JUNE 26TH
BIRTHDAYS
1893 "Big Bill" Broonzy, Blues vocals
b. Scott, MS, USA, d. Aug. 15, 1958,
né: William Lee Conley Broonzy.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Steve James
In terms of his musical skill, the sheer size of his repertoire, the length and variety of his career and his influence on contemporaries and musicians who would follow, Big Bill Broonzy is among a select few of the most important figures in recorded blues history. Among his hundreds of titles are standards like "All by Myself" and "Key to the Highway." In this country he was instrumental in the growth of the Chicago Blues sound, and his travels abroad rank him as one of the leading blues ambassadors.
Literally born on the banks of the Mississippi, he was one of a family of 17 who learned to fiddle on a homemade instrument. Taught by his uncle, he was performing by age ten at social functions and in church. After brief stints on the pulpit and in the Army, he moved to Chicago where he switched his attention from violin to guitar, playing with elders like Papa Charlie Jackson. Broonzy began his recording career with Paramount in 1927. In the early '30s he waxed some brilliant blues and hokum and worked Chicago and the road with great players like pianist Black Bob, guitarist Will Weldon and Memphis Minnie.
During the Depression years Big Bill Broonzy continued full steam ahead, doing some acrobatic label-hopping (Paramount to Bluebird to Columbia to Okeh!). In addition to solo efforts, he contributed his muscular guitar licks to recordings by Bumble Bee Slim, John Lee (Sonny Boy) Williamson and others who were forging a powerful new Chicago sound.
In 1938, Broonzy was at Carnegie Hall (ostensibly filling in for the fallen Robert Johnson) for John Hammond's revolutionary Sprirtuals to Swing Series. The following year he appeared with Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong in George Seldes's film production Swingin' the Dream. After his initial brush with the East Coast cognoscenti, however, Broonzy spent a good part of the early '40s barnstorming the South with Lil Green's road show or kicking back in Chicago with Memphis Slim.
He continued alternating stints in Chicago and New York with coast-to-coast road work until 1951 when live performances and recording dates overseas earned him considerable notoriety in Europe and led to worldwide touring. Back in the States he recorded for Chess, Columbia and Folkways, working with a spectrum of artists from Blind John Davis to Pete Seeger. In 1955, Big Bill Blues, his life as told to Danish writer Yannick Bruynoghe, was published.
In 1957, after one more British tour, the pace began to catch up with Broonzy. He spent the last year of his life in and out of hospitals and succumbed to cancer in 1958. He survives though; not only in his music, but in the remembrances of people who knew him...from Muddy Waters to Studs Terkel. A gentle giant they say...tough enough to survive the blues world...but not so tough he wouldn't give a struggling young musician the shirt off his back. His music, of course, is absolutely basic to the blues experience, and was celebrated in 1999 with the release of the three-disc retrospective The Bill Broonzy Story.
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1943 Georgie Fame, Vocal/Piano
b. Leigh, Lancashire, England. d. 1943. né: Clive Powell.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Steve Huey
Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (The Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading.
Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra).
At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.
In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese tradition.
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1905 Teddy Grace, Vocal
b. Arcadia, LA, USA. d. 1992.
~Biography by Scott Yanow
A superior singer whose career was tragically cut short, most of Teddy Grace's recordings have been reissued on a Timeless CD. She became a professional singer in 1931; sang on the radio in the South; worked for Al Katz (1933), Tommy Christian (1934), and Mal Hallett (on and off during 1934-1937); and recorded for Decca during 1937-1940, using such sidemen as Bobby Hackett, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Pee Wee Russell, and Bud Freeman. Grace became disenchanted with the music business and quit in 1940. She joined the WACs during World War II and after straining herself singing during a busy schedule of bond rallies and shows, she lost her voice. Although Teddy Grace's speaking voice eventually came back in a weakened form, she was unable to sing again and spent the rest of her life outside of music.
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1956 Chris Isaak, vocals
b. Stockton, CA, USA.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Chris Isaak clearly loves the reverb-laden rockabilly and country of Sun Studios. In particular, he transfers the sweeping melancholy of Roy Orbison's classic Monument singles ("Crying," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "In Dreams") to the more stripped-down, rootsy sound of Sun. His stylized take on '50s and '60s rock & roll eventually made him into a star in the early '90s, thanks to the hit single "Wicked Game."
