Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth was born on September 20, 1927 in Woodford, Essex, England. He grew up within a family of musicians and attended Selwyn Boys’ Junior School and later Sir George Monoux Grammar School. Prompted by hearing a Benny Goodman Quartet album at 16, before settling on the clarinet he took violin and piano lessons. Soon afterwards he was inspired by Charlie Parker and learned to play the alto saxophone.
Beginning his career on the British jazz scene after studying at London’s Royal Academy of Music and then national service in the Royal Air Force, during which he played alto sax and clarinet for RAF Music Services. By 1947 he was working on the Queen Mary in Bobby Kevin’s band, and in London with Les Ayling. Through the rest of the decade he performed with Tito Burns, with Charlie Parker at the Paris Jazz Festival, and a tour of Sweden with Sidney Bechet. In 1949, Johnny was voted Musician of the Year.
The Fifties saw him forming a small group, the Dankworth Seven, as a vehicle to showcase his writing as well as several young players, Jimmy Deuchar, Eddie Harvey, Don Rendell, Bill Le Sage, Eric Dawson, Tony Kinsey and Frank Holder. also sang and recorded with this ensemble. Forming his big band in ‘53 and Cleo Laine was now a regular voice on appearances and recordings.
The band came to the States and performed at Newport, Birdland had Louis Armstrong sit in for a set and shared several stages with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. In 1959, John became chair of the Stars Campaign for Inter-Racial Friendship, set up to combat the fascist White Defence League.
The following decades saw him working and recording with numerous American and British jazz musicians, began composing for film and television, and received commissions all while performing live and on the radio.
As an educator his enthusiasm for jazz education led him to run for many years the Allmusic summer schools at the Stables in Wavendon and from 1984 to ‘86 he was a professor of music at Gresham College in London, where he gave free public lectures.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2006 New Year’s Honours List, and was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). In 2009 he fell ill and while he had to cancel several concerts he made one last appearance in December.
Saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, educator John Dankworth, who along with his wife Dame Cleo were one of a few couples to hold British titles, transitioned on February 6, 2010 at the age of 82, on the afternoon before a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the foundation of The Stables.
Confer a dose of a Woodford saxophonist to those seeking a greater insight about the musicians around the world who are members of the pantheon of jazz…
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ralph Simon Sharon was born in London, England on September 17, 1923 to a British mother and Latvian-born father. He emigrated to the United States in early 1954 and became a naturalized citizen five years later.
By 1958, Ralph was recording with Tony Bennett as accompanist. That was the start of a more than 50 year working relationship. He found the song I Left My Heart in San Francisco for Bennett, which became his signature song.
A jazz pianist in his own right, Sharon recorded nineteen albums as a leader, 15 with Bennett and two with Johnny Hartman. However, he also accompanied the likes of Robert Goulet, Chris Connor and nemerous others. Retiring to Boulder, Colorado, from on-the-road work when he reached 80, he continued to perform in the Denver metropolitan area until shortly before his death.
Pianist and arranger Ralph Sharon, best known as one of the finest accompanists who backed up popular singers, transitioned from natural causes on March 31, 2015.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Michael Steven Bublé was born September 9, 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia to a fisherman and homemaker. Their surname was originally spelled Bubli. Dreaming of becoming a famous singer since he was two, his interest in jazz began at around age five when his family played Bing Crosby’s White Christmas album. The first time his family noticed his singing talent was during the Christmas holidays, when Bublé was 13 years old, and they heard him powerfully sing the phrase “May your days be merry and bright” when singing on a car ride.
His first singing engagements were in nightclubs at age 16 and were facilitated by his plumber grandfather who offered his plumbing services in exchange for stage time for his grandson and paid for his singing lessons. As a children’s entertainer he used the name Mickey Bubbles.
Bublé grew up listening to his grandfather’s collection of jazz records and credits his grandfather in encouraging his love for jazz music. At 18 he entered a local talent contest and won, but was disqualified for being underage. He went on to enter other contests and perform in clubs, conventions, cruise ships, hotel lounges, and shopping malls.
By 1996 Michael appeared in different roles on television in Death Game, The X-Files, Big Band Boom!, and on the CTV network. He received two Genie Award nominations for Best Original Song in 2000 for I’ve Never Been in Love Before and Dumb ol’ Heart, two songs he wrote for the film Here’s to Life!.
He recorded three independent albums First Dance, Babalu, and Dream before his self-titled debut album in 2003 featuring a range of standards from various eras and genres. He has followed with seven more through 2022 along with tours, a residency, four Grammy awards, 8 Juno awards and numerous nominations. He received the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.
Vocalist Michael Bublé, who is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songbook, due to his musical influences Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin and Sam Cooke. He continues to perform and tour.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Christiane Legrand was born on August 21, 1930 in Paris, France. Her father Raymond Legrand was a conductor and composer renowned for hits such as Irma la douce. She studied piano and classical music from the time she was four and was discovered by jazz critic and composer André Hodeir in 1957. She became the lead singer in the most notable French jazz vocal groups of the 1960s, including Les Double Six.
She was the original lead soprano of The Swingle Singers and was the vocalist who dubbed the part of Madame Emery in Les parapluies de Cherbourg, the music was composed by her brother Michel Legrand. She also sang the part of Judith in his Les demoiselles de Rochefort. Christiane had several commercial recordings over the course of her career.
Legrand sang the lead role on the French Disney recording of the score to the film Mary Poppins in 1964 and lent her talents to numerous other film projects. She was the featured soprano on the track “Fires (Which Burn Brightly)” on the 1973 Procol Harum album Grand Hotel.
Soprano vocalist Christiane Legrand transitioned on November 1, 2011.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeannie Cheatham was born Jean E. Evans on August 14, 1927 and grew up in Akron, Ohio. At the age of five, she started having lessons on her aunt’s newly-acquired piano, which was soon moved to her home when it transpired that she had a talent for music her aunt lacked. Not long after, she began playing for services at the church her family attended. Throughout her school years, her piano teacher also took her to play at weddings and social events, as well as giving recitals
She first played jazz music at age 14 when she was requested to join a local 15-piece rehearsal orchestra. Still in high school Jeannie began playing in smaller groups and found herself in demand professionally as most younger male musicians were drafted into the US Army during World War II. In 1944, she was accepted as a student at the University of Akron but was unable to complete more than one year for financial reasons.
She met and married Jimmy Cheatham, with whom she formed the Sweet Baby Blues Band in 1984. Her autobiography, Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On: My Life In Music, was published in 2006, the same year they received a lifetime achievement award at the San Diego Music Awards, and in 2022, were inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame.
It was noted by Los Angeles Times contributor Dirk Sutro that Jeannie Cheatham remains one of the under-appreciated greats of jazz and blues, both for her spare, tasteful piano playing, which ranges from boogie-woogie to Monk‑ish surprises, and for her earthy but sensuous voice.
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