Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Alan Dawson was born on July 14, 1929 in Marietta, Pennsylvania and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he played with the Army Dance Band while stationed at Fort Dix from 1951 to 1953. During his service, Dawson explored the post-bop era by performing with pianist Sabby Lewis. After being discharged from the army, Dawson toured Europe with Lionel Hampton.
In early 1960, he resided in Boston, Massachusetts for a regular engagement with bassist John Neves and pianist Leroy Flander. He was an early teacher of drummers Tony Williams, Joseph Smyth, Terri Lyne Carrington, Julian Vaughn, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Smith, Kenwood Dennard, Gerry Hemingway, Jeff Sipe, Billy Kilson, Joe Farnsworth, Bob Gullotti, and many others.
Dawson began teaching at Berklee College of Music in 1957. He suffered a ruptured disc in 1975 which led to him halting his touring schedule, to leave Berklee and limit his teaching to his home in Lexington, Massachusetts.
While teaching, Dawson also maintained a prolific performing and recording career. He was the house drummer for Lennie’s on the Turnpike in Peabody, Massachusetts, from 1963 through 1970. Throughout the 1960s he recorded almost exclusively with saxophonist Booker Ervin on Prestige Records. In 1968, he replaced Joe Morello in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and continued until 1972. His performance credits also included stints with Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Jaki Byard, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Lee Konitz, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, and Tal Farlow.
Drummer Alan Dawson died of leukemia on February 23, 1996. He was 66.
YASUKO NAKAMURA
Live @ Alfie’s CD release party!!! Seventh in a series of popular live recordings set at Alfie’s, a long-established jazz club in Roppongi, Yasuko Nakamura is an authentic jazz singer reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Her voice is rich in expression as she expresses the emotions of the moments in which she lives, and we hope you will listen to her fascinating live performances where her personality is on full display.
Track List: 1. But Beautiful | 2. Round Midnight | 3. For All We Know | 4. Body and Soul | 5. When October Goes | 6. House is Not a Home | 7. At Last | 8. Day In Day Out | 9. PS I Love You
The Performers: Yasuko Nakamura ~ vocal | Lynn Heitetsu ~ piano | Yutaka Yoshida ~ bass | Hiroshi Murakami ~ drums
Cover: ¥4950
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HIBIKI ENOMOTO QUARTET
Pianist and composer Hibiki Inamoto was born in Osaka, Japan in 1977. At the age of 3, he began piano lessons and at age 5 he made his stage debut with his clarinet musical father. He started his musical studies at age 18 where he gained the techniques of pianist master Alfred Cortot and interwined his own reform movement. During his studies, his European tour received high appraisal from Germany’s major newspapers.
Upon his return to Japan, he met concert tuner master Yu Takagi with whom a specialized piano (New York Steinway (Steinway & Sons)) was prepared which Hibiki transports wherever city he tours. He has performed with world top members in the renowned Berlin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and secured foremost applaud from the classic world.
As composer and music director, he has extended his great recognition in major Japanese films as “Nagai Sanpo” (A Long Walk) which received a Grand Prix Award at the Montreal World Film Festival, “Hoshi Mamoru Inu” (A Dog’s Star Protection), “Ikigami” ((from Manga Living God), etc. His creativity has also extended to his own inventions including a piano tinbre (piano mute) patent (No. 4572092) where it became possible to play various tinbre (instrumental sounds) as bass, cembello, and percussion on one piano.
The Band: Hibiki Enomoto ~ piano | Kosuke Sugiuchi ~ guitar | Junichi Sato ~ bass | Hiroshi Kimura ~ drums
Cover: ¥4950
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SAKI OZAWA
Born in Tokyo, Saki Ozawa began learning classical piano from the age of three, later inspired by Gene Harris’s album “Tribute to Count Basie” at the age of 15. She studied jazz piano at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, trained by Yuki Arimasa and started her professional career in the Tokyo area, appearing at a number of jazz festivals, then after graduation began regularly appearing as Saki Ozawa trio at the historical jazz club “Alfie” in Roppongi, Tokyo.
In September 2022, the piano solo performed live at the Hamacho Dining & Bar SESSiON, a restaurant established by Blue Note Japan, was quickly fully booked and she appeared at the grand-opening reception for the press of Ebisu’s BLUE NOTE PLACE, which is currently a hot spot. Since then Ozawa has continued to perform regularly at the club with her own trio.
In March 2023, she performed with sax player Adam Pieronczyk at the Polish jazz club Vertigo. Then in June 2023, the debut album “Cheers!” mainly composed of original songs was released by ReBorn Wood Label and in August 2023, the live performance at Cotton Club Tokyo met with great success.
The Trio: Saki Ozawa ~ piano | Yutaka Yoshida ~ bass | Jun Yamazaki ~ drums
Cover: ¥4950
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Erik Parker was born July 13, 1918 in Århus, Denmark. By 1938 he became a member of the Svend Asmussen Orchestra and from 1939 to 1945 was involved in Leo Mathisen’s Orchestra, where he performed both as an instrumentalist and a vocalist.
He worked as a club manager, and from 1945-1951 he was an actor. In 1953 he emigrated to the United States, where he settled in Los Angeles, California where he became a restaurateur and trumpet teacher.
Throughout his career he was a member of the All Danish Starband, Henry Hagemann & His Full Brass, Henry Hagemann’s Sextet, Kai Ewans And His Swinging 16, Leo Mathisens Band, Leo Mathisens Orkester, Leo Mathisens Ønskeorkester, and Roger Henrichsen Trio.
Trumpeter and vocalist Erik Parker, who is considered one of the most significant Danish jazz musicians and a distinguished representative of golden age jazz, died in 2003.