Hollywood On 52nd Street

Wild Is The Windis a song written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington for the 1957 film of the same name.  The title song was was one of the five nominated songs at the 1958 Academy Awards and was originally performed by Johnny Mathis who also sang it at the Oscars. The movie starred Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn and Tony Franciosa. The film was a remake of the 1947 Italian film Fury and was adapted from the a novel by Vittorio Nino.

The Story: Wild Is the Wind is about a rancher who marries his Italian sister-in-law after the death of his wife, but she falls in love with his young ranch hand.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Carl Saunders was born August 2, 1942 in Indianapolis, Indiana and his first five years were mostly spent on the road with his uncle, trumpeter-bandleader Bobby Sherwood. Sherwood’s orchestra had hits with “Elks Parade” and “Sherwood’s Forest”.His mother, Gail (Bobby’s sister) sang for the Sherwood Orchestra and with Stan Kenton, among others. By the time he was five, he and his mother settled in Los Angeles; living with Carl’s aunt Caroline and her husband, tenor-saxophonist Dave Pell. At the time, Saunders heard the records of Pell’s Octet and was influenced by the style and phrasing of trumpeter don Fagerquist.

 Saunders began playing trumpet in the seventh grade and he quickly found that he had a natural ability, mostly learning to play by ear and never having any lessons. He played in school bands, and after he graduating high school, went to work with Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, spending much of 1961-62 on the road.

After spending part of 1962-63 traveling once again with Bobby Sherwood playing drums, Carl settled in Las Vegas and over the next 20 years played with Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Robert Goulet, Si Zentner, Harry James, Maynard Ferguson, Benny Goodman, Dan Terry and Charlie Barnet, to name a few.

A move to Los Angeles in 1984 saw Saunders playing lead trumpet with bill Holman’s Orchestra, a position he still holds. He has also worked with Supersax, the Bob Florence and Gerald Wilson big bands, the Phil Norman Tentet, as well as Buddy Rich, and Clare Fischer. In 1994, he became a member of the Dave Pell Octet and leads his own groups –quartet, sextet and big band.

As an educator the trumpeter enjoys working with kids and conducting clinics. Carl currently has seven albums released and plans to continue playing, composing and recording the straight ahead jazz that he loves most.

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Elmer Crumbley was born on August 1, 1908 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. The trombonist joined the Dandie Dixie Minstrels in 1926 in between stints with bandleader Lloyd Hunter and his Serenaders. 

By 1930 Elmer made it east to Kansas City and the George E. Lee band.

During the 30s he continued to work with Lloyd Hunter as well as with western swing pioneer Tommy Douglas in Nebraska, then with Bill Owens, Jabbo Smith and in Chicago with Erskine Tate. He led an ensemble in Omaha in 1934 then joined up with Jimmie Lunceford, enjoying a thirteen-year stint playing with band mates Eddie Wilcox, Lucky Millinder and Erskine Hawkins.

By the late ’50s Crumbley was touring Europe with Sammy Price and became part of the combo scene at the Apollo in Harlem. The Sixties saw him playing with Cab Calloway and Earl Hines, keeping him in slide oil.

Little is known about him after this period and trombonist Elmer Crumbley passed away in 1993 at the age of 85.

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Gaspare “Gap” Mangione was born July 31, 1938 in Rochester, New York and learned to play the piano as a child. Along with his Grammy-winning flugelhornist brother Chuck, they started performing together as the Jazz Brothers in 1958 and eventually recorded three albums for Riverside Records.

In 1968, Gap Mangione released his first solo album, “Diana in the Autumn Wind”, featured new compositions and arrangements, and was conducted by Chuck Mangione. The 1970s brought more solo albums along with tours with his own group and many as featured pianist in his brother’s orchestral performances.

By the Eighties, Gap began spending less time on the road and more time playing in and around Rochester. In 1990, he formed the Gap Mangione New Big Band, which remains the premier dance and concert big band in the Rochester area. The New Big Band has released four recordings since 1998.

Many major rappers and producers, including Jaylib, Talib Kweli, Guerilla Black, Ghostface Killah, Slum Village and People Under The Stars have sampled Gap’s “Diana in the Autumn Wind” for their recent works.

Gap Mangione has received the Artist of the Year Award from the Arts & Cultural Council of Greater Rochester, continues to make regular appearances at Rochester locations, among them the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa, Pier 45 at the Port, as well as the Rochester International Jazz Festival. The composer, arranger, bandleader and pianist continues to play with his brother.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Hilton Jefferson was born on July 30, 1903 in Danbury, Connecticut. He began his professional career in 1929 with Claude Hopkins and throughout the 1930s was busy working for the big bands of Chick Webb, Fletcher Henderson and McKinney’s Cotton Pickers.

From 1940-49 Hilton led the saxophone section of Cab Calloway’s band then went on to perform with Duke Ellington for a year in 1952 but ultimately became a bank guard to support himself with a steady income. He continued to perform through the Fifties, especially with Rex Stewart, ‘Buster Bailey, Red Richards, Gene Ramey, Vic Dickerson, Herman Autrey and some former members of the Fletcher Henderson band.

 Hilton Jefferson, alto saxophonist with a soft, delicate sound and exquisite sensibility passed away on November 14, 1968.

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