Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Peter John King was born on August 11, 1940 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self-taught. His first public appearances were in 1957, playing alto in a trad jazz group at the Swan Public House in a group organized by trumpeter Alan Rosewell. After the performance he chose to be a professional musician. He came under the strong musical influence of Charlie Parker developing a bebop style inspired by Parker.
In 1959, at the age of 19, he was booked by Ronnie Scott to perform at the opening of Scott’s club in Gerrard Street, London, England. In the same year, he received the Melody Maker New Star award. He worked with Johnny Dankworth’s orchestra from 1960 to 1961, and went on to work with the big bands of Maynard Ferguson, Tubby Hayes, Harry South, and Stan Tracey, the Brussels Big Band, and the Ray Charles band on a European tour.
He played in small groups with musicians such as Philly Joe Jones, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Red Rodney, Hampton Hawes, Nat Adderley, Al Haig, John Burch, Bill Watrous, and Dick Morrissey, Tony Kinsey, Bill Le Sage, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Williams, Jon Hendricks, and Anita O’Day. His musical curiosity led him to associate with freer idioms in John Stevens’ ‘Freebop’ group in the 1980s. He appeared on the soundtrack of the 1969 film The Italian Job. He was a member of the Charlie Watts Tentet.
From the early 1990s, his style matured and flourished as an improviser and a composer. He found ways to combine jazz and classical techniques without diluting either and he recorded the results on his albums Tamburello, Lush Life and Janus with the Lyric String Quartet.
He won the BBC ‘Musician of the Year’ award, appeared in the documentary film, No One But Me, discussing jazz vocalist Annie Ross and appeared in the movies Blue Ice and The Talented Mr. Ripley. His autobiography Flying High was widely praised for its candour and honesty about his musical career and personal life, his international associations in the jazz world, and the many years in which he battled addiction. Saxophonist, clarinetist and composer Peter King transitioned on August 23, 2020 in Putney, South London, England at 80.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Matthew Mitchell was born in Hamilton, New Zealand on August 9, 1973 and didn’t start studying jazz until late in his teens, beginning on guitar at the age of 17. Four years later he attended what became the Massey University Wellington School of Music majoring in jazz. By 1998 he became a member of the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra and toured with ex-Buddy Rich trumpeter John Hoffman.
First achieving prominence on the New Zealand jazz scene the following year when he won the Wellington Fringe Festival Music Award. His study of Indian classical music produced cohesive results and Matthew toured the country with Master Tabla drummer Dr. Tarlochan Singh from Delhi, India and then with New York vibraphonist Arthur Lipner. He then put together his own trio featuring Paul Dyne and Rick Cranson and they released two CDs, one of which was a big band work.
Moving to London, England in 2000 he continued work with his trio and rapidly became a prominent member of the jazz scene and joined Byron Wallen’s As Is project touring the UK and performing at a number of international festivals. He went on to perform and tour with German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, as well as Japanese electronic music artists Takagi Masakatsu and Ogorusu Norihide and with countryman electronics artist Signer.
Guitarist Mattewh Mitchell continues to tour regularly throughout Europe with his own groups and release recordings.
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The Jazz Voyager
Setting down in Atlanta, Georgia after a fourteen and a half hour flight from Kyoto this Jazz Voyager is heading to friends for a shower and a lay down before heading out to indulge myself in a two stop night of jazz. My first stop is St. James Live for a little night music. Operated by husband-and-wife Ron and Evelyn St. James along with their daughter, Tiffany have established a warm, relaxing ambience for an extraordinary evening. With a menu ranging from tapas to sweet treats, salads and small bites, their culinary diversity will enchant and satisfy any palate. I’m looking at fish tacos and peach cobbler to hold me through the evening.
This week I’ll be in the audience enjoying The Baylor Project. A husband. A wife. An astonishing duo built on love, family, faith, culture and community. These are the things that power Jean and Marcus Baylor. This enticing collaboration is steeped in the heart and soul of jazz.
St. James Live is located in Camp Creek Village Townhomes at 3220 Butner Rd #240, 30331. More information can be obtained by calling 404-254-3561 or by visiting stjamesliveatl.com.
I’ll wrap up my evening with a late night hit with The Hightower Harper Hang at the Handle Bar at 476 Edgewood Avenue. More info at 404-600-2639. It’s a full night of jazz in the A where this Jazz Voyager hasn’t had the opportunity to see friends and musicians not seen or heard in a few years.
More Posts: adventure,club,genius,jazz,music,preserving,travel,trumpet,vocal
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Albert Stinson was born on August 2, 1944 in Cleveland, Ohio and learned to play piano, trombone, and tuba before settling on bass at age 14. After graduating from John Muir High School in Pasadena, California in 1962, he began playing professionally in the early 1960s in Los Angeles, California. There he worked with Terry Gibbs, Frank Rosolino, Chico Hamilton, and Charles Lloyd in 1965.
Later in the decade around 1967 he worked with Larry Coryell, John Handy, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson, and Gerald Wilson’s Los Angeles-based big band.
Never recording as a leader, Stinson appeared on Hamilton’s Impulse! albums, Hutcherson’s Blue Note album Oblique, Handy’s Koch Records album New View! and Clare Fischer’s album Surging Ahead. He recorded thirteen albums with the above as well as with Coryell, Lloyd and Joe Pass
Double-bassist Albert Stinson, whose ebullient personality, bright tone, and aggressive attack contributed to his being nicknamed Sparky, transitioned from a drug overdose while on tour on June 2, 1969 at the age of 24.
More Posts: bass,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Mark Soskin was born on July 12, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York. Attending Colorado State University he pursued classical piano studies but his interests in jazz music grew and by 1973 he enrolled in Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachiusetts. He studied composition and arranging. While there he began working professionally until moving to San Francisco, Califonia and eventually going on to work with some of the west coast’s finest players.
Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, he was introduced to Pete Escovedo and along with his daughter Sheila. E they toured and recorded as Azteca, a group in which Soskin’s keyboard, writing, and arranging talents were showcased. Eventually, the group, including trumpeter Tom Harrell, went on to record twice for Fantasy Records. Enlisted in Cobham’s band for two years produced two recordings for Columbia. Between tours for Cobham, Soskin did a tour and live recording for the CBS All Stars with Tom Scott, Alphonso Johnson and Steve Khan. At this time Soskin was an active session player at Fantasy.
Mark signed his first recording contract with Prestige titled Rhythm Vision with Benny Maupin and Harvey Mason among others. Introduced by Orrin Keepnews to Sonny Rollins, the two started a fruitful collaboration that lasted 14 years. By 1981 he was living in New York City as an active sideman and leader.
He has been written up in numerous music publications, including Ira Gitler and Leonard Feather’s Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz and The Jazz Book by Joachim E. Berendt. Mark Soskin is featured in the film documenting latin jazz artists entitled Calle 54. Pianist Mark Soskin has recorded 10 albums as a leader, three as co-leader and continues to maintain a busy tour schedule as well as giving master classes, workshops, teaches privately and is on the faculty of The Manhattan School Of Music.
