Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ivan Jullien was born on October 27, 1934 in Vincennes, France. He found work early on arranging for the Barclay label in the 1960s and later released many of his own big-band albums on Riviera, including his own 1971 fusion-infused take of George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess.
Jullien played with Claude Bolling and Jacques Denjean early in his career, and was the bandleader for a year with the Paris Jazz All Stars in 1966. He recorded as a leader and also worked as a sideman for Lester Bowie, Maynard Ferguson, and Ben Webster. In the 1980s, he became an arranger for Studio Brussels’ CIM Big Band.
He was a member of several groups, such as 9 Plus, Alix Combelle Et Son Orchestre, Benny Bennet Et Son Orchestre De Musique Latine-Américaine, Big Jullien And His All Star, Grand Orchestre De L’Olympia, Ivan Jullien Big Band, Le Bobby Clark’s Noise, Ivan Jullien Et Son Orchestre, Jacques Denjean Et Son Orchestre, Joey And The Showmen, Les Baroques, Los Cangaceiros, and Synthesis.
Primarily a behind-the-scenes presence, Jullien arranged, played and/or conducted recordings by Charles Aznavour, Henri Salvador, Elton John, Nicoletta, Baden Powell, Didier Lockwood, and many more.
In his later years, the jazz-oriented trumpeter continued to be active, arranging and performing with his big band. His over-50-year career spanned various genres from jazz to pop, and included numerous scores for film and television.
Trumpeter, arranger, composer, conductor and bandleader Ivan Jullien, known as Big Jullien, died of respiratory failure at 80 years old on January 3, 2015.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sylvester Lewis was born on October 19, 1908 in Kansas City, Missouri and played locally as a college student around the city in the 1920s. His first major tour was with a traveling revue called Shake Your Feet, where he met Herbie Cowens. This meeting led to him joining the Cowens group, playing at the Rockland Palace in New York City in 1928.
He recorded with Jelly Roll Morton in New York the same year. After a stint with Aubrey Neal in 1929, Lewis joined Claude Hopkins’s band, playing with him from 1930 to 1936 and recording with him extensively between 1932 and 1935.
Leaving Hopkins, he performed in Billy Butler’s orchestra for the theater show Rhapsody in Black and played in Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake’s Shuffle Along in 1941. Sylvester led his own band for troop tours of the Pacific during World War II, and recorded with Roy Eldridge in 1946 after his discharge.
He began studying the Schillinger system in the late 1940s, but gave up music entirely after 1949 and spent the rest of his life working for the New York City Subway.
Trumpeter Sylvester Lewis died in 1974 in New York City.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Rod Mason was born September 28, 1940 in Plymouth, England and as a young man played with the local Tamar Valley Jazz Band, in which his father, Frank “Pop” Mason, had played drums. At Kelly College, in Tavistock, England he played the bugle with the cadet corps, then the valve trombone. He played this in his father’s band until the trumpet player left, whereupon he replaced him using a brass-band style cornet.
He went on to play briefly with the Cy Laurie band from 1959 to 1960 and two years later went with Monty Sunshine who left the Chris Barber band to form his own group. Sunshine hired Mason on the recommendation of Kenny Ball. In the mid-1960s after leaving Sunshine, Rod worked in the family business and played occasionally, until a winning appearance on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks TV talent show which led to a flood of offers.
A facial paralysis forced him to use other mouthpieces, which allowed him to extend the range of his instrument. In 1965, he established his own band. From 1970 he played in the Acker Bilk Paramount Jazz Band, before he founded a band together with Ian Wheeler in 1973. He recorded numerous recordings for the Reef label. The 1980s saw Mason playing in the Dutch Swing College Band. In 1985, he founded the Hot Five band and released a number of albums for Timeless Records and regularly toured Europe.
Trumpeter, cornetist, vocalist Rod Mason who recorded thirty-two albums as a leader, played his last gig in Kaarst, Germany in December 2016 and died three weeks later on January 8, 2017 after developing peritonitis and pneumonia.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Dave Wilkins was born on September 25, 1914 in Barbados. He first played in Salvation Army bands in his native country. In 1937, he moved to London, England, where he worked with Ken Snakehips Johnson’s West Indian Swing Band among others.
He recorded with Una Mae Carlisle and Fats Waller in 1938, and continued to work with Johnson until 1941. Following this, he played with English jazz musicians such as Ted Heath, Harry Parry, Joe Daniels and Cab Kaye.
Trumpeter Dave Wilkins, who stopped playing in the 1970s, died on November 26, 1990 in London, England.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Vinnie Cutro was born in New Jersey on September 9, 1953 and received his formal musical training throughout his formative years. He continued his education at New Jersey University, receiving his B.A in Music Education, then got his Masters in Jazz Performance from New York University. He furthered his studies in jazz composition, classical studies, jazz arranging and counterpoint with Dr. Tom Boras and Jim McNeely.
His working education began as a freelance musician in the New York City area. During the past 30 years Vinnie has performed with Horace Silver, Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton. During his tenure with the latter he performed guest appearances with various American symphonic orchestras.
He has traveled extensively throughout the world appearing at jazz festivals and concerts in Europe, Japan, Africa, Canada, South America and the U.S.A. Cutro’s debut release as a leader, Blues for the Optimist, came in 1995 and featured Bob Mintzer, Jim McNeely, Victor Jones, and Mike Richmond. His sophomore release, Aberration, features guitarist Mike Stern, trombonist Bob Farrel, bassist Martin Wind, Sarah Jane Cion on piano, Victor Jones on drums and pianist Mitch Schechter.
Trumpeter Vinnie Cutro continues to compose, record and perform in the New York City area with his new ensemble New York City Soundscape.
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