Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Peter Packay was born Pierre Paquet on August 8, 1904 in Brussels, Belgium and lived with his family in China for part of his childhood, but returned to Belgium in 1912. As a teenager he was crippled in one arm by an accident, but decided to learn to play trumpet anyway at age 20, joining the Varsity Ramblers.
He co-founded a band called Red Beans with David Bee and served as its principal composer of originals. Bee left the group and was replaced by Robert De Kers, and Packay remained its leader until its dissolution in 1929. In the 1930s he formed another group, Packay’s Swing Academy, which played with Coleman Hawkins among others. He also did arrangements for bandleader Billy Arnold.
As a composer, Packay’s works included Alabama Mamma, The Blue Duke, Dixie Melody, and Lullaby for a Mexican Alligator. Following World War II he gave up performance to concentrate on composition and arrangement for songs like Jazz in the Rain, One Day and Grey Skys.
Trumpeter, arranger, and composer Peter Packay died on December 26, 1965 in Westende, Flanders, Belgium.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frederick Charles Slack was born on August 7, 1910 in Westby, Wisconsin and learned to play drums as a boy. He later took up the xylophone and at the age of 13 he changed to the piano. He studied with a local teacher throughout high school and at the age of 17, he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois where he continued his musical training.
Meeting clarinetist Rosy McHargue gave him the opportunity to accompany her to hear Bix Beiderbecke and Earl Hines. His first job was with Johnny Tobin before moving to Los Angeles, California where he worked with Henry Halstead, Earl Burtnett and Lennie Hayton.Then in 1934 he joined Ben Pollack.
He went on to play with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the Will Bradley Orchestra when it formed in 1939. Known to bandmates as Daddy Slack, he played the piano solo on Bradley’s recording of Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar, one of the early white boogie-woogie hits and a classic of the big band era.
Forming his own band in 1942 he signed with the newly founded Capitol Records and recorded three songs at his third recording session. His recording of Cow Cow Boogie was sung by the 17-year-old Ella Mae Morse and was Capitol’s first gold single. Slack continued to record some 80 tracks with Capitol until 1950.
Slack also recorded with Big Joe Turner, Johnny Mercer, Margaret Whiting and Lisa Morrow. He has been mentioned in song, co-wrote the 1945 classic The House of Blue Lights, first recorded with singer Ella Mae Morse.
Swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader Freddie Slack was found dead in his bedroom in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, from undetermined causes on August 10, 1965.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank Froeba was born August 6, 1907 in New Orleans, Louisiana. While still in his teens he held jobs in the bands of Johnny Wiggs and John Tobin. By the age of 17 he played with Johnny de Droit in New York City in 1924-1925, then led his own band in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In the latter half of the decade Frank moonlighted in other dance ensembles. He recorded with Jack Purvis in 1930 and with Jack Bland in 1932, then worked with Benny Goodman from 1933 to 1935. This was followed in 1935 to 1944 where he led his own band and played on recordings for Columbia and Decca. Among his sidemen were Bunny Berigan, Jack Purvis, Bobby Hackett and Joe Marsala.
He was a house pianist for Decca in the 1930s and 1940s, playing behind Bob Howard and Lil Armstrong, among others. In 1955, he moved to Miami, Florida and performed as Frank Froba, moving more into popular performance.
One of his more popular tracks, Jumpin’ Jive, which he co-wrote with Cab Calloway. It was recorded by Joe Jackson on his Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive album.
Pianist and bandleader Frank Froeba died on February 16, 1981 in Miami.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz
Siegfried “Sigi” Schwab was born in Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany on August 5, 1940. He played in a wide variety of styles, including baroque and jazz. He played in German groups like Et Cetera with pianist Wolfgang Dauner, bassist Eberhard Weber, and drummers Fred Braceful and Roland Wittig.
With Embryo he was joined by drummer and percussionist Christian Burchard, Mal Waldron on piano, and bassist Dave King, and with percussionist Ramesh Shotham. He played with the Diabelli Trio, Peter Horton, Freddie Santiago, Guillermo Marchena, and Andreas Keller.
In 1980 he played with flutist Chris Hinze at the 5th North Sea Jazz Festival. In addition, Schwab has also published several books about various guitar playing styles. He was a teacher, and performed on more than 15,000 recordings for film, television, and as an accompanist to various artists.
Sigi Schwab, who recorded twenty-eight albums as a leader and died after a long illness on January 11, 2024 at the age of 83 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
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Requisites
Donald Byrd at The Half Note Café, Volume 2 | By Eddie Carter
I enjoyed listening to the first set of Donald Byrd at The Half Note Café so much that I decided to hear the second set as well, which inspired this morning’s discussion. So, as the quintet makes their way back to the stage, let’s all sit back in our seats to enjoy Donald Byrd at The Half Note Café, Volume 2 (Blue Note BLP 4061/BST 84061). Donald Byrd is on trumpet, Pepper Adams is on baritone sax, Duke Pearson is on piano, Laymon Jackson is on bass, and Lex Humphries is on the drums. My copy is the King Record Company Japanese Stereo reissue (Blue Note BST 84061 – GYK-8105).
The rhythm section lays the foundation to begin Jeannine by Duke Pearson with their introduction ahead of the front line’s opening chorus. Donald lights the first solo like a shining beacon. Pepper succeeds him with a briskly exciting performance; then Duke keeps your foot tapping with swinging precision ahead of the ensemble’s closing chorus and trio ending softly. The leader then introduces the group’s theme, Pure D. Funk, before leading the trio through the bluesy theme. Pepper is up first with a relaxing interpretation. Duke has a very fine spot next, and then Donald is as smooth as Tennessee Whiskey preceding the group’s reprise and climax.
Side Two starts with Lex’s percussive introduction to the quintet’s medium melody of Donald’s second tune, Kimyas. Pepper swings easily in an impressive opening statement. Donald follows with another equally blissful gem. Duke completes the solos at a leisurely pace anchored by Laymon and Lex until the quintet’s ending theme. When Sonny Gets Blue by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal opens with the front line delivering a very pretty opening chorus. Duke gets the song’s only solo and delivers a wonderful expression of incredible beauty and solace, leading to the quintet’s theme restatement. Donald ends the evening by thanking the crowd for being a receptive audience.
Alfred Lion produced this live date, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. The sound quality possesses a top-notch soundstage that truly makes you feel like you’re right there in the Half Note Café audience. King Record Company has beautifully remastered the original mono tapes, enhancing the experience. If you’re new to the music of Donald Byrd or only know of his later ’70s jazz-funk releases, I invite you to check out Donald Byrd at The Half Note Café, Volume 2, on your next record hunt. Like its companion, Volume 1, the musicians are wonderful. The music has stood the test of time and both albums are excellent documents of a live jazz performance the listener can revisit anytime!
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