Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Cal Lampley was born on March 4, 1924 in Dunn, North Carolina as the second child of Hettie Marina and William Lorenzo Lampley. He graduated with a B.S. from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. His first known music contribution was as an organist of the Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church.

A move to New York City in 1946 had him continuing his education at the Juilliard School of Music. With an Artist Diploma in 1949 in piano he debuted his performance as a pianist at the Carnegie Hall concert in 1950.

He became a tape editor at Columbia Records. During Lampley’s nine-year stint with Columbia, he rose to the position of Recording Director of the Popular Albums Department. He was later hired by record producer George Avakian to work as an A&R and as a record producer for music labels such as Columbia, Warner Bros., RCA/Victor, and Prestige. He worked with artists including Miles Davis, Mahalia Jackson, Dave Brubeck, Art Blakey, Leonard Bernstein, Freddie McCoy and Louis Armstrong.

Lampley’s other collaborations were with classical, jazz and pop musicians such as Nina Simone, Robert Casadesus, Zino Francescatti, Guiomar Novaes, Johnny Mathis, Genevieve, Victor Borge, Carmel Quinn, Arthur Godfrey, Tab Hunter, Bill Haley, Lonnie Sattin, and Chico Hamilton.

His own version of the composition “Misty” by jazz musician Richard “Groove” Holmes was Prestige’s Records biggest single in its entire history, peaking at #44 on the Billboard charts in 1966. In tribute to his musical contribution to the city and the state, Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke officially promulgated the “Cal Lampley Day” on May 1, 1994 in Baltimore at a City Hall ceremony.

On July 6, 2006 composer and record producer Cal Lampley in Baltimore, Maryland from complications of multiple sclerosis.

More Posts: composer,history,instrumental,jazz,music,record producer