Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Leon Joseph Roppolo was born on March 16, 1902 in Lutcher, Louisiana but by age ten was living in New Orleans. Young Leon’s first instrument was the violin, but being a fan of the New Orleans marching bands he wanted to play clarinet. Soon excelling on clarinet, he played youthful jobs for parades, parties and at Milneburg on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. By his teens he left home with Bee Palmer’s group that evolved into the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, that become one of the hot jazz bands in 1920s Chicago along with King Oliver’s band. Leon’s style influenced many younger Chicago musicians, most famously Benny Goodman.
Following the breakup of the Rhythm Kings he went to New York City jazz scene and recorded with the Original Memphis Five and the California Ramblers. Returning to New Orleans he briefly reformed the Rhythm Kings, made a few recordings but primarily worked with other bands like the Halfway House Orchestra, with whom he recorded on saxophone.
Roppolo soon began exhibiting more eccentric behavior and violent temper outbursts. Too much for his family to take, Leon was committed to the state mental hospital. Aging and feeble far beyond his years in his later life, he would come home for periods when a relative or friend could look after him, and he would sit in with local bands on saxophone or clarinet.
Leon Roppolo, nicknamed “Rap” and who played clarinet, saxophone and guitar, passed away in New Orleans at the age of 41 on October 5, 1943. He left for posterity such compositions as Farewell Blues, Gold Leaf Strut and Make Love To Me, the latter recorded by Jo Stafford in 1954 and that hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts and #2 on Cashbox.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Anthony Ocaña was born in the Dominican Republic on March 7, 1980 and from an early age discovered his love for music. At age 5 he started taking piano and violin lessons and by 12 he began playing the guitar. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music of the Dominican Republic, received a scholarship to study at Manhattanville College New York in 1998.
While in New York he worked with Elliot Magaziner, the Frank Sinatra Orchestra conductor, and received the “Senior Josephine Morgan Award” for his professional and academic achievements. In 1999 and 2001, he opened for Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the National Theater of the Dominican Republic; in 2001 Anthony recorded his first album titled “A Paso de Cebra” (Zebra’s Pace) and 2002 saw him moving to Madrid to further his study of composition and guitar.
By 2003 he was again at the National Theatre opening for Brazilian guitarist and pianist Egberto Gismonti, integrating percussion into his music. Ocaña has received several awards for composition, has performed over 50 concerts at all the major venues in Spain, in 2006 he released his self-titled sophomore project was released. He continues to perform all over the world playing concerts and festivals in conjunction with composing and recording.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Bheki Mseleku was born Bhekumuzi Hyacinth Mseleku on March 3, 1955 in South Africa. Entirely self-taught, though his father was a musician and teacher, his religious belief denied musical access to his children. Growing up in Apartheid he was subjected to restricted healthcare and lost the upper joints of two fingers in a go-karting accident.
His musical career began in Johannesburg in 1975 as an electric organ player for the R&B band Spirits Rejoice. After performing at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1977, Mseleku settled in Botswana for a time, then moved to London in the late 1970s. He attempted to settle into the jazz scene in Stockholm from 1980 to 1983, but returned to London. It was not until 1987 that Bheki made his debut at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, playing piano unaccompanied by other musicians, with a saxophone in his lap that a wider audience became familiar.
With the release and notoriety of his 1991 debut album Celebration, and subsequent nomination for a Mercury Music Prize that Verve Records signed him for several albums. The first of these featured Joe Henderson, Abbey Lincoln, and Elvin Jones.
Twelve years and five albums later Bheki recorded his final session “Home at Last” in 2003, having spent most of his last years in South Africa. He never found an outlet for his skills and established a new band in London that was very well received by fans. Over the course of his life Bheki Mseleku lived with diabetes and on September 9, 2008 the pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, composer and arranger passed away in his London flat at age 53.
JOHN PIZZARELLI
Grammy winning producer, guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli celebrates the centennial of iconic singer Tony Bennett with a pair of heartfelt tributes Dear Mr. Bennett, to be released March 3, 2026, which features Pizzarelli’s trio performing timeless songs made famous by Bennett.
For world-renowned guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli, Tony Bennett was more than simply an influence. Pizzarelli’s late father, the revered guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, was a frequent sideman for the legendary singer, appearing on albums including 1960’s To My Wonderful One and 1969’s I’ve Gotta Be Me. John got his own opportunity to accompany Bennett for a radio broadcast that also featured pianist Ralph Sharon and bassist Jay Leonhart. The admiration was mutual – Bennett could be found in the audience for a number of Pizzarelli’s performances, and sketched his likeness on two occasions. The charming artwork that graces the cover of Pizzarelli’s heartfelt new tribute album, Dear Mr. Bennett, was rendered during an engagement at Feinstein’s nightclub at New York’s Loews Regency hotel.
John Pizzarelli ~ guitar and vocals
Isaiah J. Thompson ~ piano
Mike Karn ~ double bass
Tickets: Streaming $15.00 +fee | GA $45.00 ~ $55.00 +fee
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Freddy Robinson was born Fred Leroy Robinson on February 24, 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee but was raised in Arkansas and by 1956 was in Chicago. That year he first recorded backing harmonica player Birmingham Jones. In 1958, he began touring with Little Walter and after seeing a jazz band performance was inspired to formally learn music at the Chicago School of Music.
Freddy soon was working and recording with Howlin’ Wolf, and by the mid-1960s was playing with Jerry Butler and Syl Johnson before joining Ray Charles in Los Angeles. While there, he recorded the instrumental “Black Fox”, which became a minor pop hit. In the early 1970s, he worked with English blues bandleader John Mayall, playing on the album Jazz Blues fusion and recording with trumpeter Blue Mitchell.
As a leader Robinson would record two albums, At The Drive In and Off The Cuff, supported by Joe Sample and Wilton Felder of the Crusaders. Throughout his career he worked with Earl Gaines, Jimmy Rogers, Monk Higgins, Stanley Turrentine and Bobby Bland. In 1975 he converted to Islam changing his name to Abu Talib and recorded solo, re-emerging in 1994 with an album of his own compositions, The Real Thing at Last.
Abu Talib, jazz and blues guitarist, singer and harmonica player, died of cancer in Lancaster, California on October 8, 2009.