One of the foremost singers of popular Puerto Rican music that spent many years singing with El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico Uno de los más destacados intérpretes puertorriqueños de música popular que llevó muchos años cantando con El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
Singer, dancer, songwriter and actress; who showed early signs that she would become an entertainer. On October 29, 1945, was born Melba Moore; singer, dancer, songwriter and actress; who showed early signs that she would become an entertainer.
There were early signs that Melba Moore would become an entertainer. The most obvious motivation was her mother, Bonnie Davis, who was also a successful singer. Witnessing the success that her mother endured, Moore knew the entertainment industry would not escape her. The world of performing arts was formally introduced to her by way of dance lessons at the age of four. Moore's mother impressed upon her that "if you don't touch people's hearts, it doesn't mean anything." Her stepfather would also become an instrumental figure in the development of her early career. All her siblings were musically inclined. Melba's interest was dance. However, her stepfather insisted that she learn the piano. Against her will, she conceded -- and to her benefit. She gained much admiration for the blues and jazz pianists. Upon graduating from college, she became a music teacher, which she found very fulfilling. Nonetheless, Moore's affinity for the entertainment industry persisted. Her stepfather, also a musician, gave her invaluable advice and guidance. He sensed his stepdaughter's irresistible urge to be in the entertainment industry, so he began to show her the ropes. The results landed Moore jobs singing jingles and background vocals. She hit it big when she joined the cast of the Broadway musical Hair. One day while working in the studio, a barefoot gentleman asked her if she wanted to be in the play. Moore accepted and eventually won the lead role. It was the first time in history that a black actress replaced a white actress (Diane Keaton) for the lead role on Broadway. That followed with another Broadway hit, Purlie, which earned her a Tony Award and rave reviews. That success was followed by appearances in film, television, and recording ventures. In 1975, she married Charles Huggins. The two formed Hush Productions and began seeking out R&B artists that they could manage and produce, the most famous being Freddie Jackson, whose presence at Hush Production was primarily due in part to Moore. In the same year "I Am His Lady" was released on Buddah (Billboard number 82, six weeks); it was Moore's first single to hit the charts. It would be seven years and 12 singles later before she would claim her first Top Ten single. In 1982 the New York City native cracked the Billboard R&B charts at number five with the dance/club track "Love's Comin' at Ya." Moore's next ten releases spawned four Top 20 and two Top Ten singles: "Livin' for Your Love" and "Love the One I'm With" (duet with Kashif), respectively peaked at six and five. The single to follow the latter was "A Little Bit More" (a duet with Jackson). The year was 1986, and it was Moore's first number one song but not her last. Also released in the same year, "Falling" claimed the top spot on the charts. Thereafter, Moore released seven more singles. Two were Top 20 hits and three were Top Ten hits, including the black national anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (Billboard number ten). All the splendor that Moore relished would soon come to a halt. Her husband of 15 years abruptly divorced the songstress without any prior warning. In spite of the personal and professional hardships that resulted from this unforeseen misfortune, Moore was able to rebound. In 1996 she released Happy Together, her first album in six years. And in 1998 she began touring the country with her one-woman autobiographical musical Sweet Songs of the Soul. She is honorably one of the top singers the R&B world has ever known and this can be supported by her admirable chart activity, which dates back to 1975. In 2003 she was featured in the film The Fighting Temptations, and in 2009 she released an album of duets with R&B singer Phil Perry, The Gift of Love, on Shanachie Records. Melba is currently working on a new album; which she will call Forever Moore. Based on two early song releases from the album, "Just Dance," and "What Can I Do to Survive," the album seems destined to reach the upper-echelons of the charts. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
The first group to score hits with the songwriting and production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and instrumental in the rise of Philadelphia soul. On October 29, 1939, was born Eugene 'Bird' Daughtry (1939 - 1994); lead singer of the Intruders.
As the first group to score hits with the songwriting and production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the Intruders played a major role in the rise of Philadelphia soul, but are sometimes lost in the shuffle amid better-known acts like the O'Jays or Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. the Intruders were originally formed as a doo wop group in 1960, and sang around Philadelphia for several years. Lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phil Terry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards signed with Gamble and Huff's fledgling Gamble label in 1966. They scored a Top 20 R&B hit that year with "(We'll Be) United," and followed it up a year later with "Together," as well as their first album, The Intruders Are Together. 1968, though, was the Intruders' breakthrough year: "Cowboys to Girls," a template for what would become Philly soul's trademark sound, topped the R&B charts and climbed to number six on the pop side, giving the group their biggest hit. The follow-up, "(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game," was their only other Top 40 pop hit, and the accompanying LP, Cowboys to Girls, wound up their most popular. Gamble and Huff's success with the Intruders helped convince Columbia to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International, which became the most successful soul label of the early '70s. The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil; when they resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP When We Get Married, lead singer "Little Sonny" Brown had been replaced by nightclub singer Bobby Starr (born Robert Ferguson). The title cut, a Dreamlovers cover, was a hit on the R&B charts, as was the follow-up, "(Win, Place or Show) She's a Winner." Starr's tenure with the group was short-lived; Brown returned for the 1973 LP Save the Children, which spawned the Intruders' last two big hits, "I'll Always Love My Mama" and "I Wanna Know Your Name." For the 1974 follow-up, Energy of Love, the Intruders were switched from the Gamble imprint to the Philly International subsidiary TSOP; however, it was less successful than the quartet's previous releases, and they disbanded in 1975. Eugene Daughtry formed a new lineup in 1984 (without any other original members); they recorded an album titled Who Do You Love? for the U.K. imprint Streetwave before disbanding once again. Daughtry passed away in 1994 after a bout with cancer, while Brown unfortunately committed suicide following years of drug and alcohol problems. Bobby Starr, meanwhile, continued to lead another version of the group that features no other original Intruders. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Extraordinario sonero que se convirtiese en el primer vocalista del sello Fania Records, y quien se destacó a su paso por orquestas como La Orquesta Oriental Cubana, Las Jóvenes Estrellas de Cuba, La Típica Novel, Orquesta de Johnny Pacheco, El Conjunto Sensación, Las Estrellas de Fania y su propia orquesta, haciéndolo una leyenda genuina y referencia del buen soneo. Extraordinary sonero that would become the first singer of Fania Records, and who stood in his path through orchestras such as La Orquesta Oriental Cubana, Las Jóvenes Estellas de Cuba, La Típica Novel, Orquesta de Johnny Pacheco, El Conjunto Sensación, Las Estrellas de Fania and his own orchestra, making him a true legend and a reference for good improvisational singer.
Trumpeter who was strongly influenced by Miles Daivs' early fusion period. On October 26, 1940, was born Eddie Henderson; trumpeter who was strongly influenced by Miles Daivs' early fusion period.
Eddie Henderson was one of the few trumpeters who was strongly influenced by Miles Davis' work of his early fusion period. He grew up in San Francisco, studied trumpet at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, but was trained to be a doctor when he permanently chose music. Henderson worked with John Handy, Tyrone Washington, and Joe Henderson, in addition to his own group. He gained some recognition for his work with the Herbie Hancock Sextet (1970-1973), although his own records (which utilized electronics) tended to be commercial. After Hancock broke up his group,Henderson worked with Art Blakey and Mike Nock, recorded with Charles Earland, and later, in the 1970s, led a rock-oriented group. In the '90s, he returned to playing acoustic hard bop (touring with Billy Harper in 1991) while also working as a psychiatrist. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Notoriously freaky bassist who gave P-Funk its grimy bottom, also had an astronomical set of spaced-out solo LPs. On October 26, 1951, was born Bootsy Collins; notoriously freaky bassist who gave P-Funk its grimy bottom and also had an astronomical set of spaced-out albums.
Bootsy Collins is one of the all-time great funk and R&B bassists, besides being a consummate character. Born in Detroit, Collins formed the Pacesetters during the '60s, a unit that not only included vocalist Philippe Wynne (later of Spinners fame), but also George Clinton as a sideman. Collins and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical friendship, and Collins and his comrades became part of the JB's, James Brown's backing band, from 1969 to 1971. Collins' inspired, clever progressions and patterns were a vital part of such records as "Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine." The group became the House Guests after departing the JB's, until Collins joined Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic empire in 1971. He co-wrote "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" with Clinton and Jerome Brailey and established himself so effectively that Clinton urged him to form his own band. Bootsy's Rubber Band emerged in 1976, a spirited ensemble that included Collins' brother Phelps ("Catfish"), as well as fellow James Brown bandmembers Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, Joel Johnson, Gary Cooper, Rick Gardner, and Richard Griffiths. (Collins also featured his alter egos "Bootzilla" and "Casper, the Friendly Ghost" as part of the stage act.) Their debut LP, Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band, and their second release, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! equalled anything issued during Clinton's peak period for idiomatic diversity, clever, bizarre humor, and outrageous lyrics. Both Ahh... and the third LP, Bootsy? Player of the Year, earned gold records and made it into the Top 20 on the pop charts. The single "Bootzilla" was his lone R&B chart topper in 1978, although "The Pinocchio Theory" also made the Top Ten. Collins recorded as both a solo artist and with The Rubber Band in the '80s. He also did some special projects, such as a 1984 collaboration with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads -- using the name Bonzo Goes to Washington -- that produced "5 Minutes (C-C-C-Club Mix)," featuring Ronald Reagan declaring nuclear war on the Soviet Union over a skittering rhythm track. In 1988, he returned on Columbia with the appropriately named What's Bootsy Doin'? In 1989, Bootsy was a member of the Bootzilla Orchestra on Malcolm McLaren's album Waltz Dancing. One year later, he became a featured guitarist and bassist with the dance music trio Deee-Lite, signed with 4th and Broadway, and also toured England with a group co-led by Parker and Wesley. Bootsy's New Rubber Band released Blasters of the Universe in 1994, and Fresh Outta 'P' University followed four years later. Numerous Collins live shows and reissues appeared as the 21st century opened, and in 2006, the bassist actually released a Christmas album, Christmas Is 4 Ever, on Shout Records. In 2011, a conceptual album, The Funk Capital of the World, landed, featuring everyone from Ice Cube to Samuel L. Jackson on the guest list. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Singer, producer and leader of the '60s and '70s Philadelphia soul group, Brenda & the Tabulations. On October 24, 1945, was born Brenda J. Payton (1945 - 2002); singer, producer and leader of the '60s and '70s Philadelphia soul group, Brenda & the Tabulations.
