Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Troy was born on June 3, 1989 in Buffalo, New York. He began playing the saxophone at age twelve. After showing exceptional ability in the classical realm throughout middle school, with the tutelage of William Eicher, his attention gradually turned toward the study of Jazz Saxophone. He honed his skills with lead alto saxophone for Concert and Jazz All-County Ensembles, and New York All-State Bands as well.
John played both lead alto and tenor in the Fredonia Jazz Ensemble, student big band. He can be heard on the 2009 release of the FJE’s, Still Kickin’ and his debut album All Ahead Flank. He led his own small groups, Jazz Quintessential, and an organ trio, the JT Trio both with significant success.
He has performed and/or studied with the likes of Eric Alexander, Grant Stewart, Ralph Lalama, Todd Coolman, Tim Armacost, Chris Potter, Tom Harrell, Stacy Dillard, Hal Galper, Arturo O’ Farrell, and Pete Malinverni, among others.
Tenor saxophonist John Troy continues to find his musical way through performance and recording in the hard bop genre..
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Benjamin David Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois and was the ninth of twelve children born to poor Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. Growing up in the slums of the Maxwell Street neighborhood, his father would take him to free band concerts in a nearby park. When he was ten his father enrolled him and two of brothers in free music lessons at the synagogue, in addition he received lessons from clarinetist Franz Schoepp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He went on to join a boy’s club band and by the time he turned thirteen he got his first union card,
He made his professional debut in 1921 at the Central Park Theater on the West Side of Chicago. He entered Harrison Technical High School in Chicago in 1922 and with card in tow Benny worked in a band featuring Bix Beiderbecke. Two years later, in 1926, he joined the Ben Pollack Orchestra and made his first recordings. Moving to New York City he became a session musician for radio, Broadway musicals, and in studios. In addition to clarinet, he sometimes played alto and baritone saxophones.
The Thirties saw him charting for the first time with He’s Not Worth Your Tears. He would go on to have top ten hits and from 1936 until the mid-1940s, with arrangements written during the Depression by Fletcher Henderson. Goodman hired Henderson’s musicians to teach his musicians how to play the music. He went on to lead one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His bands started the careers of many jazz musicians. During an era of racial segregation, he led one of the first integrated jazz groups, his trio and quartet.
Clarinetist Benny Goodman, while pursuing an interest in classical music, continued performing until the end of his life on June 13, 1986 in New York City.
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TONY EXUM JR.
With a smooth and soulful sound that resonates deeply, Tony has carved out a unique niche in the music world. His rise to international acclaim began in 2019 with the release of his captivating single “My Name’s Tony,” which not only captured hearts but also secured a remarkable 12-week run on the Smooth Jazz Network’s top 100 chart. With performances that have graced esteemed festivals and venues like the Middle C Jazz in Charlotte, San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, Winter Park Jazz Festival, and Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival, Boscov’s Berks Jazz Festival Tony’s artistry knows no bounds.
Cover: $40.00
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Christof Lauer was born on May 25, 1953 in Melsungen, Germany. Most well known in Europe where he has performed and/or recorded with Palle Danielsson, Carla Bley, Anthony Cox, Michel Godard, Gary Husband, Vince Mendoza’s Jazzpaña, Michel Portal, Maria João, Alphonse Mouzon, and Peter Erskine.
Since 1979 he has been a member of the Jazzensemble des Hessischen Rundfunks led by Albert Mangelsdorff. In 1994 Lauer joined the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, replacing Charlie Mariano. and is also.
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Christof Lauer, who is a member of the Hamburg NDR Radio Orchestra, continues to perform, record and tour.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Horace Kirby Dowell, known professionally as Saxie, was born on May 24, 1904 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attending the University of North Carolina he met Hal Kemp and joined Kemp’s orchestra as a tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist and vocalist in the fall of 1925.
He composed I Don’t Care, which was recorded by Kemp for Brunswick in 1928. When the band’s style changed in the early 1930s to that of a dance band, Dowell became the group’s comedic vocalist for novelty songs. After Three Little Fishies became a hit in 1939, Dowell was involved in a legal dispute with lyricists Josephine Carringer and Bernice Idins. In 1940 he wrote the song Playmates.
Dowell left Kemp and started a big band in 1940. Drafted during World War II he served as a bandleader aboard an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Franklin. He went on to record for Brunswick, Sonora, and Victor. Around 1946 he led a naval air station band with 14-year-old Keely Smith as a singer.
>After the war he reunited his orchestra, performing mostly in Chicago, Illinois. In 1949 he became a disc jockey for WGN radio in Chicago, and retired in the late 1950s. He moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and worked as a disc jockey part-time for KTAR in Phoenix during his retirement.
Saxophonist and vocalist Saxie Dowell died on July 22, 1974 in Scottsdale.
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