Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Claude Berkeley Williamson was born November 18, 1926 Brattleboro, Vermont. He studied piano at the New England Conservatory of Music before moving to jazz, influenced mainly by Teddy Wilson, then by Al Haig and Bud Powell.
Moving to California in 1947 he first worked with Teddy Edwards, then with Red Norvo in San Francisco followed by Charlie Barnet in 1949 and June Christy two years later. He would go on to work with Max Roach, Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Maynard Ferguson, Barney Kessel, Dizzy Reece, Ted Curson and others.
Williamson was a longtime member of the Lighthouse All-Stars, often substituting for Russ Freeman, and performing with Bud Shank, Stan Levey, Bob Cooper, Conte Candoli and Howard Rumsey. By 1956 he was the piano player in the Bud Shank Quartet and a little over a decade later he was the pianist for NBC on The Andy Williams Show and then for Sonny and Cher.
In 1978 he went back to the jazz world and released many albums, mainly for Japanese labels, often accompanied by Sam Jones and Roy Haynes. In 1995 he made a trio recording for Fresh Sound Records at the Jazz Bakery and at the age of 88, pianist Claude Williamson currently plays clubs in Los Angeles.
Take A Dose On The Road
More Posts: piano
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Patricia Barber was born on November 8, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois to professional musician parents and raised in South Sioux City, Iowa. She began playing classical piano at age six and by the time she graduated high school jazz was completely in her blood.
She enrolled in the University of Iowa with a double major of classical music and psychology but the jazz voice in her head grew louder. In 1984 she returned to Chicago and landed a five night week gig at the Gold Star Sandine Bar and since the mid-90s performs regularly at the Green Mill.
Starting her professional career as a pianist, as Barber’s stock rose, she then began to add vocals to her repertoire, centered in a fairly low register and a traditional blues-jazz style. Mixing original compositions and standards with classic rock covers, she has recorded and released a dozen compact discs, including a three CD box set covering her 1994-2007 years. She has released a classic Cole Porter collection of his songbook in her unique way of interpretation.
Vocalist, pianist and songwriter Patricia Barber has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and teaches master classes worldwide in between her performing, touring and recording.
Jazz Is Global – Share
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
François Boland was born on November 6, 1929 in Namur, Belgium. He was classically trained on piano and first gained notice in 1949 working with Belgian jazz greats like Bobby Jaspar and in 1955 he joined Chet Baker’s quintet.
A move to the United States saw Boland arranging for Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie. He formed an octet with drummer Kenny Clarke before returning to Europe and becoming Kurt Edelhagen’s chief arranger. In 1961, building from a rhythm section featuring Clarke, Jimmy Woods and himself, he founded the Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Big Band, which rapidly became one of the most noted big bands assembled outside the United States.
Some of band’s collaborators and members over the years included Johnny griffin, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Ake Persson, Dusko Goykovich, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Muvaffak “Maffy” Falay, Idrees Sulieman, Herb Geller, Benny Bailey and Jimmy Wooden, among others.
After the band broke up in 1972 he concentrated on composing. From 1976 on Francy lived in Europe, primarily Switzerland, arranging music for Sarah Vaughan and others. He was a part of One World, One Peace, an effort that involved Pope John Paul II.
Belgian jazz composer and pianist Francy Boland passed away in Geneva, Switzerland on August 12, 2005.
Inspire A Young Mind
More Posts: piano
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ralph Earl Sutton was born November 4, 1922 in Hamburg, Missouri. He had a stint as a session musician playing stride piano with Jack Teagarden’s band before joining the US Army during World War II. After the war, he played at various venues in Missouri, eventually ending up at Eddie Condon’s club in Greenwich Village.
In 1956, Ralph relocated to San Francisco, California, where he recorded several albums with Bob Scobey’s Dixieland band. From the 1960s onward, he worked mostly on his own. However, when the World’s Greatest Jazz Band was established in 1968, he was the natural choice for piano. He left that band in 1974 due to the extensive travel involved, and joined an old sidekick, Peanuts Hucko in a quartet in Denver, near his home in Evergreen, Colorado.
He recorded with Ruby Braff, Dick Cary, Kenny Davern, Jay McShann and Johnny Varro. Stride pianist Ralph Sutton, who played in the tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, passed away on December 30, 2001 of a stroke in Evergreen, Colorado at the age of 79.
Take A Dose On The Road
More Posts: piano
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Roger Kellaway was born November 1, 1939 in Waban, Massachusetts. He matriculated through the New England Conservatory and one of his earliest mentors was piano teacher and director of the summer music camp Encore in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
In 1964 Kellaway was a piano sideman for bandleader-producer Boris Midney’s group The Russian Jazz Quartet’s album Happiness on the ABC/Impulse jazz records label. He has written and played the closing theme, Remembering You for the TV sitcom All In The Family and its spinoff Archie Bunker’s Place.
Roger has composed commissioned works for orchestra and jazz big band as well as for film, television, ballet and stage productions. He has served as band leader and pianist for Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl concerts, been nominated for an Oscar for Best Adaptation Score for the 1976 film A Star Is Born, and a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Eddie Daniels’ album Memos From Paradise.
He has played with Grady Tate, Jay Berliner, Igor Berukshtis, George Ricci, Ruby Braff, Chuck Domanico, Emil Richards, Edgar Lustgarten, Joe Pass, Red Mitchell, Gene Bertoncini, Jan Allan and Michael Moore among others. He has more than a dozen albums as a leader, and has arranged for Carmen McRae, Diane Schuur, Liza Minelli, Robben Ford, Gary Lemel, Kenny Burrell, J. J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Herbie Mann, Mark Murphy, Oliver Nelson, Clark Terry, Lalo Schifrin, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Ben Webster and Jimmy Witherspoon. Pianist Roger Kellaway continues to perform, compose, arrange and record.
Jazz Is Global – Share
More Posts: piano