On this day in 1931 jazz pianist Wynton Kelly was born in Jamaica. According to Wikipedia Wynton is maybe best know for the years he spent working with Miles Davis from 1959 to 1962. While that may be true for many listeners it’s not for me. I remember Wynton as a sideman for Wes Montgomery. If Jimmy Smith and Wes were the Dynamic Duo. Wynton and Wes were the Dynamic Duo 2 in my eyes and ears!!
Yesterday I wrote about Chuck Mangione and how recognizable “Feels So Good” was in the 70s, how about if of this morning I play some music from my music library, that I instantly recognize Jesse Cook’s “Mario Takes a Walk!”
So today’s list of birthdays containing many artists who appear in my music library including: John Mayall who celebrates his 80th birthday today. Man, it seems like just yesterday I we were celebrating his 70th with that great concert album, Felix Cavaliere turns 69 (The Rascals) I have a couple of albums he recorded with Steve Cropper in my collection, and one of my favorite acoustic guitarists Jesse Cook celebrates birthday 49! So Happy Bithday Guys!! Finally the last one on the list is Chuck Mangionne. Though I only have one of his albums in my vinyl collection his big hit “Feels So Good” set the stage for a lot of jazz albums to come!! For those of you who may not know Chuck, here is the obligatory background infomration first from Wikipedia we read…..
So last night I visit MOG and jumped around checking out jazz musicians, it started with Walter Smith III Live in Paris which led to bassist Hans Glawischnig led to Antonio Sanchez, who actually appears in my library as he is part of Gary Burton’s Quartet and appears on his album Quartet Live. Antonio in turn led to Ari Hoenig.…Reading Hoenig’s biography at Wikipedia I saw that…..
I love checking list of people who have birthday on that day’s date, especially the list at All About Jazz. The list has led to my discovery of many artist that were previously unknown to me!! Yesterday such as I was introduced to the music of Daseul Kim and now today I have discovered a really great acoustic guitar player Guy Buttery. A quick listen to his most recent release told me that this musician from South Africa will soon have a spot in my music library. I will try to write more later, but for now here’s what some folks say about Guy’s music!!
At the top of the list of todays’ birthdays at All About Jazz was bassist Daseul Kim who was born on this date in 1986 in South Korea. Kim’s musical journey has taken him from that homeland of South Korea to a new home in New Jersey. After landing in the New York Metropolitan Area, Dasheul is quickly building his reputation as one of the most promising young bassists on the New York jazz scene. From his website:
So yesterday I wrote that as I was listening to Omer Avital’s Suite of the East, I was impressed y the trumpet playing of Avishai Cohen. Evidently I am not the only one impressed by his talent, as he was voted the rising star trumpeter in the 2012 Downbeat Jazz Critics Poll. Here’s some background on Avishai from Wikipedia:
So some times it takes me a couple of listens and also thinking about the music and what the musician is trying to accomplish to truly understanding and like an album. I believe that is the case with the latest release from bassist/composer Omer Avital Suite of the East I had never heard of this Israeli jazz bassist, composer and bandleader before the other day when his album showed up on my “Just for You” list on MOG. Here’s some background on Avital:
Last night while I was listening to some music, various instruments and my favorite musicians who play those instruments. It’s not the first time I thought about that and I’ve even thought of starting a series of posts along that topic. The first instrument that popped into my head wad the trumpet. While the trumpet is not my favorite instrument I guess it made its appearance first in my ADD brain because I had listened to Marquis Hill the other day. Over the last few months I’ve listened to several younger trumpet players like Jeremy Pelt, Terrence Blanchard and Roy Hargrove and they have joined my musical library beside Miles, Chet Baker, and Freddie Hubbard. One player Blue Mitchell I know more from the two albums that he recorded with John Mayall in the early 70s than his earlier recording career. I have on occasion dipped into his earlier recordings and enjoyed his playing!! (oh and there are two other trumpet players in my 45 library Al Hirt and Louis Armstrong!!)
