SPOTLIGHT for SEPTEMBER 23RD… 
BIRTHDAYS
*1930 Ray Charles, Vocal/Pianob. Albany, GA, USA.
d. June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills, CA, USA.
né: Ray Charles Robinson.
Ray
was been Physically Blind since age six but possessed an incredible
musical vision that spanned R and B, Jazz, soul, pop, and country
music. Ray's original style heavily influenced by Nat "King" Cole, but,
in the 1950s, Charles broke new ground by combining energetic gospel
with secular, sexual blues lyrics with his songs "Hallelujah, I Love
Her" (1956) and "What'd I Say" (1959). In the 1960's, his style changed
again this time combining soul, pop, and country, with songs like the
number one hit "Georgia on My Mind" (1960).
*(TWO DIFFERING ACCOUNTS of RAYS PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF BIRTH AND BIRTH NAME…WHAT ARE THE FACTS??)
1910 Bardu Ali, guitar/leader/vocalb. New Orleans, LA, USA
d. Oct. 29, 1981, Inglewood, CA, USA.
Bardu
was the REAL discoverer of Ella Fitzgerald, - and he had to convince
his leader Chick Webb to take her on as the band's vocalist. (Later,
Chick and his wife adopted Ella.) He fronted the band 1935-'39, and in
later years became comedian Redd Foxx's manager.
*1907 Albert Ammons, pianob. Chicago, IL, USA.
d. Dec. 5, 1949. Chicago, IL, USA.
Biography
Albert
Ammons was one of the big three of late-'30s boogie-woogie along with
Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis. Arguably the most powerful of the
three, Ammons was also flexible enough to play swing music. Ammons
played in Chicago clubs from the 1920s on, although he also worked as a
cab driver for a time. Starting in 1934, he led his own band in
Chicago, and he made his first records in 1936. In 1938, Ammons
appeared at Carnegie Hall with Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis, an
event that really helped launch the boogie-woogie craze. Ammons
recorded with the other pianists in duets and trios, fit right in with
the Port of Harlem Jazzmen on their Blue Note session, appeared
regularly at Cafe Society, recorded as a sideman with Sippie Wallace in
the 1940s, and he even cut a session with his son, the great tenorman
Gene Ammons. Albert Ammons worked steadily throughout the 1940s,
playing at President Harry Truman's inauguration in 1949; he died later
that year. Many of his recordings are currently available on CD.
~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
1889 Don Bestor, bandleaderb: Sept 23, 1889, Langford SD., d: Jan 13, 1970
Don was the "Play Don" on the Jack Benny radio Show.
(Also see entry for The Benson Orch.)
Theme: "Teach Me To Smile" and "I'm Not Forgetting"
Memorable
'Tag': "Play, Don, Play!" -- Jack Benny Radio Show. Don Bestor was one
of the grand veteran bandleaders fronting one of the hottest swing
bands of the 1920's, -The Benson Orchestra of Chicago!
After
learning piano at the age of sixteen, he toured the vaudeville circuit.
He formed an early dance band in 1921 before working with the Benson
band. By the mid 1920's he took over as leader and signed the band with
Victor Records. Among the Benson recordings under Bestor's direction
were, "Copenhagen," and "In A Covered Wagon With You." He resumed his
own band by 1933 and recorded with Brunswick throughout much of the
1930's. The band had such success on record that he was often asked to
perform on radio. His radio career was relatively short, but extremely
significant. The Don Bestor Orchestra was featured on the Walter
O'Keefe Show while at the same time working for the brand new program
staring a comedian named Jack Benny. The Benny program began in 1934
and soon became a national craze. Bestor was often asked by Benny to,
"Play, Don, Play!"
(Trivia: It was Bestor who wrote the commercial for the Jack Benny Show when it was sponsored by, "J-E-L-L-O.")
