Hollywood On 52nd Street
The music for the now classic jazz standard Emily, was composed by Johnny Mandel and the lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer. It was the soundtrack for the 1964 comedy-drama war film The Americanization of Emily. Paddy Chayefsky wrote the screenplay, directed by Arthur Hiller and starred James Garner, Julie Andrews, James Coburn, Melvyn Douglas and Keenan Wynn
The Story: Set in World War II London during the build-up to D-Day in 1944, the British found their island hosting many thousands of American soldiers who were oversexed, overpaid, and over here. Enter cynical coward Charlie Madison (Garner) who knows all the angles to make life as smooth and risk-free as possible for himself. But things become complicated when he falls for an English woman (Andrews), and his commanding officer’s nervous breakdown leads to Charlie being sent on a senseless and dangerous mission.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Lisa Sokolov was born on September 24, 1954 in Manhasset, Long Island and raised in nearby Roslyn, New York. She was exposed to jazz as a child through her father, who played stride piano and listened to recordings of jazz artists including Art Tatum, Mabel Mercer and Stan Getz. She began singing from a young age and soon took up piano, which she studied for many years.
1972 saw Sokolov attending Bennington College in Vermont and studying with Milford Graves, Bill Dixon, Jimmy Lyons, voice teacher Frank Baker, and composers Vivian Fine and Louis Calabro. While there she was exposed to Betty Carter and Meredith Monk who have influenced her style. Obtaining a double major in music/back music, she became interested in free jazz as well as avant-garde jazz, both of which she has incorporated into her vocal style.
After graduation Lisa moved to New York City in 1976, spent several months in Paris, France, returned to pursue graduate work in music therapy, met Jeanne Lee and was subsequently introduced to bassist William Parker and a decade long collaboration was begun.
She was part of the Studio Henry scene, a cooperative performance space, alongsideJohn Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Elliot Sharpe and David Sewelson. The 1990s saw Sokolov recording music and releasing her debut as a leader, angel Rodeo, followed by her second release six years later in 1999 titled Lazy Afternoon. She has since released five more albums.
As an educator Sokolov has worked as a music therapist, has taught in NYU’s graduate music department and is currently a full arts professor at the Experimental Theater Wing at the Tisch School of the Arts, which is part of New York University, and is recognized in the music therapy world as a pioneer and innovator in the applications of the voice to human potential.
She has worked with Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Robin Holcomb, Rahn Burton, Rashid Ali, Bada Roy, Jeanne Lee, Jimmy Lyons, Wayne Hovitz, Hilton Ruiz, Irene Schweizer, Butch Morris, Blue Gene Tyranny, Jim Mc Neely, Gerry Hemingway and Cameron Brown to name a few. A courageous and adventurous vocalist, Lisa Sokolov continued to sing, compose and perform.
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Jackie Paris was born Carlo Jackie Paris on September 20, 1924 in Nutley, New Jersey. His uncle Chick had been a guitarist with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra. A very popular child entertainer in vaudeville, the pint-sized song and dance man shared the stage with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and the Mills Brothers.
After serving in the Army during World War II, Paris was inspired by his friend Nat King Cole to put together a trio featuring himself on guitar and vocals. The Jackie Paris Trio was a hit at the Onyx Club, playing for an unprecedented 26 weeks, perhaps the longest-running residency in the history of Swing Street.
The first song that Jackie’s trio recorded was Hoagy Carmichael’s Skylark for MGM Records in 1947. In 1949, he was the first white vocalist to tour with the Lionel Hampton for a 78 one-night tour. Coming off the road, he received an offer to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra, but at that time was too exhausted to take it.
Paris was the first singer to record Thelonious Monk’s future jazz anthem Round Midnight, which was produced by Leonard Feather and featured a young Dick Hyman on piano with drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Tommy Potter. He was the only vocalist to ever tour as a regular member of the Charlie Parker Quintet but unfortunately no recordings exist of the Parker-Paris combo.
In 1953, Jackie was named Best New Male Vocalist of the Year in the first ever Down Beat Critics Poll. Ella Fitzgerald won the female category and repeatedly named Paris as one of her favorites as well as Charles Mingus, who enlisted the talented vocalist on several projects and club dates over many decades. He shared the bill with comic Lenny Bruce and recorded with Hank Jones, Charlie Shavers, Joe Wilder, Wynton Kelly, Eddie Costa, Coleman Hawkins, Bobby Scott, Max Roach, Lee Konitz, Donald Byrd, Gigi Gryce, Ralph Burns, Tony Scott, Neal Hefti, Terry Gibbs, Johnny Mandel and Oscar Pettiford and the list continues.
