Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Albert “Andy” Gibson was born on November 6, 1913 in Zanesville, Ohio. He played violin early on before settling on trumpet. He played professionally in many orchestras and though he did not solo, he worked more often as an arranger.

During the 1930s his associations include Lew Redman, Zack Whyte, McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Blanche Calloway, Willie Bryant, and Lucky Millinder. He quit playing in 1937 to arrange and compose full-time, working with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Charlie Barnet, and Harry James. in the United States Army he led a big band while serving from 1942-45.

After his discharge, he continued working with Barnet but turned his focus primarily on R&B music. He was musical director for King Records from 1955–60 and recorded four songs as a leader in 1959 which were released by RCA Camden. He composed I Left My Baby popularized by Count Basie, The Great Lie, and The Hucklebuck.

Trumpeter, arranger, and composer Andy Gibson transitioned from a heart attack on February 11, 1961 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Neil Cowley was born on November 5, 1972 in London, England. He began as a classical pianist and performed a Shostakovich piano concerto at the age of 10 at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

In his late teens Cowley moved into being a keyboardist for soul and funk acts Mission Impossible, the Brand New Heavies, Gabrielle and Zero 7. He also appeared as a co-composer and session musician with the jazz-rock group Samuel Purdey. An early album was Foxbury Rules, released under the pseudonym Diamond Wookie.

By 2002 Neil formed the duo Fragile State with Ben Mynott and after it disbanded, it became the Neil Cowley Trio. In 2006, he released an album called Soundcastles under the name Pretz.

Two years later the Neil Cowley Trio recorded cover versions of the Beatles’ Revolution 1 and Revolution 9 for Mojo magazine. In 2012, he appeared as the session pianist on Adele’s album 21. 2013 saw him as Musician in Residence for Derry, when it was designated the inaugural UK City of Culture.

His sophomore album Spacebound Apes was released by Neil Cowley Trio and in 2018 he announced that the trio was on hiatus and he was working on a new electronic focused project.

Contemporary pianist and composer Neil Cowley, who won the 2007 BBC Jazz Award for best album for Displaced, continues to work on his craft and new projects.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

John Boutté was born November 3, 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a 7th Ward Creole-Catholic family. Exposed to the local culture such as Mardi Gras parades and jazz funerals since childhood, he also grew up listening to the music of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the like. He played trumpet and cornet in marching bands in his junior high and high school days. During this time, he also formed an a cappella group and sang on the streets.

Studying business at Xavier University of Louisiana, Boutté was in ROTC and after graduation was commissioned in the U.S. Army, serving for four years. Returning home he worked at a credit union until he met Stevie Wonder, then decided to seriously become a professional singer. He soon joined his sister Lillian on her tour to Europe, and his professional career started.

In 1993 John released his debut album titled Through the Eyes of a Child. The following year he was featured on his sister’s live album, Gospel United, released in 1994. He was the featured guest vocalist on Cuban group Cubanismo!’s Mardi Gras Mambo, recorded in New Orleans.

In recent years, Boutté has been working with ex-Cowboy Mouth guitarist and singer Paul Sanchez which led to a collaborative effort Stew Called New Orleans released in 2009. He was also featured on John Scofield’s 2009 album, Piety Street, singing the lead on three tracks.

His Treme Song on his Jambalaya album is the theme song of HBO’s series, Treme. He appears in several episodes of the show’s Seasons 1, 2, and 3.

Vocalist John Boutté, who is known for his diverse music style that goes beyond jazz to R&B, gospel, Latin, and blues, continues to perform.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ernest Dawkins was born November 2, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. As a child he was a neighbor of Anthony Braxton as a child. He played bass and drums early in life before switching to saxophone in 1973.

During that decade he began studying with Joseph Jarman and Chico Freeman, members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He also studied at Vandercook College of Music.

He worked with Ed Wilkerson and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and Douglas Ewart before founding his own New Horizons Ensemble. The ensemble played regularly in Chicago into the new century, as well as at jazz festivals and on tour in Europe.

As a leader he recorded sixteen albums, three as an unofficial leader/co-leader of The (AACM) Great Black Music Ensemble and as a guest with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.

Saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, who is principally active in free jazz and post-bop, continues to perform, record and tour.

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Three Wishes

Pannonica finally got the opportunity to ask Lionel Hampton what he would wish for and his retort was:

1. 1. “To be in tune with jazz. Jazz to me is like the human emotion of the Negro. From the time he was in bondage praying to God to give him freedom – that was the blues then, coming from the spiritual vein – and when he was freed some, he would make jazz more happy. It was coming from the Negroes. From the time of the slave in the cotton fields, swinging up, you dig? From the time it got popularized and commercial, and left the cotton fields and railroad tracks, and they were putting it in the cafes. It was the days of King Oliver and Sidney Bechet..”
   2. “The colored man always has been the one to change the color of jazz. As the country advanced, they changes the music. It’s always been moving along, integrated by Negroes, turning to his feelings as he advanced. From Louis Armstrong up to Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Edgar Sampson, and Sy Oliver. They started changing the picture of jaz. It was their orchestrations, their chart that made jazz. They began writing arrangements for Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and so on – for the ofay bands. fats Waller, Jimmie Lunceford, those guys were all great arrangers. Then Monk, Dizzy, Prez, Don Byas, and Charlie Parker, they came in, all influencing the music, all great instrumentalists. As the Negro got free he added more ingredients. You’d need an encyclopedia to tell it all. I hope I’ll always be tuned so I can dig the transitions in jazz. Because there are more transitions coming.”
   3. “Lots of white folks write about jazz, but they don’t know the pains of it. You should be the one to write about it, because you understand. And musicians will talk to you. Gotta get down on that stand now, but I’ll be over to your pad tomorrow, and we’ll do this with the tape recorder. It’ll take another three of four hours, at the very least. I’ve not done more than get started on the first answer yet, you dig?”

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