Isaak began performing after he graduated from college, forming the rockabilly band Silvertone. The group, which featured guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, bassist Rowland Salley, and drummer Kenney Dale Johnson, would become the singer/guitarist's permanent supporting band. Isaak released his first album, Silvertone, on Warner Bros. in 1985. It was critically well received, yet it didn't sell. Two years later, he released Chris Isaak, which managed to scrape into the Top 200 album charts. After its release, the singer began an acting career with a bit part in Jonathan Demme's 1988 film Married to the Mob; he would later have parts in Wild at Heart, The Silence of the Lambs, and A Dirty Shame, as well as starring in his own situation comedy series for the Showtime cable network.
Released in 1989, Heart Shaped World initially sold more than Chris Isaak, yet it didn't manage to break big until late 1990, when the single "Wicked Game" was featured in David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Soon, the single became a Top Ten hit; the album also made it into the Top Ten and sold over a million copies. Both 1993's San Francisco Days and 1995's Forever Blue mined essentially the same vein as Heart Shaped World, yet both went gold and spawned a handful of hits. In 1996, Isaak released The Baja Sessions; Speak of the Devil followed two years later. Isaak's busy touring schedule and growing visibility as an actor kept him out of the recording studio until 2002, when he released Always Got Tonight, though in 2004 he did find time to cut his first seasonal album, Chris Isaak Christmas, which featured five new Yuletide tunes along with a batch of holiday favorites.
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1955 Mick Jones, singer/guitarist/songwriter
b. South London, England, UK.
né: Micheal Geoffrey Jones. Member group: 'The Clash'
AMG BIO:
Biography by Greg Prato
Best known as one of the leader's of one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time, the Clash, singer/guitarist/songwriter Mick Jones was one of the more musically adventurous musicians of the genre, especially evident in his post-Clash outfit, the alt-dance outfit Big Audio Dynamite. Born Micheal Geoffrey Jones on June 26, 1955, in South London, Jones was raised by his grandmother, and as a teenager, picked up the guitar after being inspired by such proto-punk outfits as MC5 and the New York Dolls. It wasn't long before Jones began playing in local bands, including such forgotten outfits a the Delinquents, Little Queenies, and London S.S., and while none of these bands amounted to much, it was through his tenure with London S.S. that Jones befriended bassist Paul Simonon. The union of Jones and Simonon led to the eventual formation of the Clash in 1976, with another guitarist/singer, Joe Strummer (in addition to a revolving door of drummers).
The Clash quickly became one of the leaders of the burgeoning punk rock movement in the U.K. (along with such outfits as the Sex Pistols, the Damned, Siouxse & the Banshees, etc.), signing on with Epic Records soon after. With Jones and Strummer co-writing almost all of the tracks, the Clash issued such rough and ready punk classics as 1977's self-titled debut and 1978's Give 'Em Enough Rope. But it was 1979's double album London Calling that the group truly came into their own. Often considered to be one of rock's all-time best releases, the musically varied album scored one of their biggest hit singles, the Jones-sung "Train in Vain." Further releases followed, such as 1980's triple album set Sandinista! and Combat Rock (the latter of which featured another Jones-sung hit single, "Should I Stay or Should I Go"), which saw the group expand their sound even further; resulting in the Clash becoming one of the top rock bands in the world. It was also during the early '80s that Jones produced a few other artists (singer Ellen Foley and former Mott the Hoople leader Ian Hunter), and guested on a B-side by Elvis Costello.
But widespread success created tension between Jones and the other bandmembers, leading to his exit from the band in 1983 (Simonon and Strummer would keep the Clash afloat for one more release, 1985's best-forgotten Cut the Crap). Jones' next project, Big Audio Dynamite, was launched in 1985, and provided the freedom to experiment with other styles (mostly funk/dance-based), as he was joined by video artist Don Letts (who also provided vocals and effects), drummer Greg Roberts, keyboardist Dan Donovan, and bassist Leo "E-Zee Kill" Williams. A steady stream of albums followed from the mid- to late '80s, including 1985's This Is Big Audio Dynamite, 1986's No. 10, Upping St. (produced by ex-Clash mate Strummer), 1988's Tighten Up, Vol. '88, and 1989's Megatop Phoenix. Most of BAD left around this time (forming the group Screaming Target), while Jones soldiered on with new members Nick Hawkins (guitar), Gary Stonadge (bass), and Chris Kavanagh (drums), changed their name to Big Audio Dynamite II, and issued such further releases as 1991's The Globe, 1994's Higher Power, and 1995's F-Punk. During the late '90s, rumors of a Clash reunion began to surface regularly, but despite the fact that all former members were back on good terms, the invites were turned down; but Jones and his former Clash bandmates were interviewed extensively for the bio-movie Westway to the World, and Jones began DJing with some of his BAD bandmates at the Maximum club in London.
