Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Frank Assunto was born on January 29, 1932 in New Orleans, Louisiana into a musical family where the trumpeter had two sisters who played piano and woodwinds, and a trombonist brother. They all grew up studying with their father, banjoist Jacob “Papa Jac” Assunto.
He and his brother founded the group Dukes of Dixieland in 1949 and eventually became an institution in the city. Producer and bandleader Horace Heidt took them on tour, and when the group returned to New Orleans they practically took over the Famous Door club.
Dixieland revival peaking in popularity in the 1950s took the Assunto brothers group to national popularity. They toured clubs, released a string of albums and performed on television variety shows. Their first stereo jazz album, recorded in 1958, had one brother on the left channel, the other on the right.
His style was heavily influenced by Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan and Bobby Hackett. He also performed vocal duties with the group. Trumpeter Frank Assunto died on February 25, 1974.
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Jazz Poems
CHARLES PARKER: ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE
These are the shadows of water when water
is thick and no longer transparent
They are everywhere–on the walls
across the ceiling.
It was always this good.
One night you undressed me in your sleep.
Very slowly, you told me later. You said I smelled good.
The sweater i said I’d taken it
out of the drawer where I kept
my winter clothes.
It smelled of pine and a long summer.
No, you said. Not wood.
More like the inside of a saxophone case,
all velvet and sweet regrets.
All blues, I said. Blues
and whatever shadows are made of,
I said, falling on you like slow water.
DIONISIO D. MARTINEZfrom Jazz Poems ~ Selected and Edited by Kevin Young
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Niels Hartvig Foss was born on January 28, 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He began playing guitar and from 1933 to 1934 began performing with the Svend Asmussen Group. He went on to play bass with Asmussen and others.
From 1940 to 1948 Niels led and played trombone in orxhestras and bands he formed. In 1949 for the next two years he performed with Peter Rasmussen and in 1957 moved to Switzerland where he continued to play part-time.
Over the course of his career Foss was a member of All Danish Starband, Etly Lizette And Her Orchestra, Kai Ewans Og Hans Orkester, Kaj Timmermann’s Septet, The Kordt Sisters Med Swingtet, and The Swingin’ Birds. He recorded for Odeon, His Master’s Voice, Imperial record labels.
Bassist, trombonist and guitarist Niels Foss died on May 16, 2018.
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HENRY JOHNSON
The guitarist from Chicago, Illinois grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and started playing the guitar at the age of 12, teaching himself. He played various styles of music until hearing Wes Montgomery ignited an interest in jazz. He entered Indiana University in 1973.
Johnson has worked with Hank Crawford, Freddie Hubbard, Ramsey Lewis, Norman Simmons, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Stitt, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Williams, and Nancy Wilson. He has led his own bands since 1982.
Tickets: $10.00 ~ $40.00
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffry Castleman was born January 27, 1946 in Los Angeles, California. Active from the late 1960s to 1980s and was known for his work with Duke Ellington between 1967 to 1969. He also worked with Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Johnny Hodges and toured with Don Ho.
In the late 1980s he relocated to Brooklyn Park Minnesota to run the family liquor store business. For a short time he was an art framer before taking aposition as a piano salesman at Schmitt Music in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Leaving all forms of employment, bassist Jeff Castleman is now retired at 79.
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