Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sten Åke Henry “Stan” Hasselgård was born on October 4, 1922 in Sundsvall, Sweden. His father, John Levin Johansson changed his name to John Hasselgård. Growing up in Bollnäs, Sweden, he began playing clarinet at age 16, attended the University of Uppsala, and played in the Royal Swingers there.
In 1945 he played in a quintet led by Arthur Österwall, and founded a new Royal Swingers group that same year. In 1946-47 he played with Simon Brehm’s sextet alongside pianist Gösta Eriksson, trumpeter Bror Hansson, guitarist Kurt Wärngren, and drummer Bertil Frylmark.
Having achieved international renown, he moved to New York City in 1947, and played on 52nd Street with Jack Teagarden and Max Roach. Under the stage name Stan Hasselgard he made his acclaimed recording of Swedish Pastry. and in 1948 he joined Benny Goodman’s septet, alongside Wardell Gray, Mary Lou Williams and others.
His last recording session took place on November 18th, because five days later he was killed in a car crash. Clarinetist Stan Hasselgard passed away on November 23, 1948 in Decatur, Illinois. He was 26.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Johnny Meyer or Johnny Meijer was born Jan Cornelis Meijer on October 1, 1912 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He began playing accordion as a child and before World War II was playing in Dutch big bands. The post-war years were fertile for him and the liberating sound of his swing accordion, opened opportunities for him to record many swing standards from 1952 to 1957.
He toured Europe but mainly performed in the Netherlands and for a time was known as a virtuoso jazz accordionist. Besides the popular songs, Meyer also played fast swing numbers, Romanian music and classical pieces. In 1974 he recorded the Dutch Swing College Band Johnny Goes Dixie LP, which went gold.
Typically seen during performances with a cigar in his mouth, his accordion showed several burn marks as a result of this. In the last years of his life, Johnny Meyer was rarely invited to play large performances, mainly in connection with his short temper and his drinking, and thus the King of the Accordion saw out his final days mostly in silence, reduced to occasionally playing weddings and parties.
Accordionist Johnny Meyer, who played jazz, swing, classical, folk and was the subject of a film, passed away on January 8, 1992 in Amsterdam.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jack Allan was born on September 28, 1929 in Sydney, Australia. As a child, he began playing accordion before switching to the piano in his teens. While working in Sydney cabarets and clubs, he was heavily influenced by swing-era pianists, especially Teddy Wilson. He became one of the few Australian musicians to play the early post-war modern jazz styles.
In 1949 Allan’s recording debut was as a member of the Rex Stewart And His Sydney Six. The following year he made his first recordings as a leader with his group the Katzenjammers. During the early 50s they performed and recorded frequently with a variety of personnel, including Ken Silver, Don Burrows, Errol Buddle, John Bamford and Edwin Duff. The mid-50s had him beginning an acting career and with his generous bulk was often cast as a villain, an amiable bar patron, or playing a musician. His film credits include On The Beach, Ned Kelly, They’re A Weird Mob, and Caddie, as well as numerous television appearances.
Maintaining his musical prowess, Jack’s performances however became spasmodic. In 1983 he recorded with percussionist John Sangster and in the following year made a tasteful, swinging solo album for the Anteater label. Moving north to the Sunshine Coast, he lived in semi-retirement with occasional acting and musical activity.
Pianist Jack Allan, a reliable studio musician with the ABC and a writer/director for musical revues, passed away on February 7, 1995 on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Charlie Allen was born on September 25, 1908 in Jackson, Mississippi and grew up in Chicago, Illinois and in the early 1920s just out of high school began playing. In 1925 he was a member of the band led by Hugh Swift, then went on to play with Dave Peyton and Doc Cook in 1927, and Clifford King in 1928 and Johnny Long by the end of the decade.
Allen joined Earl Hines from 1931 to 1934, then did a short stint in Duke Ellington’s orchestra in 1935, though he never recorded any solos with the orchestra. He would play with Fletcher Butler in 1936 and then returned to play with Hines again in 1937.
Charlie played in various groups in Chicago in the 1940s and 1950s and later in his life became a music educator, working in the Chicago Musicians’ Union. He also designed custom trumpet mouthpieces, used by Cat Anderson, among others. Trumpeter Charlie Allen passed away on November 19, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jimmy Butts was born on September 24, 1917 in New York City, New York. Early in his career, he played with local groups Dr. Sausage and His Pork Chops and Daisy Mae’s Hepcats. Early in the 1940s, he played in the orchestras of Les Hite and Chris Columbus. He accompanied Frances Brock on USO tours during World War II.
In the 1940s Jimmy played with Don Redman, Art Hodes, Lem Johnson, Tiny Grimes, and Noble Sissle. Late in the decade he played in a duo with Doles Dickens and formed his own ensemble, which continued into the early 1950s.
The 1960s had Butts emigrating to Canada and playing with Juanita Smith. In the 1970s returning to New York City, he played with his own small group, working almost up until his death.
Double-bassist Jimmy Butts passed away on January 8, 1998 in New York City. His band remained together under the name Friends of Jimmy Butts after his death.
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