Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Barron W. “Barry” Rogers was born on May 22, 1935 in The Bronx, New York descended from Polish Jews whose name was originally Rogenstein, and was raised in Spanish Harlem. His father and several of his uncles sang in a choir and his mother taught in Africa and Mexico, inspiring an interest in music from other nations. Mambo and jazz were popular in his neighborhood.
As a student of jazz trombonists Jack Teagarden, Lawrence Brown, and J. C. Higginbotham’s playing, he began performing Latin music in the mid-1950s and would be most associated with it from then on. He developed his style while working with Eddie Palmieri, and Willie Colón regarded Rogers as his strongest musical influence and would feature him in many of his productions. Bobby Valentín would feature Rogers in his song El Jíbaro y la Naturaleza, which led Marvin Santiago to nickname him El Terror de los Trombones for the record.
Rogers worked with Israel “Cachao” López, Machito, Manny Oquendo, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Cheo Feliciano, Johnny Pacheco, Chino Rodríguez, and the Fania All-Stars. He was a founding member of the band Dreams with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, and Billy Cobham. He also worked with George Benson, David Byrne, Ron Carter, Aretha Franklin, Don Grolnick, Bob James, Elton John, Chaka Khan, Bob Moses, Todd Rundgren, Carly Simon, Spyro Gyra, James Taylor, Jimmy Ponder and Grover Washington Jr. as well as others too numerous to name in pop, r&b and rock genres.
Trombonist Barry Rogers, who performed in the jazz and salsa mediums, died suddenly in Washington Heights, Manhattan at the age of 55 on April 18, 1991.
More Posts: history,instrumental,jazz,music,trombone
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sergio Lara was born on May 21, 1959 in Mexico City, Mexico and started playing guitar at age nine. Very early he discovered and began studying several musical styles with his greatest influences being John McLaughlin, Jorge Strunz, Paco de Lucia, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Sam Bush and David Grisman, among others.
Lara appeared on the international music scene in 1983 with the release of his first solo album titled Sergiology. During the following years he formed his own band, New Acoustic Unit, in Nashville, Tennessee and San Antonio, Texas. In 1994 he released a sophomore album Guitarras Hermanas, the first one for Higher Octave Music. This album of all original music, also included a new instrumental version of the very popular and romantic song Sabor a Mi.
1996 saw Sergio releasing his next product titled Two Guitars-One Passion, which received worldwide attention because of its original combination of different musical styles. Throughout the balance of the 1990s he recorded two more albums with instrumental versions of classic songs and his original compositions.
Omn the new millennium he continued to record albums for his new independent label Fusion Acustica Music. With a career that covers many years and more than ten albums under his name, he has shared the stage with Al Di Meola, Larry Carlton, Bireli Lagrene, Dr. John, Craig Chaquico, Joe Sample, Strunz & Farah, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Paquito D’Rivera, Julio Iglesias and Ray Charles.
Guitarist Sergio Lara continues to explore new possibilities inside the world of contemporary instrumental music and sharing improvisation.
More Posts: bandleader,guitar,history,instrumental,jazz,music
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jimmy Henderson was born on May 20, 1921 in Wichita Falls, Texas and began studying piano at age six, picking up the trombone a few years later. By the time he was thirteen he had joined a musicians’ union and was first chair at the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra.
Winning several trombone competitions by age fourteen, Jimmy started his own orchestra while still in his teens, in addition to studying at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Henderson toured with the big bands of Hal McIntyre, Jimmy Dorsey, and Tommy Dorsey.
In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles, California where he steadily worked as a session musician for some 20 years. Among his credits in the studios was the soundtrack for Bonanza. From 1957 to 1960, he was also a member of Lawrence Welk’s orchestra in which he appeared weekly on the Maestro’s television show.
He led his own orchestra for fifteen years, and was the musical director for the Emmy Awards, Television Academy Honors, and Directors Guild of America Awards In the 1970s, he led the Glenn Miller Orchestra ghost band before retiring in 1980.
Trombonist and bandleader Jimmy Henderson died at the age of 77 on June 10, 1998 in New York City, New York.
More Posts: bandleader,history,instrumental,jazz,music,trombone
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Henry Busse Sr. was born on May 19, 1894 in Magdeburg, Germany to a generational German Band family. He studied violin and then trumpet after a broken finger was set incorrectly. In 1912 at age 18 he ran away from the family farm outside of Magdeburg, where he had been forced to play trumpet in his uncle’s band.
Initially jumping ship in New York City and landing in the German ghettos there, unable to speak English, he found a job on a boat heading to California. He acquired some English on his trip in 1916 that found him in Hollywood working as an extra in Keystone Cop films and playing trumpet in a movie theater pit band.
In 1917, he played the trumpet with the Frisco Jass Band before forming his own band, Busse’s Buzzards which was the nucleus of the Paul Whiteman orchestra of the mid-1920s, and featuring Henry they made four sides in total. Being the subject of discrimination because of his German accent caused concern among those living in post-World War I America.
At one point, eight out of the top ten sheet music sales spots belonged to the band. During his peak with them, Busse was earning $350 weekly, while fellow band member Bing Crosby was earning just $150. Busse co-composed several of the band’s early hit songs, including Hot Lips with Gussie Mueller and Wang Wang Blues. The latter sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc in 1920.
Throughout the 1920s he was concertmaster for the Whiteman Band, played alongside the Dorsey brothers, Ray Bolger, and formed the Shuffle Rhythm Band, which went on to enjoy great success in the 1930s and ’40s. A later group, The Henry Busse Orchestra. This group was more of a dance band than a jazz band and had a successful career.
Hitting his peak in 1930-45 playing dance music before the war, and swing during the war. He and his band appeared in two MGM color movies in 1935 called Starlit Days at the Lido, filmed at the Ambassador Hotel, along with Clark Gable and the studio’s stable of stars and in the movie Lady Let’s Dance.
Trumpeter Henry Busse and his Orchestra continued to record and perform up until his death on April 23,1955. at an undertaker’s convention at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was playing with the Shuffle Rhythm Band.
More Posts: history,instrumental,jazz,music,trumpet
DAVE BRODIE & CHRIS’ ALL STAR QUARTET
The Jazz Voyager is travling from Nashville to Philly to investigate a venue that is new to him. It’s called Chris’ Jazz Cafe. Known as an institution in a city for producing revered musical artists as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Ethel Waters, it was founded in 1989 and has become the longest operating jazz venue in the history of the city.
This week taking the stage is bassist David Brodie who started playing the electric bass at the age of thirteen, not taking up the upright until nineteen while at Berklee College of Music. A year in Spain, a return to Philadelphia, and a joining with guitarist Jimmy Bruno, he played with him for the next several years. His reputation well established, he has enjoyed a busy playing and recording career and has performed with some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians while performing regularly with a few of Philly’s finest such as Larry McKenna, John Swana, and Joanna Pascale. Joining him on this date is Chris’ All Star Quartet.
The Band: Dave Brodie ~ Bass | Neil Pogurski ~ Piano | Victor North ~ Saxophone | Byron Landham ~ Drums
Cover: $15.00 | A La Carte Menu
Dinner & Show: $70.00 | 3 Course Inner
VIP Dinner & Show: $90.00 | 3 Course Inner, Stage Front Seating
Beverages Not Included
More Posts: adventure,bass,club,genius,instrumental,jazz,music,preserving,travel