Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gene DiNovi was born Eugene Salvatore DiNovi on May 26, 1928 in New York City. While in his teens he worked with Joe Marsala and Chuck Wayne and by the late Forties was very active live and on record. During this period he worked with Buddy DeFranco, Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Brew Moore, Boyd Raeburn, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Lester Young.
At the end of the decade and into the 1950s Gene worked extensively as an accompanist for vocalists, starting with Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett and Anita O’Day. He recorded with Lena Horne multiple times in the late 1950s and early 1960s and accompanied her on European tours. He also led his own small combos with sidemen including Danny Bank, Johnny Carisi, Bill Crow, Tony Fruscella, and Dave Schildkraut.
He began working more as a studio musician and film score composer in the 1960s. Toward the end of the decade he played with Carmen McRae, then moved to Canada to take a position as a house pianist with the CBC in Toronto. In the 1980s he worked with Ruby Braff and toured and recorded in Japan, and continued to be active as a performer into the 1990s, working with James Campbell, Don Thompson, Memo Acevedo, Dave Young, and Terry Clarke.
Pianist and composer Gene DiNovi, now 95, lives a quiet life.
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The Jazz Voyager
They say Atlanta, Georgia is hot and this may be one of the hottest weekends for jazz in the country which is why the Jazz Voyager is heading South for the Memorial Day weekend. My first stop kicking off the weekend on Friday evening at City Winery is to check out Superblue featuring Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter and special guest Scott Mulvahill.
The fifteen time nominated and two-time GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling has secured his place among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. He has also received three awards from France, two Dutch, two from Germany, 14 year DownBeat Critics and Readers and twelve Jazz Journalists.
City Winery is located at Ponce City Market, 650 North Avenue NE 30308 Tickets range from $35.00~$45.00. You can reach the venue by phone at 404-946-3791 and can always get ticket information at citywinery.com/atlanta.
As if that isn’t enough music, the Atlanta Jazz Festival kicks off on Saturday with three days of free jazz in Piedmont Park. Bringing to the stage this year’s lineup includes Brandee Younger, Javon Jackson, Samara Joy, Wynton Marsalis, Lakecia Benjamin, Tony Hightower, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Stanley Clarke and many others. More information can be found at https://atljazzfest.com/2023-atlanta-jazz-festival-lineup/.
So needless to say this Jazz Voyager will be hanging out in Hotlanta till Tuesday when he’ll be on his way to his next jazz encounter!
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Marshall Belford Allen was born in Louisville, Kentucky on May 25, 1924. During World War II he enlisted in the 92nd Infantry Division and was stationed in France. He studied alto saxophone in Paris, France and played in Europe with Art Simmons and James Moody.
Best known for his mastery of explosive, jarring, chaotic sound effects on the alto saxophone, the opportunity came to create a long association with Sun Ra, with whom he performed almost exclusively from 1958 to Ra’s death in 1993. Marshall recorded with Paul Bley in 1964 and Olatunji during the mid-1960s.
Since Sun Ra death Allen has led the Arkestra and has recorded two albums. Allen often appeared in New York-area collaborations with bassist Henry Grimes, and participated in the Innerzone Orchestra with Francisco Mora Catlett, Carl Craig and others in an appreciation of Sun Ra’s music.
In 2022, the building at 5626 Morton Street known as the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra was listed as a historic landmark in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. Free and avant-garde jazz alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, who also plays flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI, at the age of 99 continues to live at the Institute, which has been his home since 1968.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gianni Basso was born May 24, 1931 in Asti, Italy. He started his career shortly after World War II, at first as a clarinetist, then switched to the tenor saxophone playing in Germany and Belgium with Raoul Faisant’s Big Band.
By the Fifties he became established as a commercial GB or general business player in Milan, Italy and had a steady presence at jazz events. The middle of the decade saw Gianni studying music in Turin, Italy and collaborating with trumpeter and composer Oscar Valdambrini. They created a small group combo which soon became one of the most popular jazz groups in Italy during the Fifties.
Due to their popularity Basso went on to work with a number of touring American jazz musicians, including Chet Baker, Buddy Collette, Slide Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Phil Woods and Gerry Mulligan.
During the Seventies he founded the Saxes Machine and fronted the Gianni Basso Big Band. His senior years had him settling into the Rome, Italy studio scene while playing clubs and enjoying his historical stature.
Tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso, who was influenced by Stan Getz, transitioned on August 17, 2009.
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Three Wishes
Francis Paudras replied to the query of three wishes by the Baroness with:
- “To ‘ave ze Beatles naked on ze stage on all fours, cut zeir ‘air, and zen close zem up, and force zem to listen to ze works of Monk, twenty-four hours on twenty-four!”
- “Zat ze world of music take conscience of ze importance, ze true place of Bud Powell in music, not just jazz.”
- “I would like for jazz coming ze ambassador for peace in ze world.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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