Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Chris Anderson was born on February 26, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois and self-taught, began playing in Chicago clubs in the mid-1940s and played with Von Freeman and Charlie Parker, among others. Hired as Dinah Washington’s accompanist, his tenure with her was brief, as Washington changed accompanists frequently. She fired him in New York six weeks after hiring him, but he chose to remain in the city.

In 1960 he recorded what might be his best regarded album My Romance on the VeeJay label with bassist Bill Lee and drummer Art Taylor. Despite the respect of his peers, Anderson had difficulty finding work or popular acclaim due in large part to his disabilities. He was blind and his bones were unusually fragile, causing numerous fractures, which at times compromised his ability to perform at the times or places requested.

He continued to record until he was well into his 70s. A DownBeat profile indicated he had Osteogenesis, probably meaning osteogenesis imperfecta.

Pianist Chris Anderson, who was best known for his influence on his student Herbie Hancock, passed away of a stroke on February 4, 2008 in Manhattan, New York. He was 81.

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Conversations About Jazz & Other Distractions

Conversations About Jazz Presents 

Rubin & Dameron: A Perfect Match on February 25

On Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 pm (EST) Hammonds House Digital invites you to join us for Conversations About Jazz & Other Distractions with host Carl Anthony. Carl’s special guest will be jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin and they will discuss her career, sample some of her favorite songs, and delve into her latest CD, This Dream is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron. This free virtual program will stream on Hammonds House  Museum’s Facebook and YouTube channels. For more information about this and upcoming virtual events visit hammondshouse.org.

Revered as both a torchbearer and a storyteller, jazz vocalist Vanessa Rubin possesses a voice hailed for crystalline clarity, warmth, and playful sass. The Cleveland native brings a wealth of diverse influences to her vocal performance from both the Trinidadian/Caribbean roots of her mother and traditional jazz by way of her Louisiana-born father. Additional influences include the melodic bell tone clarity of a young Nancy Wilson, the fire of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the sweet sounds of trumpeter Blue Mitchell, and her love of the Motown Sound…especially girl groups like the Supremes.

Rubin’s passion for rich musical stories is evident throughout her eight albums. Highlights include the evocative “Voyager II” from the pen of Teri Thornton, “Inside a Silent Tear” written by Blossom Dearie, a waltz version of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” lyricized by New York Voices, and an arrangement of “Superwoman” by Stevie Wonder, inspired by the Ahmad Jamal recording of “Poinciana.” Her current endeavors include highlighting and interpreting well known, obscure and new lyrical works of composer/arranger/pianist Tadd Dameron. “I hope to do for Tadd’s music what Carmen McRae did for Monk’s music,” Rubin explained. For more information visit: vanessarubin.com.

Tadd Dameron (1917-1965) was American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. The most influential arranger of the bebop era, he also wrote charts for swing and hard bop players. The bands he arranged for included those of Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Jimmie Lunceford, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, and Sarah Vaughan. In 1940-41 he was the piano player and arranger for the Kansas City band Harlan Leonard and his Rockets. He and lyricist Carl Sigman wrote “If You Could See Me Now” in 1946 for Sarah Vaughan and it became one of her first signature songs. Dameron wrote many arrangements for Gillespie’s big band, who gave the première of his large-scale orchestral piece Soulphony in Three Hearts at Carnegie Hall in 1948. Later in 1948, Dameron led his own group in New York, which included Fats Navarro. The following year Dameron performed at the Paris Jazz Festival with Miles Davis.

Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Fulton County Arts and Culture, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The National Performance Network, AT&T and WarnerMedia.

Hammonds House Museum’s mission is to celebrate and share the cultural diversity and important legacy of artists of African descent. The museum is the former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and a passionate arts patron. A 501(c)3 organization which opened in 1988, Hammonds House Museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 450 works including art by Romare Bearden, Robert S. Duncanson, Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Hale Woodruff, Amalia Amaki, Radcliffe Bailey and Kojo Griffin. In addition to featuring art from their collection, the museum offers new exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, concerts, poetry readings, arts education programs, and other cultural events throughout the year.

Located in a beautiful Victorian home in Atlanta’s historic West End, Hammonds House Museum is a cultural treasure and a unique venue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to observe CDC guidelines, but look forward to welcoming in-person visitors soon!  For more information about upcoming virtual events, and to see how you can support their mission and programming, visit their website: hammondshouse.org.

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Three Wishes

The inquiry of three wishes came from the Baroness to Paul Bley who told her:   

1. “To never hear another chord!”
2. “To be driven home to Fourteenth Street and Eighth Avenue. Thank you very much! I’ll tell you my other wish next time I see you.”
3. “To have God on your side.”

*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

William Ballard Doggett was born February 16, 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the 1930s and early 1940s he worked for Lucky Millinder, Frank Fairfax and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1942 he was hired as the Ink Spots’ pianist and arranger.

By 1951 Doggett had organized his own trio and began recording for King Records. He also arranged for many bandleaders and performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton. He also recorded with Fitzgerald, as well as Coleman Hawkins, Helen Humes, Willis Jackson, Illinois Jacquet, Louis Jordan, Lucky Millinder, Paul Quinichette, Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson

Crossing over to rhythm & blues his best known recording is Honky Tonk, a rhythm and blues hit of 1956, which sold four million copies (reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 2 Pop), and which he co-wrote with Billy Butler. The track topped the US Billboard R&B chart for over two months. He also worked with the Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, and Wynonie Harris.

Pianist and organist Bill Doggett continued to play and arrange until passing away of a heart attack on November 13, 1996 in New York City. He was 80.

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

My social distancing and masks continues amidst the on-going vaccinations. This week the album I’m puting on the turntable is an album from a member of a family who are vocal royalty. The album is a 2018 titled My Mood Is You by Freddy Cole.

Recorded on the HighNote label The album features Cole’s working band. Arrangements are by Randy Napoleon and John DiMartino. This album received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album on December 7, 2018.

1. My Mood Is You ~ 5:47
2. Temptation ~ 4:55
3. Almost In Love ~ 5:39
4. I’ll Always Leave The Door A Little Open ~ 5:45
5. First Began ~ 6::21
6. The y Didn’t Believe Me ~ 4:34
7. My Heart Tells Me ~ 6:32
8. The Lonely One ~ 5:12
9. Love Like This Can’t Last ~ 4:17
10. Marie ~ 3:20

• Freddy Cole ~ piano, vocal
• Randy Napoleon ~ guitar
• Elias Bailey ~ bass
• Quentin Baxter ~ drums
• John DiMartino ~ piano
• Joel Frahm ~ tenor saxophone

This pandemic is here for the long haul. In the meantime, stay vigilant, wear masks and remain healthy and we’ll all be jet setting sooner than we think.

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