Among the better Philadelphia soul groups of the '60s and '70s, Brenda & the Tabulations made some fine heartache ballads, particularly "Dry Your Eyes" and "Right on the Tip of My Tongue." The original lineup was lead singer Brenda Payton, Jerry Jones, Eddie Jackson, and Maurice Coates. Bernard Murphy joined in 1969. They became a trio in 1970, featuring Payton, Pat Mercer, and Deborah Martin. "Dry Your Eyes" was their biggest hit, reaching number eight on the R&B chart and number 20 pop in 1967. They continued recording for Dionn until 1969, then Top & Bottom from 1970 to 1973, followed by stints with Epic and Chocolate City. "Right on the Tip of My Tongue" returned them to prominence in 1971, peaking at number ten R&B, and the follow-up, "A Part Of You," was number 14 that same year. The group enjoyed some sporadic success on the disco circuit in the late '70s with the LP I Keep Coming Back for More. The single "Let's Go All the Way (Down)" attracted some international and club interest. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Soul singer who blended the full-bodied sound of Southern soul with the smooth sheen of the urban North. On October 24, 1944, was born Bettye Swann; soul singer who blended the full-bodied sound of Southern soul with the smooth sheen of the urban North.
Best known for her 1967 R&B chart-topper "Make Me Yours," Southern soul chanteuse Bettye Swann was born Betty Jean Champion in Shreveport, Louisiana on October 24, 1944. She first surfaced during the early 1960s as a member of the Fawns before mounting a solo career in 1964 with the Carolyn Franklin-penned "Don't Wait Too Long," the first of a series of Arthur Wright-produced singles for the independent Los Angeles label Money. "The Man That Said No" and "The Heartache Is Gone" followed in 1965, and two years later, Swann returned with the gorgeous "Make Me Yours," which also served as the title for her first full-length LP. 1967 saw the release of three more Money singles -- "Fall in Love With Me," "Don't Look Back," and "I Think I'm Falling in Love" -- while the next year heralded a leap to major label Capitol for "My Heart Is Closed for the Season." The follow-up, "Don't Touch Me," was the first single released from Swann's second long-player, The Soul View Now; Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting Me? followed in 1969, highlighted by the minor hit "Little Things Mean a Lot." After a one-off single for Fame, 1971's "I'm Just Living a Lie," Swann landed at Atlantic; her label debut, "Victim of a Foolish Heart," cracked the R&B Top 20 in 1972, and was revived over three decades later by blue-eyed soul upstart Joss Stone. Her next Atlantic effort, "I'd Rather Go Blind," was notable in large part for its B-side, a reading of Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again," that proved Swann a superb interpreter of country-soul -- 1973's "Yours Until Tomorrow" was backed by another Nashville cover, this time Tammy Wynette's "Til I Get It Right." In 1974, she made a return to the lower rungs of the Billboard Hot 100 with "The Boy Next Door" -- the flip side, "Kiss My Love Goodbye," found Swann operating firmly in Philly soul territory, its slick, urbane production courtesy of the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Phil Hurtt, and Tony Bell. With 1975's "All the Way In or All the Way Out" she again enjoyed minor chart success, but subsequent recording sessions are undocumented, and Swann eventually faded from sight. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Jazz singer who has shown versatility in doing anthems, scat, improvised works, pop, and originals. On October 23, 1956, was born Dianne Reeves; jazz singer who has shown versatility in doing anthems, scat, improvised works, pop, and originals.
Dianne Reeves has been one of the top singers in jazz ever since the late '80s. A logical successor to Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae (although even she can't reach the impossible heights of Ella and Sarah Vaughan), Reeves is a superior interpreter of lyrics and a skilled scat singer. She was a talented vocalist with an attractive voice even as a teenager when she sang and recorded with her high school band. She was encouraged by Clark Terry, who had her perform with him while she was a college student at the University of Colorado. There have been many times when Reeves has explored music beyond jazz. She did session work in Los Angeles starting in 1976, toured with Caldera, worked with Sergio Mendes in 1981, and toured with Harry Belafonte between 1983 and 1986. Reeves began recording as a leader in 1982 and became a regular at major jazz festivals. Her earlier recordings tended to be quite eclectic and many of her live performances have included original, African-inspired folk music (which is often autobiographical), world music, and pop. After signing with Blue Note in 1987, however, and particularly since 1994, Reeves has found her place in jazz, recording several classic albums along the way, most notably I Remember, The Grand Encounter, The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan, and A Little Moonlight. In 2005, she appeared onscreen singing '50s standards in the George Clooney film Good Night, And Good Luck. When You Know was released in 2008. Reeves left Blue Note in 2009. After touring and an extended break, she eventually signed with Concord and began working on a new record produced by Terri Lynne Carrington. The pair enlisted an all-star cast including Esperanza Spalding, Sheila E, Robert Glasper, and George Duke (who passed away shortly after the album was completed). Beautiful Life was released just in time for Valentine's Day, 2014. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/ 
Exiliada cubana cuyas canciones apasionadas rezumaban nostalgia de la belleza natural de su tierra natal, así obteniendo el título de la "Reina de la Salsa". El 21 de octubre del año 1925, nace Úrsula Hilaria Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso "Celia Cruz", "La Gracia Divina", "La Reina de l Salsa", La Guarachera del Mundo" (1925 - 2003) cantante-sonera de La Sonora Matancera, Orquesta Tito Puente, Estrellas de La Fania, Orquesta de Johnny Pacheco, y una gran solista.
Celia Cruz fue una de los vocalistas más respetados de la música latina. Diez veces nominada al Premio Grammy, Celia cantaba solamente en español, su lengua natal, y recibió un premio Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement, un premio National Medal of the Arts, y doctorados honoríficos de la Yale University y la University of Miami. La popularidad de Celia fue tan grandes que hasta rebautizaron una calle en Miami con su nombre, y un vestido que usaba a menudo, de lunares naranjos, rojos y blancos y los zapatos de Celia se han colocado en la colección permanente del Smithsonian institute of Technology. El Hollywood Wax Museum, cuenta con una estatua de Celia. A Celia le atrajo la müsica desde muy temprana edad y se ha reportado que su primer par de zapatos fue un regalo de un turista a quien le había cantado. Además de pasar muchas noches poniéndoles a dormir a sus hermanos menores con su canto, Celia cantó en producciones escolares y en reuniones de la comunidad. La tía de Celia la llevaba a los cabarets y a los clubes nocturnos y fue así que se le expuso al mundo de la música profesional. Con el aliento de un primo, Celia comenzó a ganar concursos de talento locales. Aunque su padre intentó guiarla hacia una carrera de profesora, Celia siguió siendo atraída por la música de todas maneras. En una entrevista de 1997, dijo Celia: "He cumplido el deseo de mi padre de que yo sea maestra, ya que a través de mi música, les enseño a generaciones de gente mi cultura y la felicidad que se puede encontrar con simplemente vivir la vida. Como artista, quiero que la gente sienta el corazón cantar y el espíritu volar". En 1947, al inscribirse en el Conservatorio de Música de Cuba, Celia encontró su inspiración más temprana en el canto de la vocalista afrocubana Paulina Alvarez y en 1950 le llegó su primera oportunidad cuando fue invitada a unirse a la orquesta de la Sonora Matancera, y resultó que se quedaría con esta orquesta por 15 años, durante los cuales viajaría por todo el mundo. En 1960, cuando Fidel Castro asumió el control de Cuba, Celia y su novio de entonces, Pedro Knight, trompetista de la Sonora Matancera, se negaron a regresar a su patria y los dos se convirtieron en ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos. Celia se casó con Pedro el 14 de julio de 1962. A pesar de que inicialmente firmaron un contrato para hacer presentaciones con la orquesta del Hollywood Palladium, la pareja finalmente se radicó en Nueva York. En 1965, Pedro se convirtió en el gerente de Celia, cargo que mantendría hasta mediados de los 90 cuando optaría dedicar su atención a servirle a Celia como su director musical personal y el director de su orquesta. También en 1965, al salir de la Sonora Matancera, Celia inició su carrera en solitario con una orquesta formada especialmente para ella por Tito Puente. A pesar de lanzar ocho álbumes, la colaboración no pudo alcanzar el éxito comercial. Sin embargo, en 1987, Celia y Tito reanudaron su colaboración con una presentación especial en la ceremonia de los Premios Grammy, Después, contratada por el sello Vaya, etiqueta hermana de la Fania, Celia grabó con Oscar D'León, Cheo Feliciano, y Héctor Rodríguez a mediados y a finales de los '60, pero el primer gran éxito de Cruz desde que salió de la Sonora Matancera no le llegó hasta el 1974, cuando grabó el disco, Celia & Johnny, con Johnny Pacheco, director y co propietario de la Fania. Por consecuencia, comenzó a hacer presentaciones con la Fania All Stars. En 1992, la popularidad de Celia alcanzó su nivel más alto cuando apareció en la película The Mambo Kings. En 1998, Celia lanzó Duetos, un álbum que presentó el canto especial de Celia con varios artistas de renombre como Willie Colón, Angela Carrasco, Oscar D'León, José Alberto "El Canario", y la India. Celia siguió grabando y haciendo presentaciones hasta que quedó marginada por un tumor cerebral en 2002. Mientras se recuperaba de la cirugía para extirpar el tumor, se las arregló para acudir al estudio a principios de 2003 para grabar su último álbum, Regalo de Alma. La cirugía solo fue un éxito parcial y lamentablemente, falleció el 16 de julio de 2003. El fallecimiento de la "Reina de la Salsa" dejó un gran vacío en la música latina, pero también un catálogo impresionante que documenta su reinado. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RadioSalsaClasica/ http://www.elcaobointernacional.com
Trumpet virtuoso and bop revolutionary whose desire to innovate helped invent and define the musical vocabulary for an entire genre. Also instrumental in the evolution of a genre of music that would eventually be called "salsa". On October 21, 1917, was born Dizzy Gillespie (1917 - 1993); one of the greatest jazz trumpeter of all time and one of the key founders of Afro-Cuban (Latin) jazz which would eventually evolve into what is now known as "salsa", adding Chano Pozo's conga to his orchestra in 1947 and using complex poly-rhythms early on.
