, New York. The oldest of five children, he studied at the New England Conservatory, earning a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and a master’s degree in Jazz Composition. He studied jazz piano with Jackie Byard, Kenny Werner, Charlie Banacos, and Richie Bierach and classical piano with Thomas Stumpf.
In 1997 Rick along with Eddie Gomez, Dave Liebman, and Lenny White released the album Thought Provoking. In 2000 he was nominated for a MAC award for Recording of the Year.
Witnessing the 9/11 attacks from a New York City rooftop Rick was inspired while watching the unfolding tragedy to write a poem which became known as Jazz for Peace. The poem would later become a worldwide movement promoting peace through jazz.
Pianist and singer Rick DellaRatta, who has recorded five albums, continues to perform, tour and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gus Clark was born Gustave De Clercq on October 21, 1913 in Antwerp, Belgium. While still in his teens he led local dance bands and also played in the groups of musicians such as Harry Pohl, Maurice Pinto, and Jack Hoedemaeker.
In the 1930s Gus played with his own group in Brussels, Belgium, and Coleman Hawkins performed with this ensemble. He later set up a new ensemble of all-Black musicians in Belgium, which included Lauderic Caton as a sideman.
Clark performed with Jean Omer, Jean Robert, and Gus Deloof as a sideman, and continued recording as a leader in the 1940s and 1950s.
Pianist Gus Clark died in his native city on April 10, 1979.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Funkhouser was born on October 16, 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts and studied classical piano from the age of seven, and classical bass starting at nine. He earned a B.A. in Musicology at Cornell University and returned to Boston to earn a Master’s degree from New England Conservatory in jazz piano, bass and composition in 1995. After a year performing in Singapore and four years performing and teaching in New York City, he again returned to Boston in 2000. This move was to raise a family, perform, and accept a job at Berklee College of Music, where he taught ear training, piano, bass, harmony, and ensembles until 2021.
Performing a wide spectrum of music, including all types of jazz, funk, rock, hiphop, Indian classical music, reggae, other world music and Western classical music, John is in equal demand as a jazz bassist and pianist. He has performed and/or recorded with Grammy winners Joe Lovano, Charles Neville, Steve Gadd, Abe Laboriel Sr., Luciana Souza, Mark Walker, Max Weinberg and Grammy nominees Bobby Watson, Francisco Mela, and Tierney Sutton.
In addition he has performed with among others Geri Allen, Bill Pierce, Joe Hunt, Herb Pomeroy, Francisco Mela, and Rebecca Cline. He leads Piandia, a duo specializing in Indian classical music, with tabla player Jerry Leake and the John Funkhouser Group, and has toured the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia several times with both bands.
Pianist, bassist, arranger, and producer John Funkhouser, whose discography catalogue includes over 80 compact discs, currently resides, performs and teaches in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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