Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Theodore McCord was born May 17, 1907 in Birmingham, Alabama and was the twin brother of Castor McCord, also a reedist. While both brothers played tenor saxophone and clarinet, in addition Ted played alto saxophone.
As a student at Wilberforce University in the 1920s, he played in a student group led by Horace Henderson. He also played in Edgar Hayes’s group, the Blue Grass Buddies, and the McKinney’s Cotton Pickers and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band.
He can be heard playing on their sessions with Louis Armstrong. Other credits include recordings with King Carter and the singer Ollie Shepard.
Roping out of music in the Forties, saxophonist Ted McCord, who was principally active in the 1920s and 1930s, his date and place of his death is unknown.
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The Jazz Voyager
On the way east to Music City USA to check out an authentic jazz experience standing out as a beacon in the city that boasts country music. Rudy’s Jazz Room embodies the history and spirit of traditional jazz clubs, where musicians played their hearts out while people gathered to listen, dance, eat, drink and socialize in a swingin’ atmosphere. The venue raises Nashville to the level of other great jazz cities like New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City and many more.
Hitting the stage this evening is saxophonist Don Aliquo who Presents Bebop Live and explores the various elements, depths and history of bebop jazz. In the early 1940’s when the younger generation of jazz musicians expanded the creative possibilities of jazz and bebop music first hit the jazz scene it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Tickets: $14.00
Rudy’s Jazz Room is located at 809 Gleaves Street, Nashville, TN 37203. For more information contact the venue at rudysjazzroom.com.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Giuseppe “Pippo” Barzizza was born on May 15,1902 in Genova, Italy. He was a child prodigy and at age six he entered the Camillo Sivori Institute to study violin, quickly passing the exam and taking his first award. He could hardly read words but he was already able to write a Mozart symphony without error.
After attending primary and secondary schools he went to Cristoforo Colombo High School, where he studied violin at the Conservatory. Listening to his father’s phonograph, Pippo developed a passion for classical and symphonic music. He became skilled in mathematics and decided to follow mathematical studies, graduating as an engineer.
Barzizza also studied harmony, counterpoint, composition, and instruments. He focused on the piano until 1933, followed by the violin, banjo and the trumpet section. During this period he was the lead violinist at Politeama and performed music for silent movies at the cinema near his home.
By seventeen he had stopped his violin studies for the pursuit of conducting and composition. For the next four years he performed on ships and for orchestras in Genova. However, it was in New York City he first heard jazz and swing music. Through the 1920s Pippo became a skilled arranger, joined an orchestra, served in the Italian Army and founded a military orchestra.
His first line up was playing violin for Blue Star Orchestra, then he conducted the Cetra Orchestra, recorded during the Thirties for Fonit, Columbia, La Voce del Padrone, Odeon, Brunswick and Fonotipia record labels. Post World War II he played on soundtracks and counducted the Modern Orchestra. Retiring from music in 1960 he taught music, established a recording studio in his home
At the age of 92, composer, arranger, conductor and music director Pippo Barzizza, who was active from 1924 to 1960 playing violin, piano, saxophone, banjo, and accordion, died on April 4,1994 in Sanremo, Italy.
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CHANDA LEIGH
Vocalist and pianist Chanda Leigh brings her quartet to the Cafe I Am Lounge for a night of jazz.
The Band: Chanda Leigh ~ Piano | Joe Jennings ~ Saxophone | Anthony Daniel ~ Bass | Bernard Linnette
Tickets: $35.00
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Requisites
The Song Book ~ Booker Ervin | By Eddie Carter
In February 1964, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin recorded an album of standards. The Song Book (Prestige PRLP7318/PRST 7318) is a quartet session featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Alan Dawson on drums. My copy is the 2023 Analogue Productions stereo audiophile reissue matching the original catalog number. The album opener, The Lamp Is Low by Peter de Rose, Mitchell Parish, Maurice Ravel, and Bert Shefter, kicks off the quartet’s melody at a fast gallop. Booker wails with remarkable energy, then Tommy rips down the road next. Richard follows suit with a brisk walk, and Alan goes to work last, preceding the ending theme and fadeout.
The quartet brings a profound emotional depth to Duke Ellington’s Come Sunday. Tommy’s gentle introduction sets the mood for Ervin’s warm tone, tenderly embracing the theme. Flanagan shines as the song’s lone soloist, delivering sweet moments of beauty matched by the rhythm section’s serene accompaniment, leading up to the leader’s soft conclusion. All The Things You Are by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern picks up the beat for the quartet’s lively melody. Booker goes right to work on the opening statement and is consistently inventive and entertaining. Tommy swings effortlessly into the spotlight next with a spirited solo before the theme’s restatement dissolves gradually.
Just Friends by John Klenner and Sam M. Lewis begins the second side on an upbeat note, with Flanagan’s introduction leading to the quartet’s opening theme. Ervin blazes the trail with a commanding performance, then Flanagan delivers the song’s second message with authority. Davis completes the proceedings with a concise comment leading to a charming conclusion. Yesterdays by Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern opens with a tender piano introduction ahead of the saxophonist’s beautiful melody. Tommy takes the first turn with an emotionally rich, heartfelt interpretation, then Booker blends nostalgia and sentiment flawlessly until the theme’s gentle reprise and serene ending.
Our Love Is Here To Stay by George and Ira Gershwin picks up the pace one final time for the foursome’s lively melody. Ervin takes hold of the first spot swiftly, then Flanagan swings effortlessly into the following reading. Davis provides the exclamation point propelled by the rhythm section’s brisk supplement, ahead of the group’s upbeat exit.
Don Schlitten produced The Song Book, and Rudy Van Gelder was the recording engineer. Kevin Gray mastered the audiophile reissue, and the album’s sound quality is mesmerizing, placing the musicians in front of the sweet spot. The record was pressed on 180 grams of audiophile vinyl and is quiet as a church mouse until the music starts.
Booker and the rhythm section bring each track to life with genuine emotion, and approach each song with heartfelt affection, showcasing a profound admiration for the melodies of these cherished standards. If you’re a fan of hard bop and haven’t acquired an earlier pressing yet, please make a note to add The Song Book by Booker Ervin to your list on your next record hunt. This Analogue Productions reissue beautifully celebrates the timeless treasures of The Great American Songbook and undoubtedly deserves a place in every jazz fan’s library!
~ All The Things You Are, Come Sunday, Just Friends, Love Is Here To Stay – Source: JazzStandards.com
~ The Lamp Is Low, Yesterdays – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter
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