Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jeffery Smith was born on September 14, 1955 in Queens, New York. He began honing his voice at a very early age, under the influence of his mother, Ramona, who was a classical singer. At the age of 18, he moved to Los Angeles, California for a decade and found work as a singer, actor and artist, landing several bit parts in television and film while performing in the local clubs.
In 1980 he starred in the bi-coastal production of Hollywood & Highland, produced by Lee Strasberg and Robert Greenhut. For his work on the show he was awarded the 1981 Drama Critic’s Award, from Drama Logue Magazine. Smith returned to New York in 1985, co-starred on stage in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair and Capitol Cakewalk in between performing in the city’s major clubs through 1991.
In the fall of 1991, what originally began as a Paris vacation for Jeffery, ended up being a 7-year stay and within 7 months, he met and was signed by Claude Bolling as the voice of his big band. Over the six years he recorded four albums, performed two world tours with Bolling’s Big Band throughout Europe and Asia and was the voice of numerous jingles for French commercials.
In the summer of 1995, Smith signed a 3-album contract with Universal/Verve and all three albums garnered international critical acclaim. His debut album he dedicated and titled Ramona, which was produced and accompanied by the legendary pianist Shirley Horn for the Gitanes/Verve label. His debut was followed by his sophomore project A Little Sweeter was praised in TIME Magazine as being “the most vital album of the year, and culminating with his 1999 Down Here Below.
He starred in and narrated the recording of Duke Ellington’s A Drum is a Woman in Paris, co-starred with Dee Dee Bridgewater in Cabaret and in her Peace & Love music video, as well as 3 sold out concerts at the Paris Olympia, establishing him as one of the most revered male jazz vocalists in the industry.
Jeffery has performed with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz At Lincoln Center, Regina Carter, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Ben Riley, Dianne Reeves, Joe Lovano, TK Blue, Ernie Watts, Pete Levin, Winard Harper, and Chanda Rule among others.
While still performing internationally Jeffery headed his Non-Profit Production Company Tri-Loxodonta, Inc., the Portuguese translated means 3 Modern African Elephants. Ernie Watts, Pete Levin, Winard Harper, and Chanda Rule. Baritone vocalist Jeffery Smith whose distinctive style set him apart from the cadre of male singers, passed away on July 5, 2012
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Richard Benjamin “Dick” Haymes was born on September 13, 1918 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His mother was a well-known vocal coach and instructor and he became a vocalist in a number of big bands, worked in Hollywood, on radio, and in films throughout the 1940s and1950s.
Though never achieving the immensely popular status of fellow baritone crooners like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Perry Como was nonetheless just as respected for his musical ability. In 1942, Sinatra introduced him on the radio as his replacement in the Tommy Dorsey band, but prior to joining Dorsey’s group, he sang with the Harry James Orchestra.
Teaming with female vocalist Helen Forrest, they made numeroous hit duets during World War II, including Together, I’ll Buy That Dream, and Long Ago and Far Away, and he sang with Judy Garland on two Decca recordings of songs from the film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, in which he appeared with Betty Grable. Haymes paired with the Andrew Sisters on a dozen or so Decca collaborations, including Teresa, Great Day, My Sin and Here In My Heart, backed by Nelson Riddle’s lush strings.
He joined Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters for 1947 session that produced the Billboard hit There’s No Business Like Show Business as well as Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better). Between 1949 and 1950 Dick hosted Club Fifteen with the sisters.
In 1953, he nearly got deported for traveling to Hawaii, then a territory, without notifying the authorities, but eventually won his case to stay in the States. Falling on hard times financially by the 1960s he declared bankruptcy with a half million in debt. He appeared as unscrupulous doctor Elroy Gantman in a 1974 episode of the TV show Adam-12. Vocalist Dick Haymes, passed away from kung cancer in Los Angeles, California on March 28, 1980. He was 61 years old.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Papa John DeFrancesco was born John Jasper DeFrancesco on September 12, 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Growing up with a father who played reeds in swing bands including the Dorsey Brothers, he began plaing trumpet at six and did not start playing organ until his wife bought him an organ for his 23rd birthday. After a few months of nearly nonstop practicing, he was ready to perform in clubs.
By 1967 he was a part of the Philadelphia jazz scene. However, in 1979 when his son Joey turned eight and started playing professionally, he temporarily gave up his career in order to supervise his son. Johnny, his other son, has also developed into a fine guitarist.
In the 90s Papa John returned to a more active playing career and recorded two sessions for Muse Records featuring Joey on trumpet, titled Doodlin’ and Comin’ Home. Both records gained him a national reputation of his own. His organ playing is in an infectious hard bop style that compliments his sons playing and it was while working with Joey that his career was revived
Between 2001 and 2006 he released four albums, took a five-year hiatus, and then returned to release A Philadelphia Story performed by a classic Hammond B-3 trio featuring John Jr. on guitar, drummer Glenn Ferracone with guest appearances by Joey and tenor saxophonist Joe Fortunato.
Organist and vocalist Papa John DeFranceso continues to perform, tour and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Stacy Rowles was born on September 11, 1955 to jazz pianist and composer Jimmy Rowles. Picking up an old trumpet in the family home she took right to it. She first performed with her father at the Monterey Jazz Festival and for a period she studied with vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake.
Perpetually undiscovered in America except on the West Coast but was better known in Europe. Stacy made her name partly in the company of her father, with whom she often played until shortly before his death in 1996.
She played restful, melodic solos with a warm tone and sang in a wise, honest voice, shy but swinging. She recorded her debut and only album Tell It Like It Is in 1984. Rowles recorded albums with her father titled I’m Glad There Is You, Me and the Moon and Looking Back. She also recorded with the Ben Sluijs Quartet and Frank Mantooth.
For a stretch in the early ’90s, father and daughter shared a weekly gig at Linda’s, a Los Angeles jazz club. On her own, Stacy also played regularly in several all-female jazz groups, including the all-female quintet the Jazz Birds, Maiden Voyage, in both of which she played alongside the trumpeter Betty O’Hara, the Jazz Tap Ensemble, the DIVA Big Band and the European band Witchcraft, with which she had toured since 2002.
Trumpeter, flugelhorn player and singer Stacy Rowles who had been active on the Los Angeles jazz scene since the 1980s, passed away from complications due to a car accident on October 30, 2009 at her home in Burbank, Calif. She was 54.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jewel Brown was born on August 30, 1937 in Houston, Texas. Her first professional performance was at the age of 12 in the Manhattan Club in Galveston, Texas. Before graduating from Jack Yates High School, Lionel Hampton offered her the opportunity to tour professionally in Europe.
In 1957 while on vacation in Los Angeles, California she sat in with organist Earl Grant at the Club Pigalle. Grant hired her that night and her performing relationship lasted for a year. Jewel went on to work for Dallas, Texas nightclub owner Jack Ruby. In the next decade she was approached with offers of vocal positions with Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. She chose Armstrong and appeared with him in the films Louis Armstrong and All Stars and Solo.
Brown retired from singing and performing in 1971 to care for ailing family members and later established a hair salon in Houston. In recent years she has revived her singing career and in 2012 she released her first album as a co-leader title Milton Jackson & Jewel Brown. The following year she was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the Koko Taylor Award: Traditional Blues Female category. She is currently a member of the Heritage Hall Jazz Band.
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