Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Laten John Adams was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 5, 1932 the oldest of ten children and became a professional musician after leaving school. He began his career-singing gospel with the Soul Revivers and Bessie Griffin’s Consolators, but crossed over to secular music in 1959. He recorded Dorothy LaBostrie’s “I Won’t Cry” on the RIC label and produced by teenager Mac Rebennack a.k.a. Dr. John who would later give him a #27 hit in 1962 with “A Losing Battle”.
In 1963, Adams went on to record for Modern Records and Watch Records with limited success until he signed with SSS International. Having three hits on the billboard charts and an album “Heart and Soul” he moved unsuccessfully to other labels like Atlantic and Ariola. During this period he held down a regular gig at Dorothy’s Medallion Lounge in New Orleans and toured the southern nightclub circuit.
In 1983 signing with Rounder Records, Johnny recorded a series of nine critically acclaimed albums beginning with “From the Heart” in 1984, encompassing a wide range of jazz, blues and R&B styles while highlighting Adams’ voice. By 1991 “The Real Me” album brought him a number of accolades, including a W.C. Handy Award. He began touring internationally, working and recording with such musicians as Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr. Lonnie Smith and Dr. John.
Johnny Adams, jazz, blues and gospel singer, passed away on September 14, 1998 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after a long battle with prostate cancer.
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From Broadway To 52nd Street
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying opened the 46th Street Theatre on October 14, 1961 and ran for one thousand four hundred and seventeen performances landing it in the blockbuster musical hall of fame. Bob Fosse choreographed the musical to the Frank Loesser compositions performed by the stars of the show Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Bonnie Scott and Charles Nelson Reilly. From the show rose the song I Believe In You to become a jazz standard.
The Story: Based on the Pulitzer prize winning play, chronicles the rise of a window washer as he schemes, connives and plots his way to the top of the Worldwide Wicket Company. Foundation for the Michael J. Fox version of Secret of My Success)
Broadway History: In 1811, the city planners of New York City began a massive building execution of the grid, which is now a major characteristic of Manhattan. Broadway, as we know it, was born. All existing roads were redesigned according to this concept; only Broadway was spared. The theater district sits between the 41st and 53rd Street and between the Sixth and Ninth Avenues.
Some 40 theaters are immersed in a sea of light from the theaters’ neon signs, each advertising the latest performances; keeping the Broadway mythos alive. In the early years, Broadway began as a leader in the retail sector. The commercial draw is what really sparked growth in the area. The retail venues that lined the street attracted affluent patrons and created a centralized cultural environment over time. It is because of the retail area that Broadway really took off in the early 1900’s.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Arthur Prysock was born on January 2, 1929 on Spartanburg, South Carolina but was raised on a farm in North Carolina. He left home at 16, moved to Hartford, Connecticut and found work with an aircraft company during World War II until they discovered he was underage. He then found a day job as a cook, singing around town at night with a band.
In 1944 bandleader Buddy Johnson signed the baritone as a vocalist, singing on several Johnson hits on Decca Records and became a mainstay of the live performance circuits. By 1952 Prysock went solo, signed with Decca, recorded “I Didn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night” and in 1960s covered Ray Noble’s ballad “The Very Thought Of You” and “It’s Too Late Baby, It’s Too Late”. Signing with Verve Records he recorded “Arthur Prysock & Count Basie” and “A Working Man’s Prayer”.
In the seventies, he had a surprise disco hit with “When Love Is New” and in 1985, recorded his first new album in almost a decade, “Arthur Prysock” He gained further attention for his tender, soulful singing on a beer commercial, “Tonight, Tonight, Let It Be Lowenbrau”.
Over the course of a prolific 43-year career, Arthur, who had been influenced by Billy Eckstine, was seen primarily in front of big bands. He recorded nearly 60 albums for Mercury, Old Town, Milestone and Decca record labels, including the orated “This Is My Beloved”. In 1995 he received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
His tender music has been a staple of jazz radio in the wee hours of the morning, and of cheek-to-cheek dancing in smoke-filled cocktail lounges. Arthur Prysock, the baritone romantic crooner that never lost his vocal strength, rich resonance or his deep, velvety tones, passed away on June 21, 1997.
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From Broadway To 52nd Street
The Fantasticks opened it season of 418 performances at the Sullivan Theatre on May 3, 1960. The musical starred Jerry Orbach, Rita Gardner, Kenneth Nelson and Tom Jones performing music composed and written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. Most notably from the show came one tune that would inevitably land in the jazz annals of music – Try To Remember.
The Story: The parents of the boy Matt, and the girl Louisa build a wall between their homes not because of any real animosity but on the assumption that the best way to kindle a romance is to appear to oppose it. They even hire El Gallo to stage a mock rape so Matt can rescue Louisa and seemingly be the hero. The kids discover the parent’s ploy, fall out and go separate ways. Eventually, they return to each other, disillusioned but mature.
Jazz History: In the late 60s, jazz began to feel the full impact of the rock revolution. Important jazz venues shut their doors, major labels abandoned jazz to pursue rock, and many jazz artists left the country for better opportunities abroad. Jazz record sales plummeted as rock sales soared, and younger audiences increasingly chose the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, or the politically oriented folk music of Bob Dylan over jazz. New hybrids of rock and jazz developed as a result, some fueled by jazz players interested in rock and funk, others by rockers interested in jazz. A few late-60s jazz-rock acts like Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago made inroads onto the pop charts, and some youth culture-oriented jazz artists like Charles Lloyd and Gary Burton scored with rock audiences. Numerous late-60s rockers, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and many San Francisco bands, also began to extend their solos based on the modal improvisations of John Coltrane and other free jazz innovators.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ernie Andrews was born on December 25, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent his earliest years singing in his mother’s church. When he was becoming teen age his family move to Los Angeles, California where he studied drums and continued singing at Jefferson High School. His early influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Al Hibbler, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy Rushing and “Big” Joe Turner.
Discovered by songwriter Joe Greene in 1947 when he won an amateur contest at Central Avenue’s Lincoln Theatre, Ernie was taken into the studio and recorded him at the ripe age of 17.The hit “Soothe Me” sold 300,000 copies and Andrews became a singer to be reckoned with. His next big hit came with Benny Carter called “Make Me A Present Of You” and by this time he was not only working at home but also touring playing clubs, after-hours rooms and concerts.
By 1959, Andrews had joined Harry James’ band, touring the U.S. and South America for nine years, which time he considers his most valuable learning experience. In 1967, he recorded the jazz classic “Big City” with Cannonball Adderley on Capital Records, rejoined James in 68, based himself in Baltimore in ’69, began a solo career and had another big hit with “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”. Her returned to Los Angeles in 1974 where he has resided for more than 50 years.
He has the ear to improvise and a rich resonant voice, and plays his vocal chords as a musician plays his horn. With his special strut, unique mannerisms and a performance that portrays the gamut of emotional experience, he consistently moves audiences to standing ovations. Vocalist Ernie Andrews continued to play clubs, concerts and jazz festivals throughout the world, often performing in Las Vegas, until his transition on February 21, 2022, at the age of 94.
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