Dizzy Gillespie's contributions to jazz were huge. One of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time (some would say the best), Gillespie was such a complex player that his contemporaries ended up copying Miles Davis and Fats Navarro instead, and it was not until Jon Faddis' emergence in the 1970s that Dizzy's style was successfully recreated. Somehow, Gillespie could make any "wrong" note fit, and harmonically he was ahead of everyone in the 1940s, including Charlie Parker. Unlike Bird, Dizzy was an enthusiastic teacher who wrote down his musical innovations and was eager to explain them to the next generation, thereby insuring that bebop would eventually become the foundation of jazz. Dizzy Gillespie was also one of the key founders of Afro-Cuban (or Latin) jazz, adding Chano Pozo's conga to his orchestra in 1947, and utilizing complex poly-rhythms early on. The leader of two of the finest big bands in jazz history, Gillespie differed from many in the bop generation by being a masterful showman who could make his music seem both accessible and fun to the audience. With his puffed-out cheeks, bent trumpet (which occurred by accident in the early '50s when a dancer tripped over his horn), and quick wit, Dizzy was a colorful figure to watch. A natural comedian, Gillespie was also a superb scat singer and occasionally played Latin percussion for the fun of it, but it was his trumpet playing and leadership abilities that made him into a jazz giant. The youngest of nine children, John Birks Gillespie taught himself trombone and then switched to trumpet when he was 12. He grew up in poverty, won a scholarship to an agricultural school (Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina), and then in 1935 dropped out of school to look for work as a musician. Inspired and initially greatly influenced by Roy Eldridge, Gillespie (who soon gained the nickname of "Dizzy") joined Frankie Fairfax's band in Philadelphia. In 1937, he became a member of Teddy Hill's orchestra in a spot formerly filled by Eldridge. Dizzy made his recording debut on Hill's rendition of "King Porter Stomp" and during his short period with the band toured Europe. After freelancing for a year, Gillespie joined Cab Calloway's orchestra (1939-1941), recording frequently with the popular bandleader and taking many short solos that trace his development; "Pickin' the Cabbage" finds Dizzy starting to emerge from Eldridge's shadow. However, Calloway did not care for Gillespie's constant chance-taking, calling his solos "Chinese music." After an incident in 1941 when a spitball was mischievously thrown at Calloway (he accused Gillespie but the culprit was actually Jonah Jones), Dizzy was fired. By then, Gillespie had already met Charlie Parker, who confirmed the validity of his musical search. During 1941-1943, Dizzy passed through many bands including those led by Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Charlie Barnet, Fess Williams, Les Hite, Claude Hopkins, Lucky Millinder (with whom he recorded in 1942), and even Duke Ellington (for four weeks). Gillespie also contributed several advanced arrangements to such bands as Benny Carter, Jimmy Dorsey, and Woody Herman; the latter advised him to give up his trumpet playing and stick to full-time arranging. Dizzy ignored the advice, jammed at Minton's Playhouse and Monroe's Uptown House where he tried out his new ideas, and in late 1942 joined Earl Hines' big band. Charlie Parker was hired on tenor and the sadly unrecorded orchestra was the first orchestra to explore early bebop. By then, Gillespie had his style together and he wrote his most famous composition "A Night in Tunisia." When Hines' singer Billy Eckstine went on his own and formed a new bop big band, Diz and Bird (along with Sarah Vaughan) were among the members. Gillespie stayed long enough to record a few numbers with Eckstine in 1944 (most noticeably "Opus X" and "Blowing the Blues Away"). That year he also participated in a pair of Coleman Hawkins-led sessions that are often thought of as the first full-fledged bebop dates, highlighted by Dizzy's composition "Woody'n You." 1945 was the breakthrough year. Dizzy Gillespie, who had led earlier bands on 52nd Street, finally teamed up with Charlie Parker on records. Their recordings of such numbers as "Salt Peanuts," "'Shaw Nuff," "Groovin' High," and "Hot House" confused swing fans who had never heard the advanced music as it was evolving; and Dizzy's rendition of "I Can't Get Started" completely reworked the former Bunny Berigan hit. It would take two years for the often frantic but ultimately logical new style to start catching on as the mainstream of jazz. Gillespie led an unsuccessful big band in 1945 (a Southern tour finished it), and late in the year he traveled with Parker to the West Coast to play a lengthy gig at Billy Berg's club in L.A. Unfortunately, the audiences were not enthusiastic (other than local musicians) and Dizzy (without Parker) soon returned to New York. The following year, Dizzy Gillespie put together a successful and influential orchestra which survived for nearly four memorable years. "Manteca" became a standard, the exciting "Things to Come" was futuristic, and "Cubana Be/Cubana Bop" featured Chano Pozo. With such sidemen as the future original members of the Modern Jazz Quartet (Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Ray Brown, and Kenny Clarke), James Moody, J.J. Johnson, Yusef Lateef, and even a young John Coltrane, Gillespie's big band was a breeding ground for the new music. Dizzy's beret, goatee, and "bop glasses" helped make him a symbol of the music and its most popular figure. During 1948-1949, nearly every former swing band was trying to play bop, and for a brief period the major record companies tried very hard to turn the music into a fad. By 1950, the fad had ended and Gillespie was forced, due to economic pressures, to break up his groundbreaking orchestra. He had occasional (and always exciting) reunions with Charlie Parker (including a fabled Massey Hall concert in 1953) up until Bird's death in 1955, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic (where he had opportunities to "battle" the combative Roy Eldridge), headed all-star recording sessions (using Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, and Sonny Stitt on some dates), and led combos that for a time in 1951 also featured Coltrane and Milt Jackson. In 1956, Gillespie was authorized to form a big band and play a tour overseas sponsored by the State Department. It was so successful that more traveling followed, including extensive tours to the Near East, Europe, and South America, and the band survived up to 1958. Among the young sidemen were Lee Morgan, Joe Gordon, Melba Liston, Al Grey, Billy Mitchell, Benny Golson, Ernie Henry, and Wynton Kelly; Quincy Jones (along with Golson and Liston) contributed some of the arrangements. After the orchestra broke up, Gillespie went back to leading small groups, featuring such sidemen in the 1960s as Junior Mance, Leo Wright, Lalo Schifrin, James Moody, and Kenny Barron. He retained his popularity, occasionally headed specially assembled big bands, and was a fixture at jazz festivals. In the early '70s, Gillespie toured with the Giants of Jazz and around that time his trumpet playing began to fade, a gradual decline that would make most of his '80s work quite erratic. However, Dizzy remained a world traveler, an inspiration and teacher to younger players, and during his last couple of years he was the leader of the United Nation Orchestra (featuring Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo Sandoval). He was active up until early 1992. Dizzy Gillespie's career was very well documented from 1945 on, particularly on Musicraft, Dial, and RCA in the 1940s; Verve in the 1950s; Philips and Limelight in the 1960s; and Pablo in later years. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
A hardy, throaty and soulful vocalist who chews on every lyric, infusing them with emotional sentiments On October 19, 1960, was born Jennifer Holliday; a hardy, throaty and soulful vocalist who chews on every lyric, infusing them with emotional sentiments.
Jennifer Holliday gained national recognition when she had the lead in the Broadway musical Your Arm's Too Short to Box with God. Her performance led to her star-making performance in Dreamgirls, an adaptation of The Supremes' saga. The show featured her show-stealing take on "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," which became a hit single in 1982. That led her to a career in pop music, although she never recaptured her initial success. She returned to the stage in 1985, appearing in Sing, Mahalia, Sing; she continued to release pop music albums while starring on Broadway. In either setting, she's a hardy, throaty, soul belter who chews on every lyric, infusing them with emotional statements. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Early disco chart-topper from South Florida with 1974's "Rock Your Baby." On October 19, 1944, was born George McCrae; early disco charting vocalist from South Florida.
Along with wife Gwen McCrae, Miami-based artist George McCrae was a prime mover on the early disco front with his own R&B chart-topper "Rock Your Baby" in 1974. Born in 1944 in West Palm Beach, he formed his own vocal group in the early '60s, which eventually included his future wife Gwen. They soon began working as a duo, and when Gwen found success as a solo act, George eventually became her manager as well as backing vocalist. With disco kings Harry Casey and Richard Finch of KC & the Sunshine Band producing and writing his output on Henry Stone's T.K. label, McCrae found a hit on his first try with "Rock Your Baby," originally intended as a single for Gwen. It topped charts around the world, and he rapidly returned with the double-sided hit "I Can't Leave You Alone"/"I Get Lifted," but fads being fickle, McCrae's fortunes slipped as the decade progressed. Although he continued recording during the '80s and '90s, he only charted in England with 1984's "One Step Closer (To Love)." After a long absence from recording and releasing material, he returned in 2009 with Time for a Change. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
One third os the sweet ballad-oriented Philly soul trio that sailed to the of the charts with "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" On October 19, 1947, was born Wilbert Hart; one third os the sweet ballad-oriented Philly soul trio that sailed to the of the charts with "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)."
The Delfonics were one of the first groups to sing in the sleek, soulful style that became popularized (thanks to producer Thom Bell) as the "Philadelphia sound." A vocal trio made up of brothers William and Wilbert Hart and high school friend Randy Cain, The Delfonics roots go back to doo wop singing at school dances in the early '60s. They were well-known in the Philly area for their supple, airtight harmonic talent, which brought them to the attention of record producers, eventually landing them a contract with Cameo-Parkway. While their early records brought them little if any notice, it did bring them to the attention of producer/arranger Thom Bell, who signed the band to his soon-to-be influential soul label Philly Groove. Right from the start this was a perfect match as the band released the classic "La La Means I Love You" in 1968, a song that began a string of hits lasting into the mid-'70s. The sound that Bell created for The Delfonics was the antithesis of the soul sound that came from Stax in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in Alabama. He sandpapered away the grit, lightened up on the backbeat, brought in string sections, and created a smooth, airy sound. Critics enamored of the soul singing of Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding accused Bell and his groups of creating aural wallpaper, but the reality was that Bell and The Delfonics were setting the stage for a different kind of groove where subtlety and nuance reigned. The hits slowed for The Delfonics in the mid-'70s, and in 1971 Randy Cain quit the band and was replaced by Major Harris. A few more minor hits followed but Harris left the band for a solo career in 1975, effectively finishing The Delfonics. Multiple versions of the group toured, and one even released an album, Return, in 1981. In the late '90s, the William Hart, Major Harris, and Frank Washington (of the Futures) version of The Delfonics appeared on Ghostface Killah's "After the Smoke Has Cleared." (The group had long been a frequent source of sampled material for hip-hop artists.) The band also played a significant musical role in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown. Tarantino, a '70s pop culture obsessive, used "La La (Means I Love You)" and their best single, "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," as a way of underscoring the relationship between actors Pam Grier and Robert Forster. In the film, Forster's character is so struck by the music (and Grier's character), he goes out and buys a Delfonics' Greatest Hits cassette the following day. Near the end of the decade, the William Hart-led version of the group released Forever New on the revived Volt label. Multiple forms of the group continued to exist through the 2000s. Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Adrian Younge -- notable for his soundtrack to the 2009 blaxploitation comedy Black Dynamite, as well as Venice Dawn's Something About April -- sought William Hart to record an album-length project in which the singer was front and center. Hart obliged, and Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics was released on Wax Poetics in 2013. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
An esteemed trumpeter who worked tirelessly to ensure jazz's status as a respected American art form into the 21st century. On October 18, 1961, was born Wynton Marsalis; esteemed trumpeter who worked tirelessly to ensure jazz's status as a respected American art form into the 21st century.
