Daily Dose Of jazz…
Veronica “Randy” Crawford was born on February 18, 1952 in Macon, Georgia. She first performed at club gigs from Cincinnati to Saint-Tropez but made her name in mid 1970s in New York, where she sang with jazzmen George Benson and Cannonball Adderley. She signed with Columbia Records and released her first single, “Knock On Wood” / “If You Say the Word” in 1972. Adderley invited her to sing on his album Big Man: The Legend Of John Henry in 1975. During her brief tenure at Columbia, she recorded “Don’t Get Caught in Love’s Triangle”. In 1977 she was one of the vocalists on Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns – A Blow For Me, A Toot To You album.
1978 saw Crawford performing on the second solo album of former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, singing vocals on “Hoping Love Will Last”, the opening song on side two of Please Don’t Touch. The following year she led R&B veterans The Crusaders on the transatlantic hit “Street Life” that ended up on the soundtracks of Sharkey’s Machine and Jackie Brown. and appeared in commercials in the early 2000s. She later recorded for Warner Bros. Records.
Randy follow-up solo efforts included “One Day I’ll Fly Away”, You Might Need Somebody, and “Rainy Night In Georgia” which became soul standards. By the mid ‘80s her star lost its luster and though she continued to record for Warner Bros. she was unable to score crossover success. In 1995 her recording of Naked And True brought Crawford back to her roots: it included George Benson’s “Give Me The Night and confirmed her soul heritage.
She enjoyed her highest profile of the decade when rising starlet, Shola Ama had a worldwide hit with her 1997 cover of “You Might Need Somebody”. She recorded a live session with Joe Sample in 2007 at Abbey Road Studios for Live From Abbey Road. She would record with Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Bootsy Collins, Johnny Bristol, and the Yellowjackets among others. Vocalist Randy Crawford has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist. She has had multiple top five hits in the UK, including her 1980 number 2 hit, “One Day I’ll Fly Away”. She continues to perform, record and tour.
Inspire A Young Mind
More Posts: vocal
Hollywood On 52nd Street
Lady Be Good was performed in the 1941 film Lady Be Good, taking its title and theme song “Oh Lady Be Good” from the 1924 George and Ira Gershwin Broadway musical, but otherwise is unrelated to the musical play. The film starred dancer Eleanor Powell, Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore and Red Skelton.
The Story: Eddie Crane, a young composer, is struggling with a tune he has just written. When his girlfriend, Dixie Donegan, provides words almost by accident, the song is published and is a great success.
A few years later, now married and successful songwriters with a hit Broadway show behind them, Dixie realizes that Eddie is spending more time in rich New York society than composing. They divorce, but quickly realize they are still in love and cannot do without each other. They remarry and write more successful songs, but then Eddie goes off to South America, ostensibly to get inspiration to write a symphony. Dixie again seeks a divorce, but the astute judge denies it. Eddie returns and they realize that despite all, they are still in love.
Sponsored By
www.whatissuitetabu.com
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Matt Dennis was born on February 11, 1914 in Seattle, Washington. His early exposure to music came from the family business of vaudeville, his mother who was a violinist and his father a singer. In 1933 he joined Horace Heidt’s orchestra as a vocalist and pianist. Later he would form his own band, with Dick Haymes as vocalist.
Dennis became a vocal coach, arranger, and accompanist for Martha Tilton and then worked with a new vocal group, The Stafford Sisters. Jo Stafford, one of the sisters, joined the Tommy Dorsey band in 1940 and persuaded Dorsey to hire him as arranger and composer. He would go on to wrote prolifically, with 14 of his songs recorded by the Dorsey band in one year alone, including “Everything Happens To Me”, an early hit for Frank Sinatra.
With four years in the U.S. Air Force in World War II behind him, Matt returned to music writing and arranging. He got a boost from his old friend Dick Haymes, who hired him to be the music director for his radio program, and with lyricist Tom Adair wrote songs for Haymes’ program.
Dennis made six albums, most of which are out of print; however, his 1953 song Angel Eyes that he composed with lyricist Earl Brent has become a frequently recorded jazz standard. Added to that list of standards are Will You Still Be Mine, The Night We Called It A Day and Violets For Your Furs.
Composer, pianist, arranger, singer and bandleader Matt Dennis passed away on June 21, 2002 in Riverside, California at the age of 88.
Dose A Day – Blues Away
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.
Jazz Is Global – Share
More Posts: vocal
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.
Sponsored By
www.whatissuitetabu.com