Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ray Ellington was born Henry Pitts Brown on March 17, 1916 in Kennington, London, England, the youngest of four children of a Black father and Russian Jew mother. His father died when he was four years old, and was raised as a strictly Orthodox Jew, attending the South London Jewish School before entering show business at the age of twelve, when he appeared in an acting role on the London stage.
Ellington’s first break came in 1937 when he joined Harry Roy and His Orchestra as the band’s drummer, replacing Joe Daniels. His vocal talents were put to good use, from the time of his first session when he recorded Swing for Sale. Called up in 1940 he joined the Royal Air Force as a physical training instructor where he served throughout the war. He played in various service bands including RAF Blue Eagles.
Post military service, Ray resumed his career, fronting his own group, playing at The Bag O’Nails club. By early in 1947, he rejoined the Harry Roy band for a few months, later forming The Ray Ellington Quartet the same year. Specializing in jazz, he experimented with many other genres throughout the show’s history and his musical style was heavily influenced by the comedic jump blues of Louis Jordan.
His band was one of the first in the UK to feature the stripped-back guitar/bass/drums/piano format that became the basis of rock and roll. His band was also one of the first groups in Britain to prominently feature the electric guitar and use an amplified guitar produced and introduced by their guitar player, Lauderic Caton.
Drummer, singer, bandleader Ray Ellington, best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960, passed away of cancer on February 27, 1985.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ina Ray Hutton was born Odessa Cowan on March 13, 1916 in Chicago, Illinois into a family whose mother was a pianist. She began dancing and singing on stage professionally at the age of eight. By 15, she starred in the Gus Edwards revue Future Stars Troupe at the Palace Theater, and Lew Leslie’s Clowns in Clover. On Broadway she performed in George White’s revues Melody, Never Had an Education and Scandals, before joining the Ziegfeld Follies.
1934 saw her being approached by Irving Mills and vaudeville agent Alex Hyde to lead an all-girl orchestra, the Melodears. As part of the group’s formation, Mills asked Odessa to change her name. The group included trumpeter Frances Klein, Canadian pianist Ruth Lowe Sandler, saxophonist Jane Cullum, guitarist Marian Gange, trumpeter Mardell “Owen” Winstead, and trombonist Alyse Wells.
The Melodears appeared in short films and in the movie Big Broadcast of 1936. They recorded six songs, sung by Hutton, before disbanding in 1939. Soon after, she started the Ina Ray Hutton Orchestra (with men only) that included George Paxton and Hal Schaefer. The band appeared in the film Ever Since Venus in 1944, recorded for Elite and Okeh, and performed on the radio. After this band broke up, she started another male band a couple years later. During the 1950s, Hutton again led a female big band that played on television and starred on The Ina Ray Hutton Show.
Although she and some members of her family are known to have been white, historians have theorized that she and her family were of mixed white and African-American ancestry. In 1920, Hutton herself was listed in the US Census as “mulatto” and in 1930 as “negro”. Hutton was also mentioned under her original name in the black Chicago newspaper The Chicago Defender several times in articles describing the early years of her career. A photograph of her as a 7-year-old dancer appeared in a 1924 issue of the paper.
Retiring from music in 1968, Ina Ray Hutton, who led one of the first all-female big bands, passed away on February 19, 1984 from complications due to diabetes at the age of 67 in Ventura, California.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Carl Anderson was born Carlton Earl Anderson on February 27, 1945 in Lynchburg, Virginia, one of 12 children to James and Alberta Anderson. During his junior year of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a communications technician for two years. Honorably discharged and returning home he completed high school, graduating in 1965. He went on to sing at military bases across the United States as part of the World Wide Air Force Talent Contest.
Making his way to Washington, D.C. in 1969, he and some friends formed a group called The Second Eagle with Anderson handling the vocals. They covered jazz and rock tunes that included songs from the album Jesus Christ Superstar, released long before the stage production was launched. In 1971, a talent agent from the William Morris Agency saw Anderson perform some songs from the show at St. Stephen’s Church and recognized his potential as a solo performer.