He recorded consistently through the years, from the 1940s and in 2001, he played to a standing room crow and to a standing ovation at Birdland. He was virtually the only performer to have appeared at every incarnation of the famed nightspot, from the 1950s to the present. Jackie Paris passed away on June 17, 2004 in New York City.
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Carla Ruth White was born on September 15, 1951 in Oakland, California but was raised in Bellport, New York. She grew up studying jazz dance and singing her way through her parents’ classical and pop records, from Stravinsky to Sinatra. At 13, she discovered jazz and responded with a passion that became a lifelong commitment to her singing. While in high school she took up acting and singing, then studied at the Webbe-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London from 1969 to 1971. She then traveled throughout Europe and North Africa for nearly a year singing on the street, living in a cave and exploring other cultures.
Returning to New York City in the early 70’s White began studies with jazz pianist and teacher Lennie Tristano, building her jazz vocabulary and learning hundreds of songs by ear singing along with Lester Young, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and many others. Next she studied with saxophonist Warne Marsh and concentrated on wordless improvising, or “scat” singing. This led to her first band, a bebop quintet with trumpeter Manny Duran.
Late in the 1970s Carla and Manny co-led the band and in 1984 they released the album Andruline for Stash Records. In 1985 she launched her critically acclaimed career as a solo artist and two years later she produced her first album for Milestone Records, Orient Express, named one of the best albums of the year by JAZZIZ magazine. She has been recognized in Downbeat Magazine’s 37th Annual International Critics Poll as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition.
She released Listen Here in 1995 on the Evidence Music label and then recorded Carla White Live at Vartan Jazz, followed by Carla White In Mexico. She has performed in a wide variety of venues from clubs to concerts, festivals to television, nationally and internationally. As an educator she has conducted seminars, workshops and master classes for The New School, Vermont Jazz Center, University of Northern Colorado and at the Music Conservatory of Ghent while on tour in Belgium and The Netherlands.
Carla also has an active career as a voice-over artist, has several commercials on TV and radio and provided the vocals to the ending-theme Can’t Say Goodbye To Yesterday for the video game Metal Gear Solid @: Sons of Liberty. Vocalist Carla White, noted for her scat singing, passed away on May 9, 2007 after a long battle with cancer.
Dose A Day – Blues Away
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffery Smith was born on September 14, 1955 in Queens, New York. He began honing his voice at a very early age, under the influence of his mother, Ramona, who was a classical singer. At the age of 18, he moved to Los Angeles, California for a decade and found work as a singer, actor and artist, landing several bit parts in television and film while performing in the local clubs.
In 1980 he starred in the bi-coastal production of Hollywood & Highland, produced by Lee Strasberg and Robert Greenhut. For his work on the show he was awarded the 1981 Drama Critic’s Award, from Drama Logue Magazine. Smith returned to New York in 1985, co-starred on stage in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair and Capitol Cakewalk in between performing in the city’s major clubs through 1991.
In the fall of 1991, what originally began as a Paris vacation for Jeffery, ended up being a 7-year stay and within 7 months, he met and was signed by Claude Bolling as the voice of his big band. Over the six years he recorded four albums, performed two world tours with Bolling’s Big Band throughout Europe and Asia and was the voice of numerous jingles for French commercials.
In the summer of 1995, Smith signed a 3-album contract with Universal/Verve and all three albums garnered international critical acclaim. His debut album he dedicated and titled Ramona, which was produced and accompanied by the legendary pianist Shirley Horn for the Gitanes/Verve label. His debut was followed by his sophomore project A Little Sweeter was praised in TIME Magazine as being “the most vital album of the year, and culminating with his 1999 Down Here Below.
He starred in and narrated the recording of Duke Ellington’s A Drum is a Woman in Paris, co-starred with Dee Dee Bridgewater in Cabaret and in her Peace & Love music video, as well as 3 sold out concerts at the Paris Olympia, establishing him as one of the most revered male jazz vocalists in the industry.
Jeffery has performed with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz At Lincoln Center, Regina Carter, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Ben Riley, Dianne Reeves, Joe Lovano, TK Blue, Ernie Watts, Pete Levin, Winard Harper, and Chanda Rule among others.
While still performing internationally Jeffery headed his Non-Profit Production Company Tri-Loxodonta, Inc., the Portuguese translated means 3 Modern African Elephants. Ernie Watts, Pete Levin, Winard Harper, and Chanda Rule. Baritone vocalist Jeffery Smith whose distinctive style set him apart from the cadre of male singers, passed away on July 5, 2012
Take A Dose On The Road
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