The most famous jazz musician since 1980, Wynton Marsalis had a major impact on jazz almost from the start. In the early '80s, it was major news that a young and very talented black musician would choose to make a living playing acoustic jazz rather than fusion, funk, or R&B. Marsalis' arrival on the scene started the "Young Lions" movement and resulted in major labels (most of whom had shown no interest in jazz during the previous decade) suddenly signing and promoting young players. There had been a major shortage of new trumpeters since 1970, but Marsalis' sudden prominence inspired an entire new crop of brass players. The music of the mid-'60s Miles Davis Quintet had been somewhat overshadowed when it was new, but Marsalis' quintet focused on extending the group's legacy and soon other "Young Lion" units were using Davis' late acoustic work as their starting point. During his career, Marsalis has managed to be a controversial figure despite his obvious abilities. His selective knowledge of jazz history (considering post-1965 avant-garde playing to be outside of jazz and '70s fusion to be barren) is unfortunately influenced by the somewhat eccentric beliefs of Stanley Crouch, and his hiring policies as musical director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led to exaggerated charges of ageism and racism from local writers. However, more than balancing all of this out is Marsalis' inspiring work with youngsters, many of whom he has introduced to jazz; a few young musicians, such as Roy Hargrove, have been directly helped by Marsalis. Marsalis' trumpet playing has been both overcriticized and (at least early on) overpraised. When he first arrived on the scene with the Jazz Messengers, his original inspiration was Freddie Hubbard. However, by the time he began leading his own group, Marsalis often sounded very close to Miles Davis (particularly when holding a long tone), although a version of Davis with virtuosic technique. He was so widely praised by the jazz press at the time (due to their relief that the future of jazz finally seemed safe) that there was an inevitable backlash. Marsalis' sometimes inaccurate statements about jazz of the '70s and the avant-garde in general made some observers angry, and his rather derivative tone at the time made it seem as if there was always going to have to be an asterisk by his name when evaluating his talents. Some listeners formed permanent impressions of Marsalis as a Miles Davis imitator, but they failed to take into account that he was still improving and developing. With the 1990 recording Tune in Tomorrow, Marsalis at last sounded like himself. He had found his own voice by exploring earlier styles of jazz (such as Louis Armstrong's playing), mastering the wah-wah mute, and studying Duke Ellington. From that point on, even when playing a Miles Davis standard, Marsalis had his own sound and has finally taken his place as one of jazz's greats. The son of pianist Ellis Marsalis, the younger brother of Branford and the older brother of Delfeayo and Jason (the Marsalis clan as a whole can be accurately called "The First Family of Jazz"), Wynton (who was named after pianist Wynton Kelly) received his first trumpet at age six from Ellis' employer, Al Hirt. He studied both classical and jazz and played in local marching bands, funk groups, and classical orchestras. Marsalis played first trumpet in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra while in high school. He went to Juilliard when he was 18 and in 1980 he made his first recordings with the Art Blakey Big Band and joined the Jazz Messengers. By 1981, the young trumpeter was the talk of the jazz world. He toured with Herbie Hancock (a double LP resulted), continued working with Blakey, signed with Columbia, and recorded his first album as a leader. In 1982, Marsalis not only formed his own quintet (featuring brother Branford and soon Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff "Tain" Watts) but recorded his first classical album; he was immediately ranked as one of the top classical trumpeters of all time. His quintet with Branford lasted until late 1985, although a rift developed between the brothers (fortunately temporary) when Branford finally quit the band to tour with Sting's pop group. By that time Wynton was a superstar, winning a countless number of awards and polls. Marsalis' next group featured pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Watts. Over time the group grew to become a four-horn septet with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, altoist Wes Anderson, Todd Williams on tenor, bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley, and (by the early '90s) pianist Eric Reed. Marsalis really developed his writing during this era (being influenced by Duke Ellington) and the septet proved to be a perfect outlet for his arranging. Although Marsalis broke up the band by 1995, many of the musicians still appear in his special projects or with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. In 1997, Marsalis' marathon Blood on the Fields (which was released as a three-CD set) became the first jazz-based work to win a Pulitzer Prize. Standard Time, Vol. 5: The Midnight Blues followed a year later. With the passing of so many jazz giants, Marsalis' importance (as a trumpeter, leader, writer, and spokesman for jazz) continued to grow. Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk followed in 1999 to coincide with the popular PBS special. Then, as if eight proper recordings in 1999 weren't enough, Columbia and Marsalis released an amazingly affordable seven-disc set entitled Live at the Village Vanguard. Mid-2000 saw the release of Marciac Suite and Goin' Down Home. Two years later, Marsalis celebrated the blues on All Rise. Next up was his first album for Blue Note, The Magic Hour, an album of original material released early in 2004. Later that year, the label released Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Marsalis' soundtrack to a Ken Burns documentary. Marsalis' second studio effort for Blue Note, the politically and socially aware From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, followed in 2007. In 2008, Marsalis teamed up with country icon Willie Nelson for the live album Two Men with the Blues which featured the duo performing over a two-night stint at Lincoln Center. The following year, Marsalis released the concept album He and She in which he explored the theme of relationships between men and women. In 2011, he returned with the live album Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles which once again paired him with Nelson as well as vocalist Norah Jones. Also in 2011, Marsalis, who had previously guested on guitarist Eric Clapton's 2010 album Clapton, again paired with rock/blues master for the concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis also contributed the score to Burns' 2011 documentary, Prohibition. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Haitian-born rapper of gruff voice and reflective lyrics, and sometimes guitarist, started with the Fugees, made his mark as a solo artist. On October 17, 1972, was born Wyclef Jean; rapper of gruff voice and reflective lyrics, and sometimes guiitarist, started with the Fugees and later made his mark as a solo artist.
Lead Fugees rapper and sometime guitarist Wyclef Jean was the first member of his group to embark on a solo career, and he proved even more ambitious and eclectic on his own. As the Fugees hung in limbo, Wyclef also became hip-hop's unofficial multicultural conscience; a seemingly omnipresent activist, he assembled or participated in numerous high-profile charity benefit shows for a variety of causes, including aid for his native Haiti. The utopian one-world sensibility that fueled Wyclef's political consciousness also informed his recordings, which fused hip-hop with as many different styles of music as he could get his hands on (though, given his Caribbean roots, reggae was a particular favorite). In addition to his niche as hip-hop's foremost global citizen, Clef was also a noted producer and remixer who worked with an impressive array of pop, R&B, and hip-hop talent, including Whitney Houston, Santana, and Destiny's Child, among many others. Blunted on Reality The son of a minister, Nelust Wyclef Jean was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, on October 17, 1972. When he was nine, his family moved to the Marlborough projects in Brooklyn, NY; by his teenage years, Jean had moved to New Jersey, taken up the guitar, and begun studying jazz through his high school's music department. In 1987, he also joined a rap group with his cousin Prakazrel Michel (aka Pras) and Michel's high-school classmate Lauryn Hill. Initially calling themselves the Tranzlator Crew, they evolved into the Fugees, a name taken from slang for Haitian refugees. The trio signed with Ruffhouse Records in 1993 and released their debut album, Blunted on Reality, the following year; it attracted little notice, thanks to an inappropriate hardcore stance that the group wore like an ill-fitting suit. But the Fugees hit their stride on the follow-up, The Score, ignoring popular trends and crafting an eclectic, bohemian masterpiece that sounded like nothing else on the hip-hop landscape in 1996. Thanks to hit singles like "Fu-Gee-La" and "Killing Me Softly," The Score became a chart-topping phenomenon; in fact, with sales of over six million copies, it still ranks as one of the biggest-selling rap albums of all time. Wyclef Jean was the first Fugee to declare plans for a solo project, setting to work soon after the group completed its supporting tours. Released in the summer of 1997, The Carnival (full title: Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars) was even more musically ambitious than The Score. Its roster of guests included not only the remainder of the Fugees, but also Jean's siblings (who performed together in the duo Melky Sedeck), Cuban legend Celia Cruz, New Orleans funk mainstays the Neville Brothers, and Bob Marley's female backing vocalists the I Threes. The breadth of his ambition was further in evidence on the album's two hit singles; "We Trying to Stay Alive" recast the Bee Gees' signature disco tune as a ghetto empowerment anthem, and the Grammy-nominated "Gone Till November" was recorded with part of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Those two songs helped push The Carnival into a Top 20, triple-platinum showing, and most reviews were naturally quite positive. In the wake of The Carnival, Wyclef stepped up his outside work for other artists; over the next few years, he collaborated as a producer, songwriter, and/or remixer with a typically diverse list of artists: Destiny's Child ("No No No"), Sublime, Simply Red, Whitney Houston (the title track of her My Love Is Your Love album), dancehall reggae star Bounty Killer, Cypress Hill, Michael Jackson, Eric Benet, Mya, Santana ("Maria Maria"), Tevin Campbell, the Black Eyed Peas, Kimberly Scott, Sinéad O'Connor, Mick Jagger, and Canibus. Clef also served as Canibus' manager for a short time in 1998; prior to their split, a report surfaced that Wyclef had pulled a gun on Blaze editor Jesse Washington over a negative Canibus review the magazine was slated to run (Wyclef vehemently denied the accusation, and no charges were filed). By the time Wyclef began work on his second solo album, rumors were flying about tension between individual Fugees, and despite their denials, the fact that no follow-up to The Score was in sight seemed to lend credence to all the speculation. Although Wyclef had previously announced he would put off his sophomore effort until after the next Fugees album, he was well into the project by early 2000, giving an early release the antipolice brutality track "Diallo" (with guest vocals from Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour) via the Internet. The full album, titled The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, was released toward the end of the summer and entered the charts at number nine. Besides N'Dour, guests this time around included Mary J. Blige (on the Grammy-nominated duet "911"), Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Rogers, and even wrestling star the Rock ("It Doesn't Matter"); Clef also threw in a left-field cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." This time around, some critics suggested that Wyclef's sprawling ambitions were growing messy, but the record went platinum nonetheless. Shortly after its release, he also started up his own record label, Yclef. With no Fugees reunion in sight, Wyclef began preparing his third solo album, Masquerade, in 2001; he also appeared in the Jamaican gangster flick Shottas, and, sadly, suffered the death of his father in a home accident. Masquerade was released in the summer of 2002, and in addition to the usual worldbeat fusions, it found Wyclef reworking songs by Bob Dylan and Frankie Valli, and featured guest shots from Tom Jones and Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari. Masquerade entered the charts at number six, proving that Wyclef's freewheeling approach still held quite a bit of appeal. One year later, he returned with The Preacher's Son, and also released an album of traditional Haitian Creole music, Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101. His debut solo album got its sequel in 2007 when Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant hit the shelves. The album had a diverse and lengthy guest list, with Akon, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, Shakira, Paul Simon, and Sizzla being just some of the names involved. Two years later he returned with Toussaint St. Jean: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion, a mixtape that found Wyclef rapping rather than singing. THE FUGEES The Fugees: a hip-hop trio whose blend of pop, reggae, and soul with cerebral, spiritual rhymes stormed the nation in the late '90s. The Fugees translated an intriguing blend of jazz-rap, R&B, and reggae into huge success during the mid-'90s, when the trio's sophomore album The Score hit number one on the pop charts and sold over five million copies. The trio formed in the late '80s in the New Jersey area, where Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel ("Pras") attended a local high school and began working together. Michel's cousin Wyclef Jean ("Clef") joined the group (then called the Tranzlator Crew), and the trio signed to Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. After renaming themselves The Fugees (a term of derision, short for refugees, which was usually used to describe Haitian immigrants). Though the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality, was quite solid, it reflected a prevailing gangsta stance that may have been forced by the record label. No matter how pigeonholed The Fugees may have sounded on their debut, the group had obviously asserted their control by the time of their second album, The Score. With just as much intelligence as their jazz-rap forebears, the trio also worked with surprisingly straight-ahead R&B on the soulful "Killing Me Softly With His Song," sung by Lauryn Hill. Elsewhere, Clef and Pras sampled doo wop and covered Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," giving the record familiarity for the commercial mainstream, but keeping it real with insightful commentary on their urban surroundings. The Score became one of the surprise hits of 1996, reaching number one on the pop charts and making The Fugees one of the most visible rap groups around the world. During 1997, the crew played on the Smokin' Grooves tour, and took time out while Hill gave birth to a child and Clef issued a solo album, The Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars. In 1998 Hill released her smash record The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and in 2000 Clef released his second solo disc, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book. In turn, their solo success cast further doubt on another Fugees release. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Soul and early R&B vocalist and composer On October 16, 1935, was born Sugar Pie DeSanto; soul and early R&B vocalist and composer whose compositions were cut by Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Little Milton, Bobby McClure, Minnie Ripperton, Jesse James, the Dells and the Whispers.
