Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Michael Lang was born on December 10, 1941 in Los Angeles, California. He obtained a bachelor of music at the University of Michigan in 1963, and studied under Leonard Stein, George Tremblay, Pearl Kaufman and Lalo Schifrin.
Well versed in various music forms, including jazz, classical, pop and R&B, he has collaborated and recorded more than two-dozen albums with Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Natalie Cole, Robbie Williams, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke, Tom Waits,, José Feliciano, Vince Gill, Bette Midler, Kenny Rogers, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Amy Grant, Paul Anka, Melissa Manchester, Neil Diamond, Michael Bolton, Barry Manilow, Carole Bayer Sager, and Barbra Streisand.
Pianist and composer Michael Lang, who has composed more than 2000 film scores, continues to play and compose.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gil Rodin was born in Russia on December 9, 1906 and studied saxophone, clarinet, flute, and trumpet in his youth. He played in Chicago, Illinois with Art Kahn in the middle of the 1920s. Moving to California and played with Harry Bastin before joining Ben Pollack in 1927, remaining in his band until 1934.
He simultaneously did studio work and played with Red Nichols’s radio band. Making his only recordings as a leader in 1930-31, amounting to four tracks which included Jack Teagarden on vocals, he also enlisted Eddie Miller and Benny Goodman as sidemen.
After Pollack’s band dissolved in 1934, Gil played with some of the players in the group until Bob Crosby regrouped them into his own ensemble. Rodin remained with Crosby through 1942, when he was drafted. While serving in the Army he played in the Artillery Band and after his discharge in 1944 he played with Ray Bauduc for a year, then with Crosby again.
His major composition was Big Noise from Winnetka, for which he wrote the lyrics with Bob Crosby. The music was written by Ray Bauduc and Bob Haggart. The song appeared in the films Raging Bull, Cannery Row, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Saving Mr. Banks, and What If.
Later in his career, Gil worked radio and television production, with Bill Cosby among others. He produced the soundtracks to the films American Graffiti and The Sting. Saxophonist, songwriter, and record producer Gil Rodin passed away on June 10, 1974.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sol Yaged was born on December 8, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York and began playing the clarinet at the age of 12 after hearing Benny Goodman’s broadcasts for Nabisco in 1935. He studied under a New York Philharmonic clarinetist, however turned down a classical career to play jazz in New York City nightclubs.
After three years in the Army during World War II, Yaged played clarinet professionally and continuously for over 70 years, with Phil Napoleon, Coleman Hawkins, Red Allen, and Jack Teagarden among others. In the 1960s, he began working primarily as an ensemble leader in City. In the Nineties he worked in Felix Endico’s swing band, and served as a consultant on Benny Goodman’s musical style for the 1956 film, The Benny Goodman Story.
For two years in the mid-1990s he worked under the musical direction of bandleader Jack Vartan at the Stony Hill Inn in Bergen County, New Jersey. He recorded four albums as a leader and six as a sideman. Clarinetist Sol Yaged, who was strongly influenced by Benny Goodman passed away on May 11, 2019.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
William Moore, Jr., better known as Billy Moore was born on December 7, 1917 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Chiefly known as an arranger for most of his jazz career, Billy wrote charts for Jimmie Lunceford, Charlie Barnet, Jan Savitt, and Tommy Dorsey in the 1940s. He also worked for publishing companies in New York City.
In the 1950s he relocated to France, where he accompanied and wrote for The Peters Sisters from 1953 to 1960. Following this, he worked from 1960 to 1963 as an arranger for Berliner Rundfunk and then accompanied the Delta Rhythm Boys on tour.
He formed his own music publishing company in order to combat the then prevalent habit of band leaders taking credit for the work of their arrangers and composers. Amongst his uncredited works is the famous countermelody to Barnet’s million-selling hit Skyliner. Moving to Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1970s, he remained active as an arranger. Being friends with Leonard Feather, he sometimes used Moore’s name for songwriting credits.
In his later years in Denmark, he was the administrator of the music foundation established in Ben Webster’s name and for whom he also worked as a business aide. He was also the manager and musical director for the European tours of the Peters Sisters. Pianist and arranger Billy Moore passed away on February 28, 1989 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Francis Dunlop was born on December 6, 1928 in Buffalo, New York and began playing guitar at age nine and drums at ten. He was playing professionally by age 16 and received some classical education in percussion. He toured with Big Jay McNeely and recorded with Moe Koffman in 1950 before serving in the Army during the Korean War.
After his discharge, Frankie played with Sonny Stitt, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Maynard Ferguson, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. It is his recordings with the latter two that he is principally remembered. Later in his life, he recorded with Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines, Ray Crawford, and Joe Zawinul.
In 1984, he retired, having recorded on over 100 albums with Wilbur Ware, Randy Weston, Melba Liston, Martin Mull, Dodo Greene, Herman Foster, Bill Barron, Richard Davis, Mose Allison and Leo Wright among many others. Drummer Frankie Dunlop passed away on July 7, 2014.
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