Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Hank Marr was born January 30, 1927 in Columbus, Ohio. He and tenor saxophonist Rusty Bryant co-led a group that toured for several years, beginning in 1958. During the early 1960s Hank worked with guitarist Freddie King and recorded and worked with Wilbert Longmire for a couple of years starting in 1963.
The late 1960s saw Marr performing in a duo with guitarist Floyd Smith in Atlantic City, New Jersey and a duo album with Frank Foster. He had two minor U.S. hit singles, The Greasy Spoon which hit No. 101 in 1964 and Silver Spoon #134 in 1965.
He recorded eight albums as a leader, and 19 singles for Wingate, King and Federal record labels. Hammond B-3 organist Hank Marr died at age 77 on March 16, 2004.
Get a dose of the musicians and vocalists who were members of a global society integral in the making and preservation of jazz for over a hundred and twenty-five years…
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank Assunto was born on January 29, 1932 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a musical family where the trumpeter had two sisters who played piano and woodwinds, and a trombonist brother. They all grew up studying with their father, banjoist Jacob “Papa Jac” Assunto.
He and his brother founded the group Dukes of Dixieland in 1949 and eventually became an institution in the city. Producer and bandleader Horace Heidt took them on tour, and when the group returned to New Orleans they practically took over the Famous Door club.
Dixieland revival peaking in popularity in the 1950s took the Assunto brothers group to national popularity. They toured clubs, released a string of albums and performed on television variety shows. Their first stereo jazz album, recorded in 1958, had one brother on the left channel, the other on the right.
His style was heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan and Bobby Hackett. He also performed vocal duties with the group. Trumpeter Frank Assunto died on February 25, 1974.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Niels Hartvig Foss was born on January 28, 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began playing guitar and from 1933 to 1934 began performing with the Svend Asmussen Group. He went on to play bass with Asmussen and others.
From 1940 to 1948 Niels led and played trombone in orxhestras and bands he formed. In 1949 for the next two years he performed with Peter Rasmussen and in 1957 moved to Switzerland where he continued to play part-time.
Over the course of his career Foss was a member of All Danish Starband, Etly Lizette And Her Orchestra, Kai Ewans Og Hans Orkester, Kaj Timmermann’s Septet, The Kordt Sisters Med Swingtet, and The Swingin’ Birds. He recorded for Odeon, His Master’s Voice, Imperial record labels.
Bassist, trombonist and guitarist Niels Foss died on May 16, 2018.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffry Castleman was born January 27, 1946 in Los Angeles, California. Active from the late 1960s to 1980s and was known for his work with Duke Ellington between 1967 to 1969. He also worked with Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Johnny Hodges and toured with Don Ho.
In the late 1980s he relocated to Brooklyn Park Minnesota to run the family liquor store business. For a short time he was an art framer before taking aposition as a piano salesman at Schmitt Music in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Leaving all forms of employment, bassist Jeff Castleman is now retired at 79.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Hector Rivera was born on January 26, 1933 in New York, New York. He had been playing for over a decade, beginning in the early 1950s when he joined the band of Elmo Garcia as a teenager. Making his recorded debut as a bandleader in 1957 when Garcia didn’t have enough material prepared, Mercury Records asked if he had any music. Wanting to record a solo album Mercury offered to record him as a solo artist, issuing his debut, Let’s Cha Cha Cha.
Over the next few years, Rivera would be known mostly as a sideman to bandleaders Joe Cuba, Pacheco, and vocalist Vincento Valdez. He made his biggest splash as a bandleader with the 1966 album At the Party, with a large band featuring several trumpet players and percussionists, as well as bassist Cachao.
Dividing his approach between instrumentals and vocals, he employed several singers, including David Coleman who is most heard on the At the Party album. The success of the title cut enabled Hector to cut several more albums, along with continuing to write and arrange. He would go on to participate in projects for Ray Barretto, Machito, and Tito Puente among others.
Pianist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer Hector Rivera who was one of the more renowned performers of the Latin soul genre, died on January 8, 2006 in his hometown.
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