Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ray Anthony was born Raymond Antonini on January 20, 1922 into an Italian family in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania but moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he studied the trumpet. From 1940~1941 he played in Glenn Miller’s band and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he formed his own group and the Ray Anthony Orchestra became popular in the early 1950s with The Bunny Hop, Hokey Pokey, and the theme from Dragnet. He had a No. 2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller tune At Last in 1952, the highest charting pop version of the song in the United States.

The following year his orchestra was featured when Helen O’Connell and Bob Eberly headlined a summer replacement program for Perry Como’s CBS television show. From 1953–1954 Ray was musical director of the television series TV’s Top Tunes.

After appearing as himself in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs and starring in a short-lived television variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony he revved up his acting appearing in films during the late 1950s. In 1957, Anthony and his orchestra recorded the music score for the film This Could Be The Night, with vocals performed by Julie Wilson.

After his marriage to Mamie van Doren ende so did his brief film career. He continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Among his pianists was Allen “Puddler” Harris, and Kellie Greene, who also played the vibraphone. As a composer he wrote Thunderbird, The Bunny Hop, Trumpet Boogie, Big Band Boogie, and Mr. Anthony’s Boogie. Trumpeter Ray Anthony remains active today.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Al Foster was born on January 18, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in New York City. He began playing drums at the age of 13 and made his recording debut on Blue Mitchell’s The Thing to Do at age 20.

He joined Miles Davis’s group when Jack DeJohnette left in 1972 and stayed with Davis until 1985. Foster began composing in the 1970’s, and has toured with his own band, including musicians such as bassist Doug Weiss, saxophonist Dayna Stephens, and pianist Adam Birnbaum.

He played with Miles Davis during the 1970s and was one of the few people to have contact with Davis during his retirement from 1975 to 1981. Al also played on Davis’s 1981 comeback album The Man with the Horn. He was the only musician to play in Davis’s band both before and after his retirement.

Other artists Foster has performed and recorded with include Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Randy & Michael Brecker, Bill Evans, George Benson, Kenny Drew, Carmen McRae, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Dexter Gordon and Chick Corea.

Drummer Al Foster, who has toured extensively with Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Henderson continues to engage in jazz.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Claude Abadie was born on January 16, 1920 in Paris, France. He was interested in New Orleans jazz and Chicago jazz from an early age, and formed his own ensemble in 1941 to play in the Dixieland-revival style. Boris Vian played in the group from 1943.

Soon after, Abadie’s ensemble included Claude Luter, Jef Gilson, Raymond Fol, and Hubert Fol. He founded a new ensemble in 1949, which included Jean-Claude Fohrenbach and Benny Vasseur, but quit music in 1952, not returning to performance until 1963.

In 1965 he formed a large ensemble to play contemporary jazz and among his sidemen was Paul Vernon. Clarinetist and bandleader Claude Abadie turned 100 on his birthday and passed away on March 29, 2020.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Annette Neuffer was born on January 15, 1966 in Munich, Germany. She didn’t start playing the trumpet until he was 18. Three years later she began studying music at the Graz University of Music , majoring in jazz trumpet . Another two yearsand she moved to the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, where she completed her diploma under Claus Stötter in 1996.

As a trumpeter she has worked with the Sarah Morrow Allstars in Paris, Benny Golson, Hal Singer, Mike Carr, Benny Waters, Jimmy Woode, and Horst Jankowski. In 1994 Annette was invited by the Sunday Night Orchestra as a singer for a project with Al Porcino. In 1995 she brought Porcino into his own big band, of which she was a singer for eleven years.

Since 2001 she has released four albums with her own quintet. She is an active composer and lyricist. She performed with the Bobby Burgess Big Band Explosion, Alexander’s Swingtime Band and Pete York. Vocalist, trumpeter, composer and lyricist Annette Neuffer continues to compose, perform and record.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Mark Egan was born on January 14, 1951 in Brockton, Massachusetts and was influenced by his father, studying trumpet at age 10. Playing the trumpet throughout high school, he began playing the bass when he was fifteen. While attending the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, initially a trumpet student, he studied with Jerry Coker. He switched from trumpet to bass part way through the program. His teachers included Jaco Pastorius, Dave Holland, and Andy LaVerne. While in Miami he became friends and performed with Ira Sullivan, Pat Metheny, Danny Gottlieb, Clifford Carter.

After graduate school, in 1975 Egan went on tour with Eumir Deodato and the Pointer Sisters and recorded with David Sanborn. Two years later, working as a studio musician in New York City, he met Joe Beck and Steve Khan. He then joined the Pat Metheny Group until 1981, before starting the jazz fusion band Elements with the Group’s drummer, Danny Gottlieb. They were joined by saxophonist Bill Evans and keyboardist Clifford Carter. They recorded and toured through the 1990s. During the 1980s and Nineties, he was a member of the Gil Evans Orchestra.

He founded his own record label, Wavetone Records and has made three music videos: Om Yoga & Meditation, Music on the Edge, and Bass Workshop. He has appeared on the soundtracks of movies including Two Moon Junction, The Object of My Affection, You’ve Got Mail, The Color of Money, Rollover, Quick Change, Blown Away, and A Chorus Line. He recorded an album, Urge, with trumpeter Forrest Buchtel, Jr., featuring, among other things, the theme from CNN Headline News.

Egan has toured and recorded with jazz artists including Stan Getz, Gil Evans, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, Michael Franks, Jim Hall, Bill Evans, Lew Soloff,  Paul Shaffer, rock and pop musicians and The Pointer Sisters, Sting, Arcadia, Roger Daltrey, Joan Osborne, Marianne Faithfull, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Judy Collins, Sophie B. Hawkins, Bryan Ferry, Joe Beck, as well as Brazilians Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, and Toninho Horta.

Bassist and trumpeter Mark Egan continues to perform and record.

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