Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Victor Ash was born in East London, England on March 9, 1930, of Jewish ancestry and began playing professionally in 1951 when, with Tubby Hayes, he joined the band of Kenny Baker, with whom he played until 1953. Following this association, Ash played with Vic Lewis from 1953–56, then accompanied Hoagy Carmichael and Cab Calloway on their English tours.

Leading his own group, he became a favourite in the Melody Maker fan polls of the 1950s. Concurrently he had a radio program called Sunday Break, which discussed jazz and religion. In 1954, the Vic Ash Quartet recorded with US singer Maxine Sullivan in London. Ash toured the U.S. in 1957 and returned to play with Lewis in 1959. That same year his ensemble was the only one representing British jazz at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Ash remained a mainstay on the British jazz scene for decades, playing in small and large ensembles including the BBC Big Band. He accompanied Frank Sinatra on his tours in Europe and the Middle East, from 1970 until Sinatra’s death.

He released many albums for Pye, Nixa and MGM, mostly in the mainstream jazz tradition. Saxophonist and clarinetist Vic Ash, who  co-authored his autobiography I Blew It My Way in 2006, passed away on October 24, 2014.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Dupree Bolton was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 3, 1929. His father was a musician who earned a meager living working in the defense industry.

The Bolton family later moved to Southern California where Dupree spent most of his childhood and teenage years. He picked up the trumpet at an early age, becoming a professional by the time he was around 15, It was at theat point in his life that he ran away from home to join Jay McShann’s band.

Trumpeter Dupree Bolton, known for his recordings with Harold Land and Curtis Amy, passed away on June 5, 1993.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

William Earnest Green was born on February 28, 1925 in Kansas City, Kansas and learned to play the alto saxophone at age ten, picking up the clarinet when he was twelve. He eventually learned to play most varieties of saxophone, clarinet, and flute.

Serving in the military until 1946, Green began working at a club called Small’s in Kansas City. Relocating to Los Angeles, California in 1947 he enrolled at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Arts, and graduating in 1952 remained on staff as an educator until 1962. He also ran a music education studio on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles for many years.

During his early career Bill played with Gerald Wilson, and began working with Benny Carter in the latter half of the 1950s. From 1959 to 1962 he played in Louie Bellson’s big band, then went to work extensively as a section player in the bands of Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini, and Buddy Rich. He would accompany vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, and Dionne Warwick.

Through the mid to late Sixties he played the Monterey Jazz Festival with Gil Fuller, worked with Oliver Nelson, and then Blue Mitchell. The 1970s saw him performing or recording with Gene Ammons, the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, and Sarah Vaughan. He continued working with the Capp-Pierce Orchestra in the early 1980s, as well as with Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

His most notable recordings are Benny Carter’s Aspects and the Quincy Jones recording of the soundtrack for Roots. Multi-instrumentalist Bill Green, who played most saxophones, clarinet and flute, passed away on July 29, 1996. His personal papers and recordings are archived at University of California, Los Angeles..

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Chris Anderson was born on February 26, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois and self-taught, began playing in Chicago clubs in the mid-1940s and played with Von Freeman and Charlie Parker, among others. Hired as Dinah Washington’s accompanist, his tenure with her was brief, as Washington changed accompanists frequently. She fired him in New York six weeks after hiring him, but he chose to remain in the city.

In 1960 he recorded what might be his best regarded album My Romance on the VeeJay label with bassist Bill Lee and drummer Art Taylor. Despite the respect of his peers, Anderson had difficulty finding work or popular acclaim due in large part to his disabilities. He was blind and his bones were unusually fragile, causing numerous fractures, which at times compromised his ability to perform at the times or places requested.

He continued to record until he was well into his 70s. A DownBeat profile indicated he had Osteogenesis, probably meaning osteogenesis imperfecta.

Pianist Chris Anderson, who was best known for his influence on his student Herbie Hancock, passed away of a stroke on February 4, 2008 in Manhattan, New York. He was 81.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

William Ballard Doggett was born February 16, 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the 1930s and early 1940s he worked for Lucky Millinder, Frank Fairfax and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1942 he was hired as the Ink Spots’ pianist and arranger.

By 1951 Doggett had organized his own trio and began recording for King Records. He also arranged for many bandleaders and performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton. He also recorded with Fitzgerald, as well as Coleman Hawkins, Helen Humes, Willis Jackson, Illinois Jacquet, Louis Jordan, Lucky Millinder, Paul Quinichette, Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson

Crossing over to rhythm & blues his best known recording is Honky Tonk, a rhythm and blues hit of 1956, which sold four million copies (reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 2 Pop), and which he co-wrote with Billy Butler. The track topped the US Billboard R&B chart for over two months. He also worked with the Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, and Wynonie Harris.

Pianist and organist Bill Doggett continued to play and arrange until passing away of a heart attack on November 13, 1996 in New York City. He was 80.

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