Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Grégoire Maret was born May 13, 1975 in Geneva, Switzerland. He began playing the harmonica at the age of 17. Upon graduating from the prestigious Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genève he moved to New York City and studied jazz at the New School University.
Maret has performed with Youssn’Dour, Me’ Shell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, David Sanborn, George Benson, Cassandra Wilson, Toots Thielemans, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Gretchen Parlato and the Polish orchestra Sinfonia Viva to name a few. In 2005 he toured with the Pat Metheny Group, received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for their album The Way Up, and won the Jazz Journalists Association “Player of the Year Award”.
He embarked on a two-year tour with bassist Marcus Miller, and then joined Herbie Hancock’s band. He would co-lead the jazz trio Gaïa with pianist Federico Gonzales Peña and drummer Gene Lake, record the album Scenarios with Andy Milne and play The Concert for the Rainforest with Elton John and Sting.
The harmonica player who has recorded on over six-dozen albums as a sideman, and who has been compared to Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder. Grégoire Maret released his self-titled debut album as a leader in 2012 and continues to perform, tour and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Klaus Doldinger was born on May 12, 1936 in Berlin, Germany. By age eleven he entered a Dusseldorf conservatory originally studying piano and then clarinet, graduating in 1957. During his student years, he gained professional performing experience in 1953 with the German Dixieland band The Feetwarmers, recording with them in 1955. Later that same year he founded Oscar’s Trio, modeled on Oscar Peterson’s work.
During the 1960s Klaus worked as a tenor saxophonist, working with visiting American jazz musicians and recording in his own right. Doldinger is perhaps best known for his film scores to the acclaimed German U-boat film Das Boot and The Never Ending Story. He was an honored recipient of the Bavarian Film Awards in 1997.
Doldinger created a recurring jazz project Passport in 1971 that mirrors Weather Report and still enjoys huge success in Germany. He has worked with Johnny Griffin, Brian Auger, Ernst Stroer, Pete York and Michael Hornek among others. Saxophonist Klaus Doldinger died on the evening of October 16, 2025 at his home in Icking, Germany at the age of 89.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
J. C. (Jack) Higginbotham was born on May 11, 1906 in Social Circle, Georgia and learned to play trombone in his youth. He made his start in jazz playing with territory bands in the Midwest and was heard at his best while a member of the Luis Russell Orchestra from 1928 to ’31. He would go on to play with Benny Carter’s, Red Allen’s and Fletcher Henderson’s big band during the swing era.
J. C. played with Louis Armstrong in the late Thirties to the end of the decade, played for a long period in the forties with his ideal partner Red Allen, and then disappeared from the scene for several years. By 1947 he was leading his own groups.
Higginbotham led several bands in the Fifties in Boston and Cleveland, appeared regularly at the Metropole in New York between 1956 and 1959, and led his own Dixieland band there in the Sixties. He went on his first European tour with Sammy Price, appearing in Scandinavia, and worked again briefly in 1964 with Louis Armstrong.
A robust and swinging trombonist he recorded extensively both as a sideman and as a leader. He is considered to be a vital player of the swing trombone and his strong, raucous sound and wild outbreaks are legendary. J. C. Higginbotham, who contributed to the acceptance of the trombone as a melodically capable jazz instrument, died on May 26, 1973 in New York.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Philip Harper was born May 10, 1965 in Baltimore, Maryland but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He started played trumpet when he was ten under the tutelage of his brother Winard and then went on study at the Hartt School of Music with Jackie McLean.
At the age of 18 Philip moved to New York, where he started working and recording extensively, with such musicians as Little Jimmy Scott, Jimmy McGriff, Betty Carter, Etta Jones, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Bill Cosby and Cedar Walton. He became a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Charles Mingus’ Big Band and from 1988 to 1993 was an integral part of The Harper Brothers.
His discography includes The Harper Brothers, You Can Hide Inside The Music, Remembrance: Live at the Village Vanguard and Artistry, along with his two releases as a leader Soulful Sin and The Thirteenth Moon in addition to several live recordings with The Jazz Messengers.
Trumpeter Philip Harper continues to perform and tour worldwide with various groups in conjunction to teaching and conducting workshops in several conservatories in Europe.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Anthony Wilson was born in Los Angeles, California on May 9, 1968 to bandleader Gerald Wilson. A guitarist and composer, he was influenced by Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Wes Montgomery and T-Bone Walker. He received his degree in music composition from Bennington College.
Wilson released his debut self-titled album in 1997 that was nominated for a Grammy and his sophomore project the following year, Goat Hill Junket, garnered notice. He has recorded with his 9-piece band, two trio albums with organ, worked with Joe Bagg, Eva Scow, Larry Goldings, Jim Keltner and Jeff Hamilton.
Since 2001 Anthony has been a member of Diana Krall’s group performing notably the Grammy-winning Live in Paris. He has recorded ten albums as a leader and collaborated with Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro on “Nova,” released in Brazil and the U.S. on their respective labels.
Guitarist Anthony Wilson can also be heard on a number of his father’s recordings and often plays live with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra whenever his schedule permits.
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