Born Umpeylia Marcema Balinton, this artist was given her stage name as well as her recording debut by rhythm and blues ubermensch Johnny Otis. He dubbed her "Little Miss Sugar Pie" in 1955, and not because she had a sweet tooth or liked to bake. "While we were in the studio he named me Sugar Pie,"DeSanto recalled in an interview, "Because I was so little. I wore a size three shoe and I weighed about 85 pounds. I was very tiny." She's a half-pint in size, true, but in talent or voice assuredly not. Although typecast as a blues singer, she also takes care of business on the soul end of things and is a convincing jazz vocal stylist as well. That would be enough to gain most singers a reasonable slice of glory, but DeSanto also happens to be a hilarious comedienne, a show-stopping dancer, and a superb and highly original songwriter whose compositions have been cut by Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Little Milton,Bobby McClure, Minnie Riperton, Jesse James, the Dells, and the Whispers. Otis discovered her performing at the Ellis Theater, the venue which she feels was sort of a birthing ground for her musical style. Otis dropped by one of the venue's regular talent shows only to observe DeSanto walking off with first prize. He promptly offered her a contract to come to Los Angeles to cut her first record ever. From the late '50s onward she performed regularly at rhythm & blues havens such as the Apollo in New York, the Regal in Chicago, and the Howard in Washington, D.C. At the Apollo she made quite an impression on the so-called "Godfather of Soul," James Brown, leading to her becoming his opening act for two years. In 1964, DeSanto was the only female performer on a touring American Folk Blues Festival bill with a lineup that would make a blues fan soak the concert program with drool, including Willie Dixon, Sleepy John Estes, Clifton James, Sunnyland Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, also known as Rice Miller. She has written some 100 songs and prefers to perform her own material. On a series of four excellent compact discs on the Jasman label, only two songs are not written by her. Classic Sugar Pie, released in 1997, was the first full-length live recording by this artist whose on-stage workout has always totally bypassed her record releases in terms of creativity and intensity. This recording reveals that advancing age isn't stopping her from continuing to expand her talent base: she branches out into country & western. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Stellar Improvisational singer and band leader  Ángel Canales' love of music was sparked, as a youngster, when he heard the singing of Ismael Rivera with Rafael Cortijo's Combo. A timbale player for a series of bands led by guitarist Luis Torres, he made his singing debut with the Ray Jay Orchestra. Canales recorded for the first time, in 1971, as lead singer of Sabor, a group led by ex-Willie Colón pianist Mark "Markolino" Dimond. The album, initially released as Brujería in 1971, was reissued as Más Sabor under Canales' name in 1977. With Dimond's departure from the band in 1975, Canales assumed leadership of the group.
So, any comprehensive discussion of the salsa legend known as El Diferente, Angel Canales, has to begin with Mark Dimond’s album, Brujería. Mark Dimond was multi-talented: a pianist, arranger and composer. His debut album as a band leader, Brujería, was initially released in 1971 on the Vaya Records label (one of the many subsidiaries of Fania Records). An accomplished pianist, Mark had been a piano player for Willie Colón's orchestra in the late '60s. He also wrote songs for Willie Colón’s albums, The Hustler and Guisando (Doing A Job). In 1975, Mark performed an astonishing piano solo on the song, Rompe Saragüey, on Héctor Lavoe's 1975 album, La Voz. The salsa industry during that time certainly knew of, and very much respected, Mark Dimond! Just how talented was Mark Dimond? For the album Brujería, Mark Dimond wrote all the music, lyrics and arrangements. Wouldn't you say that he was extremely talented! In every way imaginable, the album was all about Mark Dimond! The lead singer for Mark’s band was the soon to become legendary sonero, Angel Canales. Other members of the band were: Ricardo "Richie" Montañez (trombone), John "Fudgy" Torres (trombone), Antonio Tapia (conga), Louie Rivera (bongo), Danny Reyes (trumpet), Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera (bass), Andy González (bass), Ismael Quintana (chorus) and Justo Betancourt (chorus). Larry Harlow and Johnny Pacheco partnered as the co-producers and co-recording directors. Harvey Averne was the executive producer. In 1975, Mark Dimond walked away from his band. Some say that he had to do this because, as with too many artists, drug problems were affecting his performances and he had begun to show up late or even not at all for some shows and rehearsals. If Mark had not left on his own, it is widely believed that his musicians would have left him anyway. After Mark’s departure, Angel Canales took over the band and named it Sabor. Mark only released two more of his own albums, both in 1975: Beethoven's V (highly regarded by critics); with singers Frankie Dante and Chivirico Dávila and a very sad rock / R&B album called The Alexander Review. Soon after the failure of The Alexander Review, Mark simply vanished from the music scene and only resurfaced briefly in 1988 to perform on Andy and Larry Harlow's 1988 album, Salsa Brothers: The Miami Sessions. About six months later the sad news that Mark had died of a stroke devastated many of his close friends and fellow musicians. With the above said, let's return to Ángel Canales. Canales has been on the cutting edge of Latin music for more than three decades. A native of Puerto Rico who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, from the age of ten, Canales has consistently added an explosive punch to his music. With his gutsy vocals accompanied by such top Latin musicians as trombonists John Torres and Ricardo Martinez, conga player Antonio Tapia, and bongo player Louie Rivera, After becoming the leader of Sabor, he released that year what most critics consider to be his finest work; the 1975 album, Sabor (see a full review at the end of this biography). Including Angel Canales, five of Mark's original musicians would later become integral members of Sabor: Ricardo "Richie" Montañez (trombone), John "Fudgy" Torres (trombone), Antonio Tapia (conga) and Louie Rivera (bongo). Canales and his newly acquired band, Sabor con Angel Canales, delivered some of the hardest-edged Latin jazz in New York during the 1970s and '80s. One reviewer described their music as "heavy metal Latin Bronx style." In 1976, Ángel released the album, El San Juan; which also did well commercially for him. In 1977, realizing that Angel Canales’ popularity was on the rise and understandably looking to maximize profits, the decision makers of the Fania Records label moved to cash in on the stunning popularity that Angel Canales was enjoying following the success of his last two albums. So, they re-released Mark Dimond's album, Brujería, under Ángel Canales' name; with a new title: Más Sabor; the perfect title for a follow-up to the great Sabor album! This album was re-released under the Alegre Records label that Fania Records had acquired two years earlier, in 1975. The true debut album of Canales, El Sentimento del Latino en Nueva York, was released in 1979. As one might imagine, many of the industry's professional critics asserted that the re-release of Más Sabor was disrespectful to both Mark and, to a lesser extent, Angel. Although the re-released album did properly credit Mark as being the composer of all seven songs, it did not include a listing of the personnel, nor did it include any liner notes. Nevertheless, just as Mark’s career was declining, Angel’s career was ascending with a flurry of successful albums: Sabor (1975), El San Juan (1976), Live at Roseland (1978 ),Sentimiento del Latino en Nueva York (1979), El Diferente (1981), El Diferente – Greatest Hits Live (1982), Different Shades of Thought (1982) and Ya Es Tiempo (It’s Time) (1985). However, in the mid ‘80s, due to the growing popularity of salsa romántica, Angel’s more grassroots style of salsa began to lose much of its appeal. The very nature of his success; a distinctive sound and stage presence, was now working against him. Hence, his 1985 album,Ya Es Tiempo (It’s Time) did not fare very well commercially. Also, he was no longer in such demand for live performances. Truthfully, Canales has had a love-hate relationship with the music industry. Frustrated by a lack of radio airplay, and struggling against the romántica trend that dominated salsa in the 1980s, he disbanded his group in 1990, and tossed the arrangements of his music into the ocean. Moving to Miami, he opened a successful diamond-cutting business. However, not surprisingly, he couldn't keep away from music for very long. Reuniting with his former timbale player, Victor Pérez, in 1993, he resumed touring two years later. In 2002, Ángel returned with a live album that did relatively well for him: Angel Canales y su Salsa En Vivo. Later that same year (2002), the news that Angel was suffering from Parkinson's disease was made known to his fans. All future albums would be mere compilations. The latest credible report is that Angel has lost approximately 80% of his memory due to Alzheimer's disease of which he also suffers. So, let’s go back to 1977 and ask why Fania Records re-released Mark Dimond's album, Brujería, under Angel Canales' name and with a new title? The answer, as I have mentioned above, was the soaring success of Ángel's 1975 album, Sabor. In this author’s opinion, Sabor was in fact Angel Canales' finest work! The following is a review that I wrote a few years ago about that album: Sabor Originally Released: 1975 Alegre Records/Fania Records I absolutely love this entire album! My favorite song on the album has changed from time to time, but began with the song Hace tiempo. I remember that the first time that I listened to that song, I played it several times; at least 10, but probably more! "Damn," I thought, "that song is one bad mother... shut yo' mouth!" The song made such an impression that even as I re-write this review for the third or fourth time, I can hear the chorus of the song echoing in the back of my mind: "Ay, ay, ay, no me hagas padecer así" (don't make me suffer like this). What a tremendous track for the salsa dancer! I could hardly wait to play it in a club to a salsa crowd and when I did so, the dance floor was steaming! The dancers absolutely loved it! The fact is that the entire CD está que arde! The first track, yet another track for the salsa dancer, Sabor los rumberos nuevos, penned by Ángel Canales and opens with the rákata of Aldemaro Luis Rivera's bongós, is essentially a descarga; in which Ángel introduces the group. From the beginning of this first track, you realize that Ángel Canales is very much a sonero like no other! Although this seems a bit cliché, it is absolutely true. His, is a voice that many inveterate salsa lovers would fall in love with and yearn to hear again and again! With his nasal, yet captivating voice, Angel manages masterfully to extend certain notes of the brass. This is really a fantastic feat that you have to hear to appreciate. There are many, many great soneros, but only a select few warrant the moniker of being truly "unique" or simply "different." Ángel Canales, however, certainly deserves such a moniker! Perhaps, the most memorable track on this album among los boricuas (Puerto Ricans), is Lejos de ti, also penned by Ángel Canales; in which he croons nostalgic verses and improvisations about his beloved Boriquen (term for the island of Puerto Rico; originally used by its indigenous Taíno Indians). In this guaguancó for the salsa dancer, Ángel conjures up the imagery of the towns Loíza Aldea, El Viejo San Juan and Villa Palmeras, golden-brown cuchifritos on the grill, and a rich bomba and plena heritage. There is no wonder that this is a favorite of many who have experienced the very rich and alluring Puerto Rican culture! As most people know, at contemporary salsa dance venues, cha-cha-chá is the preferred music for changing the pace and adding variety to the venue. So, dancers and DJs alike will love the fact that track two, Sol de mi vida, also penned by Canales, is a great cha-cha-chá tune. It boasts of a swinging piano solo by José Madrid, a remarkable saxophone solo by Emérito Benítez and also a very nice flute solo by Emérito. I could hardly wait to play this track for a dance crowd. When I did, they absolutely loved it as well! There are two more exceptional tracks on this CD for the salsa dancer: Perico Macoñá, penned by Ángel Canales and about an out of control reefer smoker, and El cantante y la orquesta. Both these songs never fail to fill the dance floor! The album Sabor was Ángel's second recording. His first recording was as vocalist with acclaimed pianist, Mark "Markolino" Dimond, on the album Brujería, although Ángel did not share the credit on the album's cover. Well, to sum it all up, Sabor contains seven tracks that are sure to move the dance floor: Sabor los rumberos nuevos, Lejos de ti, Sol de mi vida, Perico Macoñá, Hace tiempo, and El cantante y la orquesta. So, a remarkable 7 out of 8 tracks are for the dancer! Dancers and DJs alike simply cannot go wrong with this CD! It is with the utmost sincerity that I very highly recommend this CD. Click here to buy it now: BUY SABOR. Musicians: Ángel Canales - band leader, lead singer Juan Torres - trombone Ricardo Montañez - trombone Tom Malone - trompet Emérito Benítez - baritone saxophone, flute José Madrid - piano Eddie Testo - bass Gadier Quiñones - timbales Aldemaro Luis Rivera - bongos Atentamente, El Caobo Locutor y DJ de Salsa Oficial de Fania Records https://www.facebook.com/groups/RadioSalsaClasica/ http://www.elcaobointernacional.com
