Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Willis “Gator” Jackson was born on April 25, 1928 in Miami, Florida and educated at the University of Miami. In 1948 he joined the Cootie Williams band as a teenager, and was part of it on and off until 1955.
Under his own name, Willis Jackson and His Orchestra, he recorded various rhythm-and-blues instrumentals for Atlantic Records. His most famous record for Atlantic is Gator’s Groove in 1952, with Estrellita as the B-side.
He toured as leader of the backing band for singer Ruth Brown. Publicly they were married, but privately they never were but lived together from 1950 to 1955. Joining Prestige Records in 1959, he made a string of albums with Pat Martino, Brother Jack McDuff, and Johnny “Hammond” Smith among many others. He also recorded for Atlantic, Muse, Trip, Big Chance, Verve, and Argo record labels.
Tenor saxophonist Willis “Gator” Jackson transitioned in New York City one week after heart surgery on October 25, 1987 at the age of 55.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jimmy Lewis was born April 11, 1918 in Nashville, Tennessee learned to play the bass and though little is known about his early years, he began working professionally with the Count Basie Orchestra and sextet in the 1950s. He went on to perform with Duke Ellington, Cootie Williams, Billie Holiday and Ivory Joe Hunter.
Moving to bass guitar during his time with King Curtis, Jimmy freelanced profusely, recording on over four dozen jazz, soul and R&B albums. He was a sideman and sessionplayer with Solomon Burke, Billy Butler, Al Casey, David Clayton-Thomas, Sam Cooke, Lou Donaldson, Byrdie Green, Grant Green, Tiny Grimes, John P. Hammond, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Alberta Hunter, Willis Jackson, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Charles Kynard, Johnny Lytle, Freddie McCoy, Galt MacDermot, Modern Jazz Quartet, Idris Muhammad, Mark Murphy, Houston Person, Sonny Phillips, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Dave Pike, Arthur Prysock, Horace Silver, Johnny “Hammond” Smith, Buddy Terry, Charles Williams.
Continuing to perform and record up until the Eighties, double bassist Jimmy Lewis, who provided the basslines for the Broadway musical Hair, transitioned in New York City in 2000.
The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
Reading the history of humanity, evidence proves that bad decisions are not relegated to bad people but are also made by good people. If taking off a face mask is your back to normal, in my opinion, you’re not reaching high enough and the brass ring has passed you by. Legislators and the media are confounding the public with different opinions, playing the he said she said game. The collusion is abomidable and most are buying into it. Remain vigilant, protect yourself, remain healthy.
This week I have chosen Total Response (subtitled The United States of Mind Phase 2) for our listening pleasure. It is an album by pianist Horace Silver that was recorded on two separate dates, November 15, 1970 (tracks 1,2,6,9) and January 29, 1971 (tracks 3,4,5,7,8). It was recorded at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, released in April 1972 on Blue Note Records, and produced by Francis Wolff and George Butler.
In 2004, it was included as the second of a trilogy of albums compiled on CD as The United States of Mind. Track List | 45:11 All compositions by Horace Silver
- Acid, Pot or Pills ~ 4:26
- What Kind of Animal Am I ~ 3:38
- Won’t You Open up Your Senses ~ 3:56
- I’ve Had a Little Talk ~ 3:46
- Soul Searching ~ 4:15
- Big Business ~ 5:22
- I’m Aware of the Animals Within Me ~ 3:45
- Old Mother Nature Calls ~ 6:17
- Total Response ~ 5:22
- Horace Silver – electric piano
- Cecil Bridgewater – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Harold Vick – tenor saxophone
- Richie Resnicoff – guitar
- Bob Cranshaw – electric bass
- Mickey Roker – drums
- Salome Bey (1, 2, 5-7, 9), Andy Bey (3, 4, 8) – vocals
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Alain Mion was born of French extraction on January 14, 1947 in Casablanca, Morocco but was raised in Paris, France.Influenced by Bobby Timmons, Ray Charles and Les McCann, his style varies between jazz, soul jazz and funky music. By the time he was 19 he formed his own trio and performed at the Blue Note. This subsequently led to him gigging at various festivals with Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones.
1974 Alain created the jazz funk group Cortex and recorded a dozen albums before embarking upon a career under his own name in 1982, recording to date eleven albums, such as Pheno-Men, Alain Mion in New York recorded with David Binney and Marc Johnson, and Some Soul Food recorded in Stockholm, Sweden with Patrik Boman and Ronnie Gardiner.
In 2008, he emerged with a new group, Alain Mion FunKey Combo with drums, bass and a saxophone section consisting of Italian and French musicians. He reinvented his new group Alain Mion & The New Cortex with the singer Adeline de Lépinay reprising the role originally performed by Mireille Dalbray on the Troupeau Bleu album.
In the United States, Alain Mion and Cortex’s songs have been sampled by several hip-hop artists including but not limited to Madlib, Fat Joe, DJ Day, MF DOOM, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Mellowhype, Tyler The Creator, Rick Ross, and Lupe Fiasco.
Pianist, composer, arranger, and vocalist Alain Mion continues his exploration of the jazz idiom.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Eddie Lee McFadden was born on August 6, 1928 in Baltimore, Maryland and as a small child tried the piano but later settled on guitar. After his military service, he concentrated on jazz guitar. By the 1950s the guitarist was playing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania clubs. From 1957-58 he was in organist Jimmy Smith’s band and recorded a dozen albums with Smith as part of a trio and sextet. The trio included Donald Bailey on drums.
Staying with organists he next joined Johnny “Hammond” Smith and during the period 1960–63 and one more in 1966, McFadden made eight recordings. Two further sideman appearances on albums came to fruition in the late 1970s.
In November 1967, the Al Grey & Eddie McFadden Quartet played at Count Basie’s Lounge in New York. During the late Seventies he recorded with Sonny Phillips and Don Patterson.
Guitarist Eddie McFadden, who also wrote music for some of his bands, passed away on September 23, 1992 in Philadelphia.
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