By
the late 1930's his fame had waned, however, he continued to tour the
band until 1943. Besides his role on the Benny show, the band is
remembered for a few important recordings, including, "Animal Crackers
In My Soup" from the Shirley Temple movie Curly Top in 1935 and the
number one hit song in March 1933, "Forty-Second Street."
Above notes courtesy of Mr. Dan DelFiorentino
MORE:
Red Hot Jazz Bio:
www.redhotjazz.com/bestoro.htmlSolid! -- Don Bestor
www.parabrisas.com/d_bestord.php1905 Myron "Tiny" Bradshaw, Leaderb. Youngstown, OH, USA.
d. Nov. 26, 1958, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Wikipedia
Myron
(Tiny) Bradshaw (1905 –1958 ) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues
bandleader ,singer ,pianist , and drummer from Youngstown, Ohio. After
graduating from Wilberforce University in psychology, he turned to
music for a living. He sang with Horace Henderson, drummed for Marion
Hardy the Savoy Bearcats, and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, and sang for
Luis Russell. In 1934 he formed his own Swing orchestra, which recorded
eight sides that year. The band's next recording date was in 1944, when
its music was closer to rhythm and blues. The band recorded extensively
for the rhythm and blues market, especially between 1950 and 1954 .
Bradshaw's best known recording was "Train Kept A-Rollin'" (1951) which
passed from rhythm and blues into rock.
Bradshaw employed many
important musicians and arrangers, including Shad Collins,Gil
Fuller,Gigi Gryce, Russell Procope, Red Prysock,Sonny Stitt, and Shadow
Wilson.
Bio:
www.oldies.com/artist/bio...d_6970.html*LISTEN:
www.oldies.com/artist/son...d_6970.htmland
www.sptimes.com/2002/websp...ollin.shtml
1926 John William Coltrane, Tenor Saxb. Hamlet, SC, USA,
d. July 17, 1967, Long Island, NY, USA.
As
a sidemanwith the Miles Davis group, and later as a leader of his own
group, Coltrane was one of the principal Jazz figures of his era.
WIKIPEDIA BIO:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_ColtraneMORE:
www.wnur.org/jazz/artists/coltrane.john/PBS Bio:
www.pbs.org/jazz/biograp...rane_john.htm1928 Frank Foster, Tenor Sax/composer/arrangerb. Cincinnati, OH, USA. (Worked with Count Basie.)
1875 John Lomax Sr, Author/Folkloristb. Goodman, MS, USA.
d. Jan. 26, 1948, Greenville, MS, USA.
b. Dominica, British West Indies, d. 1982.
Worked with both the Lucky Millinder and Tiny Bradshaw orchestras.
Verve Bio:
www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx1906 Willard F. McMurry, furniture store owner/musicianb. Alamucha, MS, USA. d. June 28, 1996.
Willard
is best known because of his wife, Lillian Shedd McMurry, b. Purvis,
MS, USA, who died March 18 1999, in Jackson, MS, USA. (heart attack)
While cleaning out one of her husband's stores, she found a stack of
Blues records, and was so taken by them that she eventually signed some
bluesmen (including Sonny Boy Williamson) and formed her own recording
company, Trumpet Records.
1883 "Wooden" Joe Nicholas, Cornetb. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. 1957
1930 Irene Reid, vocalsb. Savannah, Georgia, USA
Jazz
vocalist Irene Reid first rose to prominence in the 1960s before
mounting a surprising comeback in the late '90s. During the '60s, she
recorded for some of the era's most prestigious jazz labels, including
Verve (Room for One More, 1965; It's Too Late, 1966). However, in the
'70s, she disappeared from the spotlight after recording an album for
Polydor, The World Needs What I Need (1971). It wasn't until the late
'90s that she returned to prominence, recording some albums for Savant,
beginning with Million Dollar Secret (1997).
~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
1920 Mickey Rooney, Actor/vocalsMickey is listed here for all the wonderful Rodgers and Hart (and others) tunes he sang in his films.