Singer, guitarist and original member of The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons, who rose to fame in the late 1960s with the Motown label, later finding success under the Epic label in the 1970s and 1980s. On October 15, 1953, was born Tito Jackson (Tariano Adaryll Jackson); a singer, guitarist and original member of The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons, who rose to fame in the late 1960s with the Motown label, later finding success under the Epic label in the 1970s and 1980s.
Tito Jackson is the third eldest child and second eldest male of the Jackson family. He was also known as "the quiet one" of the family. In 1967, Jackson and his brothers Jackie, Michael, Marlon and Jermaine began performing together as The Jackson 5, including winning a talent competition by covering The Temptations song, "My Girl." Tito, along with Jackie, were the most consistent members of the Jacksons, with Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and Randy, leaving at different times. After the end of the Victory Tour, Tito performed session work and also as a record producer. After releasing 2300 Jackson Street, the Jacksons ceased recording work. After years managing his sons' family group, 3T, Tito returned to the national spotlight after reuniting with his brothers on Michael's 30th anniversary concert special at Madison Square Garden. Jackson began a solo career in 2003 performing as a blues musician in various clubs with his band, which includes producer and guitarist Angelo Earl and a management team that includes Ed Tate. In 2007, in the United Kingdom, Jackson appeared as a judge on the BBC celebrity singing competition Just the Two of Us for series two of the show. He replaced singer Lulu who was a judge on series one. His co-judges were vocal coach CeCe Sammy, musician Stewart Copeland and radio DJ Trevor Nelson. During the tenure of his brothers' reality series, 2009's The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, he served as one of the executive producers alongside his other brothers. During the summer of 2012, Jackson reunited with brothers Jackie, Marlon, and Jermaine by going on tour. THE JACKSON 5 The Jackson 5 was Motown's last great pop group, and among the most successful singles acts of the '70s, led by the prodigiously talented preteen Michael Jackson. The Jackson 5 were one of the biggest phenomenons in pop music during the early '70s, and the last great group to come out of the Motown hitmaking machine before Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder shifted the label's focus to more individual visions. The Jackson 5's infectious brand of funky pop-soul was a definite departure from the typically smooth, elegant Motown sound, as befitting the group's youth and the dawn of a new decade. That youth, coupled with the merchandising juggernaut that sprang up behind them, inevitably got them tagged a bubblegum group. But they were far more talented musically than that label would suggest, especially lead singer Michael, and their material, while sunny and upbeat, didn't pander to its audience. Solo careers and overexposure gradually weakened The Jackson 5, but their best music still holds up surprisingly well as some of the most vibrant mainstream pop/R&B of its era. Originally, The Jackson 5 were composed of brothers Jackie (born Sigmund Jackson, May 4, 1951), Tito (guitar, born Toriano Jackson, October 15, 1953), Jermaine (bass, lead vocals, born December 11, 1954), Marlon (born March 12, 1957), and Michael (lead vocals, born August 29, 1958). By all accounts, the Jackson family's upbringing in Gary, IN, was strict; their mother Katherine was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and their father Joe was a stern, temperamental disciplinarian. Allowed few outside interests, the boys gravitated to music, which was in their blood -- prior to his job as a crane operator for a steel company, Joe had played guitar in an R&B group called the Falcons (not the same group that launched Wilson Pickett's career). One night, Joe discovered that Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine had been playing his treasured old guitar without permission; though initially furious, he quickly discovered that his sons had genuine talent, and began to conceive of a family singing group that might eventually get them out of their tough working-class life in Gary. The eldest three sons began performing around the area together in 1962, teamed with two cousins (Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer), who were replaced by Marlon and five-year-old Michael. Supervised by Joe, who became their manager and began working only part-time, the group practiced and rehearsed often, and improved as dancers, singers, and instrumentalists at a rapid rate. In particular, Michael proved himself a dynamic performer, soon replacing Jermaine as the featured lead vocalist, and establishing himself as a nimble dancer able to mimic talents like James Brown. At first, the group was known as Ripples & Waves Plus Michael, then the Jackson Brothers, and finally The Jackson 5. In 1966, The Jackson 5 won an important local talent competition with a Michael-led rendition of the Temptations' "My Girl." Their father, who had been chauffeuring them to out-of-state performances, also booked their first paid professional gigs that year. In 1967, the group won an amateur talent competition at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater, where they earned an influential fan in Gladys Knight (probably the first person to recommend the group to Motown). At the end of the year, The Jackson 5 made their first studio recordings for the small Gary-based Steeltown label, and their single "Big Boy" became something of a local hit. Championed again to Motown by Bobby Taylor, a member of the Vancouvers who'd seen the group in Chicago, and Diana Ross, The Jackson 5 finally got a chance to audition for the label in the summer of 1968. Desperately needing new blood, an impressed Berry Gordy signed the group and flew them out to his new headquarters in Los Angeles, where he and his assistants groomed them to be the label's next breakout stars. Having lost his famed Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team, Gordy formed a new partnership with Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizell, and Deke Richards dubbed the Corporation, which set about crafting material for the group. In August 1969, shortly before Michael turned 11, The Jackson 5 opened for Diana Ross at the L.A. Forum, and in December, they issued their debut album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5. On October 7, 1969, The Jackson 5 released their first single, "I Want You Back," a Corporation composition that had originally been intended for Gladys Knight. It was an instant smash, hitting number one on both the pop and R&B charts. So did their next two singles, "ABC" and "The Love You Save" (both from their second album, ABC), which solidified the group's so-called bubblegum-soul sound and certified them as pop sensations. Third Album was released before year's end, spawning the hit ballad "I'll Be There," which not only proved that the group (and lead singer Michael) were more mature and versatile than their bright, bouncy initial singles let on, but also made them the first group in pop history to have their first four singles hit number one. It also became the best-selling single in Motown history, spending a stellar five weeks at number one. And it had still been less than a year since the group's national debut. A virtual Jackson 5 cottage industry sprang up in the wake of their success, producing everything from dolls to a cartoon show on -- what else? -- the ABC network (during the summer of 1971). Younger and younger listeners were brought into the fold, adding to an already broad appeal that transcended color lines, and the record label that once billed itself as "the Sound of Young America" could once again lay legitimate claim to the title. Meanwhile, following their four straight number ones, The Jackson 5 opened 1971 with a pair of number two hits, "Mama's Pearl" and the ballad "Never Can Say Goodbye"; "Maybe Tomorrow" was their first single not to make the pop Top Ten, though it still reached the R&B Top Five. That year, Motown executives began grooming Michael and Jermaine for solo careers that would run concurrently with The Jackson 5. Michael was the first to debut on his own (toward the end of 1971), and was an instant success; his first two singles, "Got to Be There" and "Rockin' Robin," both made the Top Five, and later in 1972 he scored his first pop number one with "Ben." Jermaine debuted at the end of 1972, and his first single, "Daddy's Home," reached the Top Ten, though the follow-ups didn't sustain the momentum as well as Michael. In the meantime, the fantastically hyped Jackson 5 craze was beginning to cool down. Their prolific LP release schedule slowed a bit, and while their singles continued to perform reliably well on the R&B charts, they were no longer a sure-fire bet for the pop Top Ten. After a relatively lengthy drought, The Jackson 5 scored what would be their last major smash for Motown, the 1974 number two hit "Dancing Machine," a nod to the emerging sound of disco (it also topped the R&B charts). The group's frustrations with Motown had been building -- not only did the label seem less interested in their career, but they still refused to allow the Jacksons to write or choose their own material, or play their own instruments on their records. Finally, in early 1976, they left Motown to sign with Epic. When the legal battles finally ended, Motown won a breach-of-contract settlement and retained rights to the Jackson 5 name, forcing the group to become the Jacksons. They also lost Jermaine, whose marriage to Berry Gordy's daughter Hazel made it extremely impractical for him to join his brothers. He was replaced by younger brother Randy (born Steven Randall Jackson, October 29, 1961), who had been appearing (unofficially) with the group as a percussionist for some time. The Jacksons' first few records on Epic were somewhat erratic affairs produced by Philly soul legends Gamble & Huff. However, the group truly assumed control over their music and hit full stride on 1978's Destiny, which most regard as the strongest studio LP the Jacksons recorded together in any incarnation. Destiny was self-produced and largely self-written, and its success helped encourage Michael to return to solo work. 1979's brilliant Off the Wall made him a star in his own right, signifying his arrival as a mature adult artist, but he remained with his brothers for the time being, helping them record a Grammy-nominated follow-up to Destiny in 1980's Triumph. The staggering success of Michael's next solo album, Thriller, signaled the beginning of the end for the Jacksons, but not quite yet; Jermaine rejoined the group for 1984's Victory, the only album to feature all six brothers. The single "State of Shock," which featured guest vocalist Mick Jagger, hit number three that year, and the group's ensuing tour was a blockbuster success, despite expensive (for the time) ticket prices. Michael and Marlon both left the Jacksons, the latter trying out an unsuccessful solo career; Randy, Tito, and Jackie appeared as the Jacksons on the soundtrack of Burglar, and subsequently became highly regarded session musicians. the Jacksons reconvened in 1989 for the album 2300 Jackson Street, which featured every Jackson sibling save LaToya on the title cut. However, it wasn't as successful as hoped, and to date there have been no further reunions on record. In 1997, The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Pianist and vocalist whose swing, jump blues and early R&B piano riffs, along with her swinging scats, had a few hits in the lat '40s. On October 15, 1915, was born Nellie Lutcher (1915 - 2007); pianist and vocalist whose swing, jump blues and early R&B piano riffs, along with her swinging scats, had a few hits in the lat '40s.
