Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jan Bertil Allan was born November 7, 1934 in Falun, Sweden and began his career in 1951 as a pianist. After moving to Stockholm, Sweden he changed to the trumpet as his main instrument. At this time he played in Carl-Henrik Norin’s orchestra. In 1954 he worked with Lars Gullin and Rolf Billberg for a year followed by a four year residency starting in 1955 with Carl-Henrik Norin, shlie earning a PhD in physics.
He is considered among the most important modern jazz musicians in Sweden, despite his small number of records. For the first three years in the Sixties he led a quintet with Billberg. Throughout the decade Allan worked with Arne Domnérus, Georg Riedel, and Bengt Hallberg, among others. From 1968 to 1975, he was a member of the Swedish Radio Jazz Group.
His album Jan Allan-70, which featured Rolf Ericson, Nils Lindberg, Bobo Stenson, Jon Christensen, and Rune Gustafsson, won a Grammis Award for Jazz of the Year in 1970. His album Software, released in 1998, stands in strong affinity with the West Coast Jazz of Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz.
Over the course of his career, he recorded albums with Alice Babs, Bosse Broberg, Benny Carter, Dorothy Donegan, Lars Gullin, Jan Johansson, Thad Jones, Roger Kellaway, Lee Konitz, Nils Lindberg, Georg Riedel, George Russell and Monica Zetterlund among others.
In 2009, he was honored with a Swedish Golden Django as a Master of Jazz. Trumpeter and composer Jan Allan, who recorded eight albums as a leader and composed for several films, continues to perform and compose.
Confer a dose of a Falun trumpeter to those seeking a greater insight about the musicians around the world who are members of the pantheon of jazz…
Jan Allan: 1934 | Trumpet, Composer
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Albert “Andy” Gibson was born on November 6, 1913 in Zanesville, Ohio. He played violin early on before settling on trumpet. He played professionally in many orchestras and though he did not solo, he worked more often as an arranger.
During the 1930s his associations include Lew Redman, Zack Whyte, McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Blanche Calloway, Willie Bryant, and Lucky Millinder. He quit playing in 1937 to arrange and compose full-time, working with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Charlie Barnet, and Harry James. in the United States Army he led a big band while serving from 1942-45.
After his discharge, he continued working with Barnet but turned his focus primarily on R&B music. He was musical director for King Records from 1955–60 and recorded four songs as a leader in 1959 which were released by RCA Camden. He composed I Left My Baby popularized by Count Basie, The Great Lie, and The Hucklebuck.
Trumpeter, arranger, and composer Andy Gibson transitioned from a heart attack on February 11, 1961 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joseph Rupert Benjamin was born on November 4, 1919 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He played with many jazz musicians in a variety of idioms. Early in his career he played in the big bands of Artie Shaw, Fletcher Henderson, Sy Oliver, and Duke Ellington.
He went on to work with Hank Garland, Marian McPartland, Louis Armstrong, Jo Jones, Gary Burton, Roy Haynes, Art Taylor, and Brother Jack McDuff.
Never leading a recording session, Joe recorded three dozen albums as a sideman with Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Burrell, Dave Brubeck, Harry Edison, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Barry Harris, Roy Haynes, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Roland Kirk, Gary McFarland, Carmen McRae, Gerry Mulligan, Jerome Richardson, Al Sears, Joya Sherrill, Rex Stewart, Sonny Stitt, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, The Three Playmates, Sarah Vaughan, Mal Waldron and Kai Winding.
Double bassist Joe Benjamin transitioned on January 26, 1974.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Boutté was born November 3, 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a 7th Ward Creole-Catholic family. Exposed to the local culture such as Mardi Gras parades and jazz funerals since childhood, he also grew up listening to the music of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the like. He played trumpet and cornet in marching bands in his junior high and high school days. During this time, he also formed an a cappella group and sang on the streets.
Studying business at Xavier University of Louisiana, Boutté was in ROTC and after graduation was commissioned in the U.S. Army, serving for four years. Returning home he worked at a credit union until he met Stevie Wonder, then decided to seriously become a professional singer. He soon joined his sister Lillian on her tour to Europe, and his professional career started.
In 1993 John released his debut album titled Through the Eyes of a Child. The following year he was featured on his sister’s live album, Gospel United, released in 1994. He was the featured guest vocalist on Cuban group Cubanismo!’s Mardi Gras Mambo, recorded in New Orleans.
In recent years, Boutté has been working with ex-Cowboy Mouth guitarist and singer Paul Sanchez which led to a collaborative effort Stew Called New Orleans released in 2009. He was also featured on John Scofield’s 2009 album, Piety Street, singing the lead on three tracks.
His Treme Song on his Jambalaya album is the theme song of HBO’s series, Treme. He appears in several episodes of the show’s Seasons 1, 2, and 3.
Vocalist John Boutté, who is known for his diverse music style that goes beyond jazz to R&B, gospel, Latin, and blues, continues to perform.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ernest Dawkins was born November 2, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. As a child he was a neighbor of Anthony Braxton as a child. He played bass and drums early in life before switching to saxophone in 1973.
During that decade he began studying with Joseph Jarman and Chico Freeman, members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He also studied at Vandercook College of Music.
He worked with Ed Wilkerson and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and Douglas Ewart before founding his own New Horizons Ensemble. The ensemble played regularly in Chicago into the new century, as well as at jazz festivals and on tour in Europe.
As a leader he recorded sixteen albums, three as an unofficial leader/co-leader of The (AACM) Great Black Music Ensemble and as a guest with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
Saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, who is principally active in free jazz and post-bop, continues to perform, record and tour.
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