Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Renée Manning was born on February 8, 1955 and bred in Brooklyn, New York. She attended New York’s Music and Art High School as a teenager and by the ’70s she became employed on albums by hard bop/soul-jazz players like tenor saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman and cornetist Nat Adderley.
Her most visible association came in the 1980s, when she started a five-year gig as a featured vocalist for the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, after hearing her sing at another local nightspot Mikells. In 1991 Renée recorded her first solo album As Is for Ken Music, a small independent New York jazz label. Her success subsequently led to Ken releasing her second album, Uhm…Uhm…Uhmmmm.
Her big band associations and collaborations have included the Chico OFarrill Afro Cuban Orchestra, The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Dukes Men, a large ensemble project with Lester Bowie and Earl McIntyre and the Mingus Big Band. Manning has worked with Jon Faddis, Sir Roland Hanna, Mark Murphy, Howard Johnson, Joe Williams, Don Cherry, Sheila Jordan, Howard Johnson, Ray Anderson, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Carmen McRae, Louis Hayes, Dizzy Gillespie and Avery Sharpe to name a few.
She has toured Europe, played New York, London and Copenhagen clubs, recorded two albums as a leader and numerous others as a featured vocalist, performed at numerous jazz festivals, created a 15 piece ensemble called Unsung Heroes and was a part of the WBGOs children series with her and Earl McIntyre’s group Jazzimon.
Aside from performing and composing, Manning teaches vocal technique privately and master classes. She’sone of only two vocalists taught by the legendary teacher Carmine Caruso, her method is quite unique, and incredibly effective. She is currently on staff as vocal and choir instructor at the Brooklyn Conservatory with students from 8 to 80.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
My Blue Heaven is a popular song written by Walter Donaldson one afternoon at the Friars Club in New York City while waiting for his turn at the billiard table. At the time the song was written Donaldson was under contract to Irving Berlin, working for Irving Berlin Inc. publishing company. George A. Whiting wrote lyrics adapted for Donaldson’s music, and for a while, performed it in his vaudeville act.
The song was first used in the 1950 film of the same title starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey. The song was eventually used once again in the 1990 crime comedy of the same name that starred Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. By the time it appeared in the soundtrack it had been a jazz standard for many years having been recorded by Jimmie Lunceford, Don Byas, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Carter, Maxine Sullivan, Erroll Garner, Red Norvo, Oscar Peterson, Lena Horne, Teddy Wilson and numerous others.
The Story: 1950 – Kitty (Grable) and Jack (Dailey), portray married radio stars who are expecting a baby. When she miscarries, they move from radio to television and and become determined to adopt a baby. 1990 -Vincent “Vinnie” Antonelli (Martin) is a good-hearted larger than life mobster in the witness protection program. Barney Coopersmith (Moranis) is an uptight FBI agent assigned to protect Vinnie and his wife Linda and puts them in a small California suburb. Both wives leave, Vinnie and Barney get closer but has a hard time keeping him at low profile. Come to find out this town is full of mobster in witness protection. Enter two hit men, new love interests for both and eventually Vinnie becomes a prominent figure in the town.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Pal Joey makes its second appearance as a 1957 drama musical film starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak. The Lady Is A Tramp and My Funny Valentine (Babes In Arms/1937), There’s A Small Hotel (On Your Toes/1936), I Didn’t Know What Time It Was (Too Many Girls/1939) were introduced in their respective Broadway plays and all make their debut in the film, while I Could Write A Book and Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered make sophomore appearances. All of the above compositions composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart became jazz standards.
The Story: The setting is San Francisco; Joey Evans (Sinatra) is a second-rate singer, a heel known for his womanizing ways, calling women “mice”, but still charming and funny. When Joey meets Linda English (Novak), a naive chorus girl, he has stirrings of real feelings. However, that does not stop him from romancing a former flame and ex-stripper, now society matron Vera Prentice-Simpson (Hayworth), a wealthy, willful, and lonely widow, in order to convince her to finance his dream, “Chez Joey”, a night club of his own.
Soon Joey is involved with Vera, each using the other for his/her own somewhat selfish purposes. But Joey’s feelings for Linda are growing. Ultimately, Vera jealously demands that Joey fire Linda. When Joey refuses, Vera closes down “Chez Joey”. Linda visits Vera and agrees to quit in an attempt to keep the club open. Vera then agrees to open the club, and even offers to marry Joey, but Joey rejects Vera. As Joey is leaving for Sacramento, Linda runs after him, offering to go wherever he is headed. After half-hearted refusals, Joey gives in and they walk away together, united.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Lizz Wright was born January 22, 1980 in the small town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of their church. She started singing gospel music and playing piano in church as a child, and also became interested in jazz and blues.
She attended Houston County High, where she was heavily involved in choral singing, receiving the National Choral Award. Lizz moved to Atlanta and went on to attend Georgia State University, studying singing. Since then she has studied at The New School in New York and also in Vancouver.
Wright joined the Atlanta-based vocal quartet In The Spirit in 2000, performing at the local jazz haven Churchill Grounds and with the guidance of then manager, Ron Simblist, she was consistently featured on the late night jazz radio program Serenade To The City,and was soon achieving critical acclaim and notoriety. In 2002 she signed a recording contract with Verve Records, where her musical compositions and vocal style were comparable to that of Norah Jones.
Her debut album, “Salt’ was released in the spring of 2003 and reached number two on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart in 2004. Her sophomore release in 2005 ”Dreaming Wide Awake”, maintained the jazz and pop blend, while incorporating folk music to her musical blend. It reached number one on the Top Contemporary Jazz chart in 2005 and 2006.
Lizz has most notably performed and recorded with the late Joe Sample, Danilo Perez, David Sanborn, Toots Thielemans, Amos Lee, Regina Carter, Jakob Dylan, Massimo Biolcati and Meshell Ndegeocello among others.
In 2008, she released “The Orchard” to positive reviews and then released her fourth album, “Fellowship”, a collection of gospel standards, in 2010. Vocalist and composer Lizz Wright continues to perform and tour and is currently working on the release of her fifth album.
Take A Dose On The Road
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
“Thank Heavens For Little Girls” is from the 1958 Academy Award-winning film Gigi. Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner composed the song and lyrics and it went on to win the Academy Award for Best original Song in 1958. A cover version by Billy Eckstine peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart in 1959. The film starred Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jordan.
The Story: Set in turn-of-the-20th century Paris, the film opens with Honoré Lachaille, a charming old roué among high society. Dodging marriage Honoré is concerned with his bored nephew who enjoys hanging out with his mamita, Madame Alvarez and her precocious and carefree granddaughter Gigi. However she is sent away to be groomed as a courtesan and learn etiquette and charm. The two young people spend a lot of time together with the thought of taking Gigi as a mistress. Finally Gaston finds the thought unbearable with the help of high society. Taking Gigi home, he wanders the streets until finally ending back at Madame Alvarez’s door asking for Gigi’s hand in marriage. They couple are elegant, beautiful, and happily married. Honoré has been a framing device for the film, which can be seen as a romantic victory of love over cynicism.
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