Official Web Site:
www.mickeyrooney.com/1928 James Bryant "Jimmy" Woode bass/piano/composer
b.
Philadelphia, PA, USA, d. April 23, 2005 in Lindenwold, NJ, USA. In
1946, Woode began his professional career with his own band. Among his
early musical associates were Nat Pierce, 'Flip' Phillips and 'Zoot'
Sims. He also accompanied singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. In
the early 1550s, Woode, was a member of the house band at George Wein's
'Storyville Club' in Boston, MA. There he had the opportunity to play
with many visiting Jazzmen, and by 1955 his reputation as a solid
section player was such that he was invited to join Duke Ellington, a
job he held for five years. Upon leaving Ellington, he settled in
Europe (first in Sweden). He later joined the Clarke-Boland Big Band,
remaining with them throughout most of its existence (1961-70).
Notable Events on this date include: 
1989. Bradley Kincaid, songwriter
died in Springfield, OH, USA. Age: 94.
Songs Recorded/Released this date include: 
1908 Marsovia Waltz-Arthur Pryor's Band.
tune: Lampe
1912 At The Ragtime BallPeerless Quartet.
tune: Lewis-Monaco
1914 When You Wore a Tulip, -American Quartet. tune: Percy Wenrich
1926 Oh! How I Love Bulgarians (vik), -Clevelanders.
1926 Yiddishe Charleston (vik), -Clevelanders.
1929 The Chant, -Dixie Rhythm Kings.
1929 Easy Rider -Dixie Rhythm Kings.
*LISTEN: www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...ider2.ram1929 Storybook Ball~Dixie Rhythm Kings
*LISTEN: www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...kBall.ram1929 Old Folks Started It, -Minnie Wallace with Memphis Jug Band.
1930 My Baby Just Cares for Me, -Ted Wallace and his Campus Boys.
1931 You Call it Madness, -Ben Bernie and his orch.
1931 You Rascal, You~Cab Calloway and his orch.
tune: Sam Theard
1931 Wake 'Em Up, -Chicago Hot Five. tune: Sam Fried
1931 Just One More Chance, -Chicago Hot Five. tune: Sam Coslow-Jimmy Johnson
1931 Blues in My Heart, - Washboard Rhythm Kings. tune: Benny Carter
1931 Georgia On My Mind, -Washboard Rhythm Kings. tune: Hoagy Carmichael
1935 Mexicali Rose, -Bob wills and his Texas Playboys.
1943 Close To You, - Sinatra, Frank
1947 Say It Simple, - Pearl Bailey
You Rascal You~Cab Calloway
You sure is a rascal!
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
When you dead in your grave,
No more women will you crave.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
I trust you in my home, you rascal, you.
I trust you in my home, you rascal, you.
I trust you in my home,
You wouldn't leave my wife alone.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
I fed you since last fall, you rascal, you.
I fed you since last fall, you rascal, you.
I fed you since last fall,
Then you got your ashes hauled.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal, you.
You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal, you.
You asked my wife to wash your clothes
And something else I suppose.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
You know you done me wrong, you rascal, you.
You know you done me wrong, you rascal, you.
You know you done me wrong,
You done stole my wife and gone.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal, you!
You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal, you!
You asked my wife for a meal,
And something else you tried to steal.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
Please don't me find you, rascal, you.
Please don't let me find you, rascal, you!
Please don't let me find you
'Cause you'll leave this world behind you.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
Ain't no use to run, you rascal, you.
Ain't no use to run, you rascal, you.
Ain't no use to run,
I done bought a Gatling gun,
And you still having your fun, you rascal, you!
I'm gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal, you!
I'm gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal, you!
I'm gonna kill you just for fun;
The buzzards gonna have you when I'm done.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
You done messed with my wife, you rascal, you!
You done messed with my wife, you rascal, you!
You done messed with my wife,
And I'm gonna take your life.
I'll be glad when you dead, you rascal, you!