His global popularity and star power came from his role as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar both on Broadway and in the film. He also had rolesin The Black Pearl, The Color Purple, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Cop Rock, Days of Our Lives, and Hill Street Blues.
As a recording artist, Carl was equally prolific, initially signing with Motown Records in 1972, working with Stevie Wonder on his Songs in the Key of Life double album, as well as numerous others. While working the club circuit in Los Angeles, California he was noticed by and signed to Columbia Records and released four albums on their Epic label. He would go on to perform duets with Gloria Loring, Angie Bofill, Linda Eder and Nancy Wilson.
His duet with Loring, Friends and Lovers, reached Number 2 on the charts, and endeared Anderson to soap opera fans, after being performed on Days of Our Lives. He also recorded Between You and Me, as the title theme for the film Her Alibi.
In 2003 he had a minor car accident on his way to perform and while being treated for his injuries, doctors discovered that he had leukemia. Soul jazz vocalist and actor Carl Anderson passed away the following year from the illness on February 23, 2004, in Los Angeles, just four days before his 59th birthday.
The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
It’s All Over But The Swingin’ is a studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr. that was recorded on July1~2 and 9~10, 1957 and released the same year on the Decca Record label. The music was arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens and the session was produced by Lee Gillette.
Track List | 43:13- Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) ~ 4:43
- But Not for Me (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) ~ 3:24
- Where’s That Rainbow? (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) ~ 3:27
- I Cover the Waterfront (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) ~ 3:19
- Don’t Blame Me (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh) ~ 2:52
- Better Luck Next Time (Irving Berlin) ~ 2:43
- Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Gal (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) ~ 4:53
- It Never Entered My Mind (Hart, Rodgers) ~ 4:05
- Someone to Watch over Me (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) ~ 3:23
- I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) ~ 2:47
- Spring Is Here” (Hart, Rodgers) ~ 4:03
- I Can’t Get Started” (Vernon Duke, I. Gershwin) ~ 3:29
- Sammy Davis, Jr. – vocal
- Dan Lube, M. Sosson – violin
- Al Dinkin, Paul Robyn – viola
- Eleanor Slatkin – cello
- Harry Klee – flute
- Harry Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Virgil Evans, Mannie Klein – trumpet
- Milt Bernhart, Frank Howard, George Roberts – trombone
- Harry Klein, Ronnie Lang – alto saxophone
- Babe Russin, Don Raffell – tenor saxophone
- Bob Lawson – baritone saxophone
- Roger Renner – piano
- Tony Rizzi, Bob Bain – guitar
- Mort Cobb, Joe Comfort – double bass
- Irving Cottler, Alvin Stoller – drums
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
My social distancing and masks continues amidst the on-going vaccinations. This week the album I’m puting on the turntable is an album from a member of a family who are vocal royalty. The album is a 2018 titled My Mood Is You by Freddy Cole.
Recorded on the HighNote label The album features Cole’s working band. Arrangements are by Randy Napoleon and John DiMartino. This album received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album on December 7, 2018.
Track List | 47:08- My Mood Is You ~ 5:47
- Temptation ~ 4:55
- Almost In Love ~ 5:39
- I’ll Always Leave The Door A Little Open ~ 5:45
- First Began ~ 6::21
- The y Didn’t Believe Me ~ 4:34
- My Heart Tells Me ~ 6:32
- The Lonely One ~ 5:12
- Love Like This Can’t Last ~ 4:17
- Marie ~ 3:20
- Freddy Cole ~ piano, vocal
- Randy Napoleon ~ guitar
- Elias Bailey ~ bass
- Quentin Baxter ~ drums
- John DiMartino ~ piano
- Joel Frahm ~ tenor saxophone
This pandemic is here for the long haul. In the meantime, stay vigilant, wear masks and remain healthy and we’ll all be jet setting sooner than we think.
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