Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Patrick Cairns “Spike” Hughes was born October 19, 1908 in London, England and spent his childhood mostly with his mother, a psychiatrist who was involved in extensive travel in France and Italy, as well as a more settled period of education at Perse School in Cambridge. By 1923 when he was 15 he spent an extended period in Vienna, Austria studying composition with Egon Wellesz.

He began writing his first music criticism for The Times of London and heard his first jazz at the Weinberg Bar, Weihburggasse, a band led by trumpeter Arthur Briggs. Returning to the UK in 1926, Hughes had a solo cello sonata performed in London and wrote the incidental music for two theatre productions in Cambridge.

His interest in jazz was stimulated by the London revue Blackbirds, starring Florence Mills and Edith Wilson in 1926. It was an enthusiasm he shared with his friends, the composers Constant Lambert and William Walton and the conductor Hyam Greenbaum. He taught himself double bass using a German string bass made of tin, the spike of which led to his nickname. He formed his own jazz group in 1930 and was one of the earliest artists signed to Decca Records in England and recorded over 30 sessions between 1930 and 1933.

Originally billed as Spike Hughes and his Decca-Dents, but it was changed either to his Dance Orchestra or Three Blind Mice for smaller sessions. From 1931, he played regularly with the Jack Hylton Band and his career in jazz culminated in 1933 with a visit to New York, where he arranged three recording sessions involving members of Benny Carter’s and Luis Russell’s orchestras with Coleman Hawkins and Henry “Red” Allen from Fletcher Henderson’s band.

After the New York recordings, Spike ceased performing jazz and orchestrated and conducted shows for C B Cochran and using the pseudonym Mike wrote jazz reviews for Melody Maker, Daily Herald and The Times from 19531 to 1967. He established performance and recording opportunities for American bands in England.

He wrote radio plays accompanied by his own musical scores for the BBC, writing and broadcasting, conducting the BBC Theatre Orchestra, and for BBC Television. As a writer, regular BBC broadcaster and critic his subjects also included food and travel. He wrote sixteen composition, five film scores, fifteen books and recorded four albums,

Composer, arranger and double bassist Spike Hughes, who became better known as a broadcaster and humorous author, transitioned on February 2, 1987.

BRONZE LENS

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CURTIS LUNDY TRIO

Curtis Lundy is arguably one of the most prolific — in-demand bassists on the modern jazz scene — he is a disciple of the mainstream — straight ahead — hard bop school. Highly regarded for his robust, lyrical, ‘lead from the front’ approach to the acoustic bass — he delivers an unsurpassed brand of masterful excellence in performing standards, originals and the American songbook. His fluid voicings and exceptional dexterity allow listeners to delve into a song — in any time signature — with an equal measure of challenge and enjoyment.

Born in 1963, Cyrus Chestnut started his musical career at the age of three, playing piano at the Mount Calvary StaR&Baptist Church at the age of six in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. By age nine, he was studying classical music at the Peabody Preparatory Institute in Baltimore. In the fall of 1981, Cyrus began jazz education in Boston, MA at the Berklee College of Music. In 1985, he earned a degree in jazz composition and arranging. While at Berklee, Chestnut was awarded the Eubie Blake Fellowship, the Oscar Peterson, Quincy Jones, and Count Basie awards for exceptional performance standards at the college. His association with Betty Carter, which began in 1991 significantly affected his outlook and approach to music, confirming his already iconoclastic instincts. Carter advised him to “take chances” and play things I’ve never heard,” Chestnut says. As Cyrus was absorbing experiences as a sideman, he was also developing as a leader, recording and playing live around the world.

Victor Jones, considered a visionary in today’s music business, is a new breed of Drummer/Bandleader bringing new and exciting ideas to the world of jazz and world music. No stranger to traditional or modern jazz, Victor Jones started his career as a teen-age musician playing in local bands in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey and touring world-wide with Lou Donaldson. In his early twenties he toured the world with Stan Getz.  Later tours were with James Moody, Michel Petrucciani, Joe, Olivia, Stanley Clarke,, Phyllis Hyman,, Dizzy Gillespie and Chaka Khan as well as others. Victor played on the Grammy nominated EMI Korean recording, Second Moon, which won Record of the Year in 2006. Victor also was featured on the Best Latin Jazz recording in 2008 with Papo Vasquez. When asked about his greatest achievement he replied,  “My greatest achievement in life was having five children with my wife Ane Jones.” Since 2003 he has been a Bandleader with his own World Music Band, Cultur-Versy, these days specializing in a new age type of music, a mix of dance music, hip-hop and electro pop.

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MATTHEW PARRISH QUARTET FEATURING HOUSTON PERSON

Jazz bassist Matthew Parrish has ‘come into his own’ as a sought after performer, arranger, composer, producer and instructor. Matthew brings skills and swing as he puts his heart into every note he plays. He has a genuine warmth and loyalty to the music that transcends into every note, every tune, and every interaction with his fellow musicians.

Houston Person grew up in Florence, S.C., studied at the state college there, was later named to the school’s Hall of Fame in 1999, and continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, CT. Earlier, in the U.S. Air Force, he played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the late singer Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring.

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The Jazz Voyager

Masked up and on the wing to that city by the bay is the next stop for this Jazz Voyager to take in an evening at the Comstock Saloon situated at the crossroads of North Beach, Chinatown, Financial District and Jackson Square. I’ve been hearing about Gaucho Jazz, and having sparked my curiosity, decided to satisfy or see if it will kill this cat. So it’s off to hear them live and experience a performance for myself.

Of course while I’m in this city I’ll ride another trolley, make my way down the crooked street, roll across the bridge to Berkeley, go hang in the Tenderloin, Haight~Ashbury and Nob Hill and just enjoy the sights and sounds. I’ve also heard about this Dynamo Spiced Chocolate Donut that the saloon serves up with vanilla ice cream and during the night I’m going to see what this dessert hoopla is all about.

Showtime is 8:00pm ~ 11:00pm and there is no mention of a cover or reservations required. I guess I’ll be dropping in a little before showtime. The address of the Comstock Saloon is 155 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, California 94133. For more information, the number is 415-617-0071 or comstocksaloon.com.

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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ROY HARGROVE BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

CELEBRATING THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE JAZZ GALLERY

Jaleel Shaw ~ saxophones
Giveton Gelin – trumpet
Orrin Evans -piano
Mimi Jones -bass
Johnathan Blake –drums

With Special Guests
Renee Neufville -vocals
Tadataka Unno -piano
Justin Robinson –saxophone

Guest MC: Lezlie Harrison

Sets at 7.30pm + 9.30pm ET
$30/$10 members; cabaret seating: $40/$20 members; LIVESTREAM: $20/$5 members

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