PICS:
www.clashphotorockers.free.fr/
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1903 "Saint Louis Jimmy" Oden, Blues composer
b. Nashville, TN, USA. d. Dec. 30, 1977.
Circa 1917, he moved to St. Louis and fell in with pianist Roosevelt Sykes on the 1920s Gateway City blues circuit. The two men have remained frequent musical partners through the ensuing decades. He was frequently recorded in the 1940s and 1950s. Oden also composed "Soon Forgotten" and "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" for Muddy Waters, however, without a doubt, his biggest composition (and recording) was "Goin' Down Slow".
AMG BIO:
Biography by Bill Dahl
Few blues songs have stood the test of Father Time as enduringly as "Goin' Down Slow." Its composer, St. Louis Jimmy Oden, endured rather impressively himself -- he recorded during the early '30s and was still at it more than three decades later.
If not for a fortuitous move to St. Louis circa 1917, James Oden might have been known as Nashville Jimmy. He fell in with pianist Roosevelt Sykes on the 1920s Gateway City blues circuit (the two remained frequent musical partners through the ensuing decades). Oden enjoyed a fairly prolific recording career during the 1930s and '40s, appearing on Champion, Bluebird (where he hit with "Goin' Down Slow" in 1941), Columbia, Bullet in 1947, Miracle, Aristocrat (there he cut "Florida Hurricane" in 1948 accompanied by pianist Sunnyland Slim and a young guitarist named Muddy Waters), Mercury, Savoy, and Apollo.
Scattered singles for Duke (with Sykes on piano) and Parrot (a 1955 remake of "Goin' Down Slow") set the stage for Oden's 1960 album debut for Prestige's Bluesville subsidiary (naturally, it included yet another reprise of "Goin' Down Slow"). Oden was backed by guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson and a swinging New York rhythm section. As much a composer as a performer, Oden wrote "Soon Forgotten" and "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" for Muddy Waters.
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1912 Clarence Profit, Piano/Leader
b. New York, NY, USA. d. Oct. 22, 1944, New York, NY, USA.
Clarence was the child of a musical family. His father, Herman Profit, was a professional pianist. Sinclair Mills, his cousin, was also a working pianist. Clarence first began his piano studies at just age 3, and by his teens was already leading a 10 piece band in such local New York venues as the 'Bamboo Inn', the 'Alhambra', and the 'Renaissance'. During 1930 -'31, he worked with guitarist Teddy Bunn in the 'Alabama Washboard Serenaders'. During 1934 -'35, he recorded 18 Decca sides with the 'Georgia Washboard Stompers', and 20 sides with the 'Washboard Rhythm Band' (Taft Jordan was the trumpeter, Columbia, 1933) and 'Washboard Rhythm Kings' (Blue Bird, 1933). In the late 1930s, he traveled to the island of Antiqua to visit his grandparents, and remained in the West Indies for the next 5 years. While in the Carribean, he led his own band in Antigua, Bermuda, and other places, before returning to New York City in November 1936. Now back in the US, he led his own trio in such venues as 'George's Tavern' (New York 1937-39); the Ritz Carlton Hotel (Boston 1938); the 'Yeah Man Club' (New York), 'Café Society' (New York 1939), the 'Village Vanguard' (New York 1940 and again in 1944), 'Kelly's Stables' (on New York's famed 52nd St. 1940-'43), 'Performers', and 'Music Guild Club' (New York 1942). Profit is also recalled as the co-composer, with Edgar Sampson, of "Lullaby in Rhythm".