Nellie Lutcher, a good pianist, had a few vocal hits in the late '40s that gave a permanent momentum to her career. She started playing in public early on. When Lutcher was 14, she played piano behind Ma Rainey at a local booking and the following year she toured with Clarence Hart's band in Louisiana and Texas; her father was on bass. Lutcher worked as a single in obscurity from 1935-47, moving to Los Angeles when she was 23. Her young son told her about a benefit radio program to be broadcast from Hollywood High and at the last second she was able to get booked to close the show. She performed "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else," it was heard by A&R scout Dave Dexter and she was quickly signed to Capitol Records. Her first two sessions (from 1947) resulted in her two biggest hits: "Hurry on Down" and "He's a Real Gone Guy," both of which have remained signature tunes for Lutcher through the decades. Also popular was "Fine Brown Frame." Lutcher's swing-styled piano worked well with her eccentric scatting and exaggerated pronunciation of words. However no other hits resulted and in 1952 she was dropped by Capitol. There were isolated recordings for Epic (1952-53), Liberty (1956) and Imperial but the singer-pianist made very few records after 1957, working instead at the local Musicians Union and gigging locally. Nellie Lutcher continued working on a part-time basis into the '90s, still most famous for her recordings of 1947. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Soulful crooner and seminal figure in the early history of Motown Records On October 15, 1938, was born Marv Johnson (1938 - 1993); soulful crooner and seminal figure in the early history of Motown Records. After playing his original song "Come to Me" for Berry Gordy and his wife Raynoma, the couple chose Marv as the first artist for their fledgling record label.
Best remembered for a handful of hits including the Top Ten smashes "You Got What It Takes" and "I Love the Way You Love," Marv Johnson was also a seminal figure in the early history of Motown Records. Marvin Earl Johnson was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1938, and was raised in a musical environment that mixed the gospel music of the Baptist church with the jump-jazz of Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5. By the time he was in high school he had joined a local singing group, playing carnivals and fairs. In 1958, he cut his first sides, "My Baby-O" and "Once Upon a Time;" the single failed to sell, but the recording session resulted in a meeting with songwriter and would-be record producer Berry Gordy. After Johnson played his original song "Come to Me" for Gordy and his future wife Raynoma, the couple chose Johnson as the first artist for their fledgling record label, Tamla. Because the new label didn't have distribution outside of Detroit, "Come to Me" (credited to Gordy and Johnson) was released nationally by United Artists, and rose to number six on the R&B charts and number 30 on the pop charts. Gordy soon lost direct control of his first discovery after United Artists signed Johnson directly, but continued as the singer's manager. Johnson also toured with Motown acts such as the Miracles in addition to appearing on Alan Freed's rock & roll revues and media venues such as American Bandstand, and joined early package tours and stage revues where he shared bills with his idols Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson. Johnson's second single fared poorly, but his third, 1959's "You've Got What It Takes," exploded onto the charts, becoming a Top Ten hit and earning a gold record. The 1960 follow-up "I Love the Way You Love" also landed in the Top Ten; among his subsequent singles, "You've Got to Move Two Mountains" was a more pop-flavored effort that reached the Top 20, while "Happy Days" got to number seven on the R&B charts late in 1960. "Merry-Go-Round," issued in early 1961, was Johnson's last chart success. In 1965, with the British Invasion in full swing, Johnson's contract was dropped by United Artists; he finally came "home" to Motown, joining the Gordy label, but never enjoyed another American hit, although he earned a British gold record with "I'll Pick a Rose for My Rose" for Tamla in 1968. He later worked in a front-office job for Motown, and also wrote songs for Tyrone Davis and Johnny Taylor. Johnson's recording career ended in the late '60s, but he never stopped performing, and remained active on-stage into the early '90s. Johnson died from a stroke at a concert in Columbia, South Carolina on May 16, 1993. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter and founding member of MFSB who played on countless Philly soul session of the '60s, '70s and '80s. On October 14, 1947, was born Norman Harris (1947 - 1987); guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter and founding member of MFSB, and who played on countless Philly soul sessions of the '60s, '70s and '80s.
Guitarist/producer/arranger/songwriter Norman Harris can be heard on countless Philly soul sessions of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. He was a founding member of MFSB, the rhythm/strings/horns aggregation that was the house band for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label. As one third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young, he produced hits on First Choice, Eddie Holman, the Salsoul Orchestra, and Love Committee for Salsoul Records, as well as Atlantic Records acts the Trammps. He also had hits with Gloria Gaynor ("Honey Bee"), the Delfonics ("La La Means I Love You," "Didn't I Blow Your Mind"), Jerry Butler ("Hey Western Union Man," "Only the Strong Survive"), Wilson Pickett ("Engine Number 9," "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You"), Joe Simon ( "Drowning in the Sea of Love," "Power of Love"), and the Spinners ("I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"), among many others. Beside fellow MFSB members drummer Earl Young and bassist Ron Baker, Harris' frequent songwriting partners were Allan Felder and Bunny Sigler. He came up with his unique string and horn arrangements by composing the parts on his guitar. Harris and Baker first teamed up late in the '50s, and began playing in Philly-area clubs. When they got calls for recording sessions in the '60s, the duo began working with drummer Karl Chambers. Later adding drummer Young, the trio began to build up a considerable reputation as a tight rhythm section. After playing on so many hits, they decided to form a record label and music-publishing firm called Golden Fleece, and worked out a deal with Sigma Sound Studios owner Joe Tarsia. Vocal trio First Choice was introduced to Harris by WDAS DJ Jimmy Bishop, and began recording for the Philly Groove label distributed by Bell Records. The hits began to come: "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," "Smarty Parts," "The Player," and "Newsy Neighbors." When Harris started his own Salsoul-distributed Gold Mind label in 1979, he signed the group. Harris also became a recording artist, recording as the Harris Machine and one self-titled 1979 Salsoul LP as a part of Baker-Harris-Young. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
R&B singer-songwriter notched a healthy run of hits in the late-'80s/early-'90s. On October 14, 1965, was born Karyn White; R&B singer-songwriter with a healthy run of hits in the lat '80s and early '90s.
Crossover contemporary R&B singer Karyn White was born in Los Angeles, California, where her father played trumpet and her mother was a church choir director. White gained experience singing in choir and also in local talent shows and beauty pageants. She sang with local band Legacy and then toured with R&B vocalist O'Bryan in 1984. A lead vocal on instrumentalist Jeff Lorber's "Facts of Life" led to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Her self-titled debut, released in 1988 with two-thirds of its material produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, sold over two million copies and featured three number one R&B singles ("The Way You Love Me," "Superwoman," and "Love Saw It"), as well as one that merely went to number four ("Secret Rendezvous"). Her follow-up, Ritual of Love (1991), featured production by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; it moved over half a million units, supported by yet another number one R&B single in the form of "Romantic." White and Lewis subsequently married (and were together for seven years prior to divorcing). Jam & Lewis also contributed production help on 1994's Make Him Do Right, which didn't fare nearly as well as White's first two releases. She spent several years away from the music industry to take care of her family while operating real estate and interior design businesses. In 2012, she returned with her fourth album, Carpe Diem, on the EMI-distributed Lightyear label. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/
Director de orquesta con sede en la Ciudad de Nueva York, compositor, productor y multiinstrumentista, muy popular en la década de los 70 y 80. Los que leen mi blog con frecuencia ya sabrán que lo que hago, por lo general, es buscar información sobre los artistas, copiarla y publicarla aquí. Las más veces, utilizo más de una fuente y hago las publicaciones al llegar el aniversario del nacimiento, del fallecimiento o de algún otro día especial en la trayectoria musical de los artistas. Sin embargo, a veces me siento obligado a escribir algo con mi propio puño y letra sobre uno de los grandes artistas y esto suele pasar después de oír de nuevo un tema extraordinariamente repleto del saoco innegable que me conmueve sobremanera, lo cual resulta ser el caso presente. Es más, confieso que a veces también quiero demostrar que tengo madera para escritor.
