Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Norma Louise Teagarden was born in Vernon, Texas on April 28, 1911 into a musical family that consisted of her mother Helen, who played ragtime piano and taught; her brothers Charlie, a trumpeter, Clois, a drummer, and Jack, a trombonist. She performed with the latter in the 1940s and 1950s.

She performed on piano and violin during the early part of her career, which began in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In the 1920s she moved to New Mexico and worked in territory bands, returning to Oklahoma City in the 1930s. After another stint there she moved to California in the 1940s touring with her brother Jack from 1944–1947 and from 1952–1955.

Outside the Teagarden family, Norma worked with Ben Pollack, Matty Matlock, and Ray Bauduc. Eventually settling in San Francisco, California she often performed on solo piano and with bandleader Turk Murphy.

Pianist and violinist Norma Teagarden transitioned on June 6, 1996.

BRONZE LENS

More Posts: ,,,,,,

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Reuben Bloom was born April 24, 1902 in New York City, New York to Jewish parents. During the 1920s he wrote many novelty piano solos, recorded for the Aeolian Company’s Duo-Art reproducing piano system various titles including his Spring Fever. His first hit came in 1927 with Soliloquy; his last was Here’s to My Lady in 1952, which he wrote with Johnny Mercer. In 1928, he made a number of records with Joe Venuti’s Blue Four for OKeh, including five songs he sang, as well as played piano.

He formed and led a number of bands during his career, most notably Rube Bloom and His Bayou Boys, which recorded three records in 1930. The Bayou Boys consisted of Benny Goodman, Adrian Rollini, Tommy Dorsey, Mannie Klein and Frankie Trumbauer in the Sioux City Six.

His I Can’t Face the Music, Day In Day Out, Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread) and Give Me The Simple Life has become a part of the Great American Songbook and jazz standards.

During his career, he worked with many well-known performers, including those mentioned above and Ruth Etting, Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey and collaborated with a wide number of lyricists, such as Ted Koehler, and Mitchell Parish.

Pianist, arranger, bandleader, recording artist, vocalist, and author Rube Bloom published several books on piano method before he transitioned on March 30, 1976 in his home city.

ROBYN B. NASH

More Posts: ,,,,,,,,,

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bryan Carrott was born in Queens, New York on April 23, 1959. After graduating from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and continued at the Manhattan School of Music before studying percussion with Morris Lang at Brooklyn College, then studied vibraphone with Dave Samuels at William Paterson University, receiving his Bachelor of Music degrees in Jazz Studies and Jazz Performance.

He has toured and/or recorded with David Fathead Newman, Ralph Peterson, Henry Threadgill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, Don Byron, Dave Douglas, Charlie Hunter, Bob Moses, Roy Campbell, Herbie Mann, Cassandra Wilson, John Lurie & the Lounge Lizards, Greg Osby, Tom Harrell, Bennie Wallace, Steve Kroon, Joe Batan, and Kip Hanrahan, among others.

Carrott is an assistant professor and coordinator of percussion instruction at Five Towns College. He is a clinician and has led educational performances across the United States, Taiwan and Taipai. A featured soloist with Cologne, Germany’s WDR Orchestra conducted by Gunther Schuller, he was a mallet percussionist for Disney’s Broadway production of The Lion King.

For seven consecutive years, Bryan was cited in DownBeat Magazine’s International Critics’ Poll in the vibe category for Talent Deserving Wider Recognition, and has been featured on several film soundtracks, including 3 A.M. with Branford Marsalis. He currently serves as coordinator & professor of percussion studies at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, N.Y.

Vibraphonist and composer Bryan Carrott, who also plays marimba, piano, and leads his own trio, quartet and quintet, has yet to record as a leader but continues to perform and teach new generations of musicians.

ROBYN B. NASH

More Posts: ,,,,,,,,,

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Burton Franklin Bales was born on April 20, 1916 in Stevensville, Montana and began playing piano at age twelve. After moving to the West Coast in the 1930s, he played in hotels and nightclubs. He performed regularly in San Francisco, California in the 1940s, with Lu Watters’s Yerba Buena Jazz Band.

Drafted in 1943 into the Army Burt only had one opportunity to record with that group on a brief session with Bunk Johnson. Discharged for myopia, he led his own band from 1943 to 1946 before taking an extended residency at San Francisco’s 1018 Club.

He played with Turk Murphy at the end of the Forties, then with Bob Scobey and Marty Marsala. Between 1954 and 1966 he played mostly solo, with one of his regular gigs being at Pier 23.

Stride pianist Burt Bales, who recorded extensively for Good Time Jazz, Arhoolie, ABC-Paramount, and Euphonic record labels, transitioned on October 26, 1989 in San Francisco.

ROBYN B. NASH

More Posts: ,,,,

Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Susanna Lindeborg was born on April 18, 1952 in Gothenburg, Sweden and began classical training on piano at a young age which turned into work with jazz and improvisation, showing to be her right element. She started her professional musical career in the middle of the Seventies.

Susanna went on to mix acoustic and electronic instruments, which has been known most of all through the group Mwendo Dawa, which she leads and tours together with saxophone player Ove Johansson. Writing her own music for the group, she also toured with the female jazz group Salamander during the beginning of the 1980s. Both Mwendo Dawa and Salamander attracted a lot of attention on the European continent and in the United States.

She currently tours with her Lindeborg/Johansson Duo and Natural Artefacts. Her performances are both in the world of improvisation music, the world of electro~acoustic music, and solo improvisations. With the release of her first solo compact disc in 1989, she parlayed the acceptance into some work in Germany with some radio and TV recordings. Avant~garde pianist Susanna Lindeborg continues to push the boundaries of her music.

ROBYN B. NASH

More Posts: ,,,,,,

« Older Posts       Newer Posts »