AMG BIO:
Biography by Scott Yanow
A very talented swing pianist, Clarence Profit passed away just before the bop era officially began so one does not know for sure how he would have adjusted his style during the next few years. Profit began playing piano very early, at the age of three, and as a teenager he was playing professionally with a variety of local groups including his own band. He first recorded with the Washboard Serenaders during 1930-31 and then spent time leading bands in Antigua (in the West Indies) and Bermuda for a few years. After returning to New York in 1936, he formed his own trio, playing regularly in New York area clubs. During 1939-40 Profit recorded with his regular group (featuring either Billy Moore or Jimmy Shirley on guitar and bassist Ben Brown), displaying an advanced swing style and a bit of stride. The co-composer (with Edgar Sampson) of "Lullaby In Rhythm," Clarence Profit's premature death has led to him being somewhat obscure in jazz history books although he was rated quite high during his lifetime.
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1915 Maurice Rocco, piano/vocal
d. March 25, 1976, Bangkok, Thailand.
né Maurice Rockhold.
He briefly performed with Duke Ellington's orchestra before adopting the stage name Maurice Rocco. A fine pianist. Most folks will recall his act which had him playing the piano while standing up.
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Notable Events occurring this date include:
1938. James Weldon Johnson, Boogie Woogie pianist and songwriter, died in Wiscasset, ME, USA. Age: 67
1943. Vocalist Rudy Elzy died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 33
1956. Trumpeter Clifford Brown died in Bedford, PA. Age: 25 (auto accident).
1968. Trumpeter Ziggy Elman died in Van Nuys, CA, USA. Age: 54
1975. Frank Holzfeind, owner: Blue Note Club, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 75
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Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1905 "Whatcha Gonna Do When The Rent Comes Due", - Arthur Collins voc.
1924 "Maytime", - Paul Specht and his Orch.
1925 "When Eyes of Blue are Fooling You", - Howard Lanin and His Ben Frankyn Hotel Orch.
1925 "So Thats The Kind of Girl You Are", - Art Gilham and his Whispering Piano
1926 "Eccentric", - New Orleans Owls
1926 "Where Is My Rose of Waikiki", - The Revelers Orch.
1928 "Empty Bed Blues", Elizabeth Johnson sang with King Oliver (cornet) and Clarence Williams (piano). (OKeh -8593 NYC).
1930 "My Future Just Passed", - The Colonial Club Orch.
1940 "Whatever Happened To You", - Xavier Cugat Orch., with Dinah Shore voc.
1941 "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good", - Duke Ellington Orch.
BIRTHDAYS
1893 "Big Bill" Broonzy, Blues vocals
b. Scott, MS, USA, d. Aug. 15, 1958,
né: William Lee Conley Broonzy.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Steve James
In terms of his musical skill, the sheer size of his repertoire, the length and variety of his career and his influence on contemporaries and musicians who would follow, Big Bill Broonzy is among a select few of the most important figures in recorded blues history. Among his hundreds of titles are standards like "All by Myself" and "Key to the Highway." In this country he was instrumental in the growth of the Chicago Blues sound, and his travels abroad rank him as one of the leading blues ambassadors.
Literally born on the banks of the Mississippi, he was one of a family of 17 who learned to fiddle on a homemade instrument. Taught by his uncle, he was performing by age ten at social functions and in church. After brief stints on the pulpit and in the Army, he moved to Chicago where he switched his attention from violin to guitar, playing with elders like Papa Charlie Jackson. Broonzy began his recording career with Paramount in 1927. In the early '30s he waxed some brilliant blues and hokum and worked Chicago and the road with great players like pianist Black Bob, guitarist Will Weldon and Memphis Minnie.
During the Depression years Big Bill Broonzy continued full steam ahead, doing some acrobatic label-hopping (Paramount to Bluebird to Columbia to Okeh!). In addition to solo efforts, he contributed his muscular guitar licks to recordings by Bumble Bee Slim, John Lee (Sonny Boy) Williamson and others who were forging a powerful new Chicago sound.
In 1938, Broonzy was at Carnegie Hall (ostensibly filling in for the fallen Robert Johnson) for John Hammond's revolutionary Sprirtuals to Swing Series. The following year he appeared with Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong in George Seldes's film production Swingin' the Dream. After his initial brush with the East Coast cognoscenti, however, Broonzy spent a good part of the early '40s barnstorming the South with Lil Green's road show or kicking back in Chicago with Memphis Slim.
He continued alternating stints in Chicago and New York with coast-to-coast road work until 1951 when live performances and recording dates overseas earned him considerable notoriety in Europe and led to worldwide touring. Back in the States he recorded for Chess, Columbia and Folkways, working with a spectrum of artists from Blind John Davis to Pete Seeger. In 1955, Big Bill Blues, his life as told to Danish writer Yannick Bruynoghe, was published.