Ahora el lector atento se preguntará que ¿a qué se debe todo esto? Bueno, es que acabo de escuchar el tema, Ahora te toca a ti, de Bobby Rodríguez y La Compañía, del álbum grabado en vivo, Salsa at Woodstock, de 1976. En este tema se encuentra lo que debe de constar en la lista de los cinco mejores solos de saxofón que lleva un tema de salsa y lo más probable es que sea el mejor. ¡Es fenomenal! Al final del tema, uno de los asistentes grita con emoción, ¡Bobby! ¡Bobby! ¡Bobby!, el nombre del artista, y en ese mismo instante, me di cuenta de que yo estaba atrapado en el ese mismo rapto por el saoco de las moñas del saxofón y hasta por el tema en su conjunto. Me encontraba tamborileando los dedos sobre la mesa, balanceándome de lado a lado en mi asiento y por poco no resistía las ganas de levantarme a bailar. Cuando el asistente empezó a gritar el nombre de Bobby, ¡yo también quería clamarlo! Al final del tema, ya sabía en el acto que iba a publicar en mi blog algo sobre Bobby Rodríguez y La Compañía, y aquí me encuentro. ¿Quién es Bobby Rodríguez? Este Bobby Rodríguez, el saxofonista, flautista, clarinetista, pianista, cantante, percusionista, arreglista, compositor, y productor, nacido en Spanish Harlem, Nueva York, no se debe confundir con el bajista veterano del mismo nombre. El Bobby Rodríguez ahora homenajeado por este humilde escritor comenzó como miembro de la banda de su hermano, Ray Rodríguez, a finales de los años 60 hasta los comienzos de los 70. Bobby fue el director musical, arreglista, compositor y saxofonista tenor para la banda. El segundo lanzamiento de Ray Rodríguez y su Orquesta, Delusión, contenía el tema excepcional 'Olvídame', co escrito entre Bobby y el vocalista original de la banda, 'El Albino Divino', Nestor Sánchez. Sánchez salió de la banda para unirse a La Protesta de Tony Pabón, y luego parece haber ido de banda en banda, trabjando con el Conjunto Candela, Larry Harlow, Julio Castro, hasta que por fin, se lanzó como artista en solitario. Mientras tanto, en 1974, Bobby organizó su propia banda, liderada por los metales y la flauta, y llamada La Compañía. Por su saoco y el sonido melífluo de los metales, esta banda logró trabajar constantemente en el circuito de clubes nocturnos de Nueva York antes de su debut con el álbum Lead Me to that Beuatiful Band, en 1975. Desde un principio, el estilo de La Compañía, aunque firmemente arraigada en la tradición latina, fue fuertemente influenciada por el jazz, el soul y el funk, y su repertorio incluía temas de letra en inglés. Eddie Iglesias Hernéndez, un "Nuyorican" de segunda generaciön, cantó los temas en inglés y además tocó el trombón, mientras que los temas en español los cantaron Junior Córdova y José Acosta. Durante esta época, Córdova se consideraba un cantante veterano puesto que antes había trabajado con Nelson Feliciano, con Rafael Cortijo y con Kako Bastar. Un tema del primer álbum de La Compañía, Número 6, una composición de Rubén Blades que lamenta sobre los retrasos en el metro, fue todo un exitazo. Blades también compuso el éxito What Happened del álbum grabado en vivo, Salsa at Woodstock. En 1977, Rodríguez, Iglesias, Acosta y el timbalero de La Compañía, Charlie Salinas, participaron en el álbum para 17 aniversario de los Alegre All-Stars, dirigidos por el gran pianista, Charlie Palmieri, y producido por Al Santiago. El homónimo (o tocayo) de Bobby, el bajista veterano ya mencionado, tocó el bajo durante esta sesión. En 1978, Bobby Rodríguez y La Compañía pegaron otro éxito con el tema Latin From Manhattan del álbum que lleva el mismo nombre. A esta nueva versión del tema de los años 1930, grabado originalmente por Al Jolson, Bobby y sus músicos le dieron un toque de salsa y jazz, con el clarinete de Bobby sirviéndole de punto culminante. En 1984, Eddie Iglesias Hérnandez salió de La Compañía y se llevó a Acosta y Salinas para formar la banda Los Amigos and the Bad Street Boys. Mientras tanto, después de un intervalo de tres años, Rodríguez cambió el nombre de su banda a La Nueva Compañía y regresó con el álbum apropiadamente titulado, Mi Regreso, con Orlando Castillo 'Watusi' llevando la voz cantante. Mi Regreso contenía una nueva versión del tema Olvidame y una buena versión del tema clásico Maria Cristina, compuesta por Ñico Saquito. En 1987, Córdova, Iglesias y Salinas se reunieron con Bobby y La Nueva Compañía para el álbum, Juntos Otra Vez. Perdimos a Bobby Rodríguez el 13 de marzo del año 2003. Falleció por complicaciones relacionadas con cáncer de estómago. Atentamente, El Caobo Locutor y DJ de Salsa Oficial de Fania Records https://www.facebook.com/groups/RadioSalsaClasica/ http://www.elcaobointernacional.com
A brilliant composer and a criminally underrated pianist whose sense of rhythm, space, and harmony made him one of the founders of modern jazz. On October 10, 1917, was born Thelonious Monk (1917 - 1982); a brilliant modern jazz composer and pianist.
The most important jazz musicians are the ones who are successful in creating their own original world of music with its own rules, logic, and surprises. Thelonious Monk, who was criticized by observers who failed to listen to his music on its own terms, suffered through a decade of neglect before he was suddenly acclaimed as a genius; his music had not changed one bit in the interim. In fact, one of the more remarkable aspects of Monk's music was that it was fully formed by 1947 and he saw no need to alter his playing or compositional style in the slightest during the next 25 years. Thelonious Monk grew up in New York, started playing piano when he was around five, and had his first job touring as an accompanist to an evangelist. He was inspired by the Harlem stride pianists (James P. Johnson was a neighbor) and vestiges of that idiom can be heard in his later unaccompanied solos. However, when he was playing in the house band of Minton's Playhouse during 1940-1943, Monk was searching for his own individual style. Private recordings from the period find him sometimes resembling Teddy Wilson but starting to use more advanced rhythms and harmonies. He worked with Lucky Millinder a bit in 1942 and was with the Cootie Williams Orchestra briefly in 1944 (Williams recorded Monk's "Epistrophy" in 1942 and in 1944 was the first to record "'Round Midnight"), but it was when he became Coleman Hawkins' regular pianist that Monk was initially noticed. He cut a few titles with Hawkins (his recording debut) and, although some of Hawkins' fans complained about the eccentric pianist, the veteran tenor could sense the pianist's greatness. The 1945-1954 period was very difficult for Thelonious Monk. Because he left a lot of space in his rhythmic solos and had an unusual technique, many people thought that he was an inferior pianist. His compositions were so advanced that the lazier bebop players (although not Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker) assumed that he was crazy. And Thelonious Monk's name, appearance (he liked funny hats), and personality (an occasionally uncommunicative introvert) helped to brand him as some kind of nut. Fortunately, Alfred Lion of Blue Note believed in him and recorded Monk extensively during 1947-1948 and 1951-1952. He also recorded for Prestige during 1952-1954, had a solo set for Vogue in 1954 during a visit to Paris, and appeared on a Verve date with Bird and Diz. But work was very sporadic during this era and Monk had to struggle to make ends meet. His fortunes slowly began to improve. In 1955, he signed with Riverside and producer Orrin Keepnews persuaded him to record an album of Duke Ellington tunes and one of standards so his music would appear to be more accessible to the average jazz fan. In 1956 came the classic Brilliant Corners album, but it was the following year when the situation permanently changed. Monk was booked into the Five Spot for a long engagement and he used a quartet that featured tenor saxophonist John Coltrane. Finally, the critics and then the jazz public recognized Thelonious Monk's greatness during this important gig. The fact that he was unique was a disadvantage a few years earlier when all modern jazz pianists were expected to sound like Bud Powell (who was ironically a close friend), but by 1957 the jazz public was looking for a new approach. Suddenly, Monk was a celebrity and his status would not change for the remainder of his career. In 1958, his quartet featured the tenor of Johnny Griffin (who was even more compatible than Coltrane), in 1959 he appeared with an orchestra at Town Hall (with arrangements by Hall Overton), in 1962 he signed with Columbia and two years later was on the cover of Time. A second orchestra concert in 1963 was even better than the first and Monk toured constantly throughout the 1960s with his quartet which featured the reliable tenor of Charlie Rouse. He played with the Giants of Jazz during 1971-1972, but then in 1973 suddenly retired. Monk was suffering from mental illness and, other than a few special appearances during the mid-'70s, he lived the rest of his life in seclusion. After his death it seemed as if everyone was doing Thelonious Monk tributes. There were so many versions of "'Round Midnight" that it was practically a pop hit! But despite the posthumous acclaim and attempts by pianists ranging from Marcus Roberts to Tommy Flanagan to recreate his style, there was no replacement for the original. Some of Thelonious Monk's songs became standards early on, most notably "'Round Midnight," "Straight No Chaser," "52nd Street Theme," and "Blue Monk." Many of his other compositions have by now been figured out by other jazz musicians and are occasionally performed including "Ruby My Dear," "Well You Needn't," "Off Minor," "In Walked Bud," "Misterioso," "Epistrophy," "I Mean You," "Four in One," "Criss Cross," "Ask Me Now," "Little Rootie Tootie," "Monk's Dream," "Bemsha Swing," "Think of One," "Friday the 13th," "Hackensack," "Nutty," "Brilliant Corners," "Crepuscule With Nellie" (written for his strong and supportive wife), "Evidence," and "Rhythm-a-Ning," Virtually all of Monk's recordings (for Blue Note, Prestige, Vogue, Riverside, Columbia, and Black Lion) have been reissued and among his sidemen through the years were Idrees Sulieman, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, Lou Donaldson, Lucky Thompson, Max Roach, Julius Watkins, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Gerry Mulligan, John Coltrane, Wilbur Ware, Shadow Wilson, Johnny Griffin, Donald Byrd, Phil Woods, Thad Jones, and Charlie Rouse. His son Thelonious Monk, Jr. (T.S. Monk) has helped keep the hard bop tradition alive with his quintet and has headed the Thelonious Monk Institute, whose yearly competitions succeed in publicizing talented young players. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/ |
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