In 1957, after one more British tour, the pace began to catch up with Broonzy. He spent the last year of his life in and out of hospitals and succumbed to cancer in 1958. He survives though; not only in his music, but in the remembrances of people who knew him...from Muddy Waters to Studs Terkel. A gentle giant they say...tough enough to survive the blues world...but not so tough he wouldn't give a struggling young musician the shirt off his back. His music, of course, is absolutely basic to the blues experience, and was celebrated in 1999 with the release of the three-disc retrospective The Bill Broonzy Story.
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1943 Georgie Fame, Vocal/Piano
b. Leigh, Lancashire, England. d. 1943. né: Clive Powell.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Steve Huey
Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (The Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading.
Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra).
At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare.
In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese tradition.
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1905 Teddy Grace, Vocal
b. Arcadia, LA, USA. d. 1992.
~Biography by Scott Yanow
A superior singer whose career was tragically cut short, most of Teddy Grace's recordings have been reissued on a Timeless CD. She became a professional singer in 1931; sang on the radio in the South; worked for Al Katz (1933), Tommy Christian (1934), and Mal Hallett (on and off during 1934-1937); and recorded for Decca during 1937-1940, using such sidemen as Bobby Hackett, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Shavers, Buster Bailey, Pee Wee Russell, and Bud Freeman. Grace became disenchanted with the music business and quit in 1940. She joined the WACs during World War II and after straining herself singing during a busy schedule of bond rallies and shows, she lost her voice. Although Teddy Grace's speaking voice eventually came back in a weakened form, she was unable to sing again and spent the rest of her life outside of music.
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1956 Chris Isaak, vocals
b. Stockton, CA, USA.
AMG BIO:
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Chris Isaak clearly loves the reverb-laden rockabilly and country of Sun Studios. In particular, he transfers the sweeping melancholy of Roy Orbison's classic Monument singles ("Crying," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "In Dreams") to the more stripped-down, rootsy sound of Sun. His stylized take on '50s and '60s rock & roll eventually made him into a star in the early '90s, thanks to the hit single "Wicked Game."
Isaak began performing after he graduated from college, forming the rockabilly band Silvertone. The group, which featured guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, bassist Rowland Salley, and drummer Kenney Dale Johnson, would become the singer/guitarist's permanent supporting band. Isaak released his first album, Silvertone, on Warner Bros. in 1985. It was critically well received, yet it didn't sell. Two years later, he released Chris Isaak, which managed to scrape into the Top 200 album charts. After its release, the singer began an acting career with a bit part in Jonathan Demme's 1988 film Married to the Mob; he would later have parts in Wild at Heart, The Silence of the Lambs, and A Dirty Shame, as well as starring in his own situation comedy series for the Showtime cable network.
Released in 1989, Heart Shaped World initially sold more than Chris Isaak, yet it didn't manage to break big until late 1990, when the single "Wicked Game" was featured in David Lynch's Wild at Heart. Soon, the single became a Top Ten hit; the album also made it into the Top Ten and sold over a million copies. Both 1993's San Francisco Days and 1995's Forever Blue mined essentially the same vein as Heart Shaped World, yet both went gold and spawned a handful of hits. In 1996, Isaak released The Baja Sessions; Speak of the Devil followed two years later. Isaak's busy touring schedule and growing visibility as an actor kept him out of the recording studio until 2002, when he released Always Got Tonight, though in 2004 he did find time to cut his first seasonal album, Chris Isaak Christmas, which featured five new Yuletide tunes along with a batch of holiday favorites.
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1955 Mick Jones, singer/guitarist/songwriter
b. South London, England, UK.
né: Micheal Geoffrey Jones. Member group: 'The Clash'
AMG BIO:
Biography by Greg Prato
Best known as one of the leader's of one of the greatest punk rock bands of all time, the Clash, singer/guitarist/songwriter Mick Jones was one of the more musically adventurous musicians of the genre, especially evident in his post-Clash outfit, the alt-dance outfit Big Audio Dynamite. Born Micheal Geoffrey Jones on June 26, 1955, in South London, Jones was raised by his grandmother, and as a teenager, picked up the guitar after being inspired by such proto-punk outfits as MC5 and the New York Dolls. It wasn't long before Jones began playing in local bands, including such forgotten outfits a the Delinquents, Little Queenies, and London S.S., and while none of these bands amounted to much, it was through his tenure with London S.S. that Jones befriended bassist Paul Simonon. The union of Jones and Simonon led to the eventual formation of the Clash in 1976, with another guitarist/singer, Joe Strummer (in addition to a revolving door of drummers).
The Clash quickly became one of the leaders of the burgeoning punk rock movement in the U.K. (along with such outfits as the Sex Pistols, the Damned, Siouxse & the Banshees, etc.), signing on with Epic Records soon after. With Jones and Strummer co-writing almost all of the tracks, the Clash issued such rough and ready punk classics as 1977's self-titled debut and 1978's Give 'Em Enough Rope. But it was 1979's double album London Calling that the group truly came into their own. Often considered to be one of rock's all-time best releases, the musically varied album scored one of their biggest hit singles, the Jones-sung "Train in Vain." Further releases followed, such as 1980's triple album set Sandinista! and Combat Rock (the latter of which featured another Jones-sung hit single, "Should I Stay or Should I Go"), which saw the group expand their sound even further; resulting in the Clash becoming one of the top rock bands in the world. It was also during the early '80s that Jones produced a few other artists (singer Ellen Foley and former Mott the Hoople leader Ian Hunter), and guested on a B-side by Elvis Costello.
But widespread success created tension between Jones and the other bandmembers, leading to his exit from the band in 1983 (Simonon and Strummer would keep the Clash afloat for one more release, 1985's best-forgotten Cut the Crap). Jones' next project, Big Audio Dynamite, was launched in 1985, and provided the freedom to experiment with other styles (mostly funk/dance-based), as he was joined by video artist Don Letts (who also provided vocals and effects), drummer Greg Roberts, keyboardist Dan Donovan, and bassist Leo "E-Zee Kill" Williams. A steady stream of albums followed from the mid- to late '80s, including 1985's This Is Big Audio Dynamite, 1986's No. 10, Upping St. (produced by ex-Clash mate Strummer), 1988's Tighten Up, Vol. '88, and 1989's Megatop Phoenix. Most of BAD left around this time (forming the group Screaming Target), while Jones soldiered on with new members Nick Hawkins (guitar), Gary Stonadge (bass), and Chris Kavanagh (drums), changed their name to Big Audio Dynamite II, and issued such further releases as 1991's The Globe, 1994's Higher Power, and 1995's F-Punk. During the late '90s, rumors of a Clash reunion began to surface regularly, but despite the fact that all former members were back on good terms, the invites were turned down; but Jones and his former Clash bandmates were interviewed extensively for the bio-movie Westway to the World, and Jones began DJing with some of his BAD bandmates at the Maximum club in London.
PICS:
www.clashphotorockers.free.fr/
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1903 "Saint Louis Jimmy" Oden, Blues composer
b. Nashville, TN, USA. d. Dec. 30, 1977.
Circa 1917, he moved to St. Louis and fell in with pianist Roosevelt Sykes on the 1920s Gateway City blues circuit. The two men have remained frequent musical partners through the ensuing decades. He was frequently recorded in the 1940s and 1950s. Oden also composed "Soon Forgotten" and "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" for Muddy Waters, however, without a doubt, his biggest composition (and recording) was "Goin' Down Slow".
AMG BIO:
Biography by Bill Dahl
Few blues songs have stood the test of Father Time as enduringly as "Goin' Down Slow." Its composer, St. Louis Jimmy Oden, endured rather impressively himself -- he recorded during the early '30s and was still at it more than three decades later.
If not for a fortuitous move to St. Louis circa 1917, James Oden might have been known as Nashville Jimmy. He fell in with pianist Roosevelt Sykes on the 1920s Gateway City blues circuit (the two remained frequent musical partners through the ensuing decades). Oden enjoyed a fairly prolific recording career during the 1930s and '40s, appearing on Champion, Bluebird (where he hit with "Goin' Down Slow" in 1941), Columbia, Bullet in 1947, Miracle, Aristocrat (there he cut "Florida Hurricane" in 1948 accompanied by pianist Sunnyland Slim and a young guitarist named Muddy Waters), Mercury, Savoy, and Apollo.
Scattered singles for Duke (with Sykes on piano) and Parrot (a 1955 remake of "Goin' Down Slow") set the stage for Oden's 1960 album debut for Prestige's Bluesville subsidiary (naturally, it included yet another reprise of "Goin' Down Slow"). Oden was backed by guitarist Jimmie Lee Robinson and a swinging New York rhythm section. As much a composer as a performer, Oden wrote "Soon Forgotten" and "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" for Muddy Waters.
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1912 Clarence Profit, Piano/Leader
b. New York, NY, USA. d. Oct. 22, 1944, New York, NY, USA.
Clarence was the child of a musical family. His father, Herman Profit, was a professional pianist. Sinclair Mills, his cousin, was also a working pianist. Clarence first began his piano studies at just age 3, and by his teens was already leading a 10 piece band in such local New York venues as the 'Bamboo Inn', the 'Alhambra', and the 'Renaissance'. During 1930 -'31, he worked with guitarist Teddy Bunn in the 'Alabama Washboard Serenaders'. During 1934 -'35, he recorded 18 Decca sides with the 'Georgia Washboard Stompers', and 20 sides with the 'Washboard Rhythm Band' (Taft Jordan was the trumpeter, Columbia, 1933) and 'Washboard Rhythm Kings' (Blue Bird, 1933). In the late 1930s, he traveled to the island of Antiqua to visit his grandparents, and remained in the West Indies for the next 5 years. While in the Carribean, he led his own band in Antigua, Bermuda, and other places, before returning to New York City in November 1936. Now back in the US, he led his own trio in such venues as 'George's Tavern' (New York 1937-39); the Ritz Carlton Hotel (Boston 1938); the 'Yeah Man Club' (New York), 'Café Society' (New York 1939), the 'Village Vanguard' (New York 1940 and again in 1944), 'Kelly's Stables' (on New York's famed 52nd St. 1940-'43), 'Performers', and 'Music Guild Club' (New York 1942). Profit is also recalled as the co-composer, with Edgar Sampson, of "Lullaby in Rhythm".
AMG BIO:
Biography by Scott Yanow
A very talented swing pianist, Clarence Profit passed away just before the bop era officially began so one does not know for sure how he would have adjusted his style during the next few years. Profit began playing piano very early, at the age of three, and as a teenager he was playing professionally with a variety of local groups including his own band. He first recorded with the Washboard Serenaders during 1930-31 and then spent time leading bands in Antigua (in the West Indies) and Bermuda for a few years. After returning to New York in 1936, he formed his own trio, playing regularly in New York area clubs. During 1939-40 Profit recorded with his regular group (featuring either Billy Moore or Jimmy Shirley on guitar and bassist Ben Brown), displaying an advanced swing style and a bit of stride. The co-composer (with Edgar Sampson) of "Lullaby In Rhythm," Clarence Profit's premature death has led to him being somewhat obscure in jazz history books although he was rated quite high during his lifetime.
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1915 Maurice Rocco, piano/vocal
d. March 25, 1976, Bangkok, Thailand.
né Maurice Rockhold.
He briefly performed with Duke Ellington's orchestra before adopting the stage name Maurice Rocco. A fine pianist. Most folks will recall his act which had him playing the piano while standing up.
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Notable Events occurring this date include:
1938. James Weldon Johnson, Boogie Woogie pianist and songwriter, died in Wiscasset, ME, USA. Age: 67
1943. Vocalist Rudy Elzy died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 33
1956. Trumpeter Clifford Brown died in Bedford, PA. Age: 25 (auto accident).
1968. Trumpeter Ziggy Elman died in Van Nuys, CA, USA. Age: 54
1975. Frank Holzfeind, owner: Blue Note Club, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 75
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Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1905 "Whatcha Gonna Do When The Rent Comes Due", - Arthur Collins voc.
1924 "Maytime", - Paul Specht and his Orch.
1925 "When Eyes of Blue are Fooling You", - Howard Lanin and His Ben Frankyn Hotel Orch.
1925 "So Thats The Kind of Girl You Are", - Art Gilham and his Whispering Piano
1926 "Eccentric", - New Orleans Owls
1926 "Where Is My Rose of Waikiki", - The Revelers Orch.
1928 "Empty Bed Blues", Elizabeth Johnson sang with King Oliver (cornet) and Clarence Williams (piano). (OKeh -8593 NYC).
1930 "My Future Just Passed", - The Colonial Club Orch.
1940 "Whatever Happened To You", - Xavier Cugat Orch., with Dinah Shore voc.
1941 "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good", - Duke Ellington Orch.
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