Spotlight for October 06, 2007

SPOTLIGHT for
OCTOBER 6TH…

BIRTHDAYS...

1893 Milton Ager, composer
b. Chicago, IL, USA,
d. May 6, 1979
Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Composer, Songwriter. Wrote hits such as "Ain't She Sweet?," and the ever-popular "Happy Days Are Here Again." He began as a pianist for the silent movie theaters, went on to become a vaudevillian, and finally wound up writing hit songs for the Hollywood studios. He had many hit songs from 1918 to 1938.

MILTON AGER SHEET MUSIC
(with Sophie Tucker pictured).
MILTON AGER BIO on WIKIPEDIA:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Ager

1929 Dieter Antritter, Saxophone
b. Pforzheim, Germany
(some sources say b. Oct.5)

1911 Jack Buck, trombone
b: Keokuk, IA, USA, d. Dec. 7, 1997

1926 Alan Copeland, vocals
Alan Copeland - On The Internet
BIO:
www.alancopeland.com/

1896 Joe Davis
producer/label owner
(Davis Records/Beacon/JayDee),
b. New York, NY, USA. d. Early 1980s.

1903 Demas Dean, Trumpet
b. Sag Harbor, NY, USA.
Demas Dean was a seasoned trumpeter who studied at Howard University and was an important part of the ensembles of some of the most musically ambitious jazz bandleaders of the '20s including Elmer Snowden and Leon Abbey. The latter bandleader took Demas to South America in 1927 for what was one the genre's great exploratory adventures of that era. Later, Dean was part of the hit show entitled Blackbirds of 1929, recorded with classic blues empress Bessie Smith, and spent a decade as part of the excellent band of Noble Sissle. Dean is also on the list of players who were forced to work in the post office to survive, and up near the top if it is arranged alphabetically.

With a brother and no less than six sisters who played instruments it is no surprise that as a youngster Dean played not only cornet but the violin. He began gigging in high school as part of

Mazzeo's Brass Band and spent at least one summer season backing Beatrice Van Houten. His college years brought him in touch with many great leaders, including collaborations with "Doc" Perry and Russell Wooding. Beginning in 1923 the trumpeter spent two years touring and recording with Lucille Hegamin and Her Dixie Daisies, subsequently moving around the geographical terrain as if he was actually a daisy choosing a spot to pop up next spring. At one point in the late '20s he was located in Florida, working with Ford Dabney's Orchestra. Then he was back in New York, employed by Blackbirds of 1928 and freelancing on recording sessions and gigs--but not before the South American adventure.

1929 was the year his ship sailed for Europe courtesy of Sissle. While he did work with others such as Joe Jordan and Pike Davis, he was pretty much associated with Sissle from that point on. When the three year run of the show Rhapsody in Black came to an end in 1934, Dean made himself available to Sissle on an exclusive basis. Ten years later the trumpeter decided to leave music as a full time occupation and headed for the west coast where he wound up working for the Los Angeles Post Office until retiring in 1965. He was still living in that city in the following decade but seems to have passed on without any public attention.
~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide


1829 Jenny Lind, Singer
b: Stockholm, Sweden
d: Nov. 2, 1887 (England).
Called "The Swedish Nightingale", she played the piano at four, starred in her first important opera at 17, and was enticed by P. T. Barnum to tour America in 1850. In less than one year, Barnum had grossed $535,000 and Jenny well over $176,000, When Jenny's orchestra leader, Julius Benedict, accepted a position in London, she wrote to Otto Goldschmidt, a gifted German pianist whom she had known, asking him to join her group. He did, and the couple were subsequently married Feb. 5, 1852 in Boston, MA. Jenny's last performance was in 1883. She is buried in England.

1906 Willie Love, piano
b. Duncan, MS, USA.
d. Aug 19, 1953, Jackson, MS, USA.

1913 Carmen Mastren, guitar
b. Cohoes, NY, USA
d. March 31, 1981, Valley Stream, NY, USA.
né: Carmen Mastandrea.

1917 Bob Neal, drums, d. 1983

1908 Samuel Blythe "Sammy" Price
Piano/Vocal/leader
b. Honey Grove, TX, USA.
d. April 14, 1992, USA.
A good Blues and Boogie Woogie pianist, he studied music with Booker T. Washington's daughter, making a professional debut in 1923 in Dallas, TX.He was also a feaatured Charleston dance with Alphonso Trent's orch. In 1925 he worked with Lee Collins Orch. From 1927-'30 he toured the TOBA vaudeville circuit. In 1938, he settled in New York and was a house pianist for Decca Records where he backed such vocalists as Rosetta Tharpe, Evelyn Knight, Trixie Smith, and Peter Lind Hayes. In early '40s he led his own "Texas Blusicians" band (Lester Young was in group) for Decca and also enjoyed solo appearances at such clubs as The Famous Door, Cafe Society, and some Eddie Condon concerts. He also worked in the "Pit" band for the play 'Clash By Night ' - starring Tallulah Bankhead. In 11948 was seen at the Nice (France) Festival with MezzMezzrow. In 1951 he returned to Texas remaining for 3 years and then back to NYC in '54 wher he recorded with Jimmy Rushing. From Dec. 55 to May 56, he toured Europe for Jeunesses Musicales De France. Then returned to NYC and worked in Metropole club
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Price

1927 Frank "Little Sonny" Scott Jr.
Blues Harmonica/Jews Harp/singer-songwriter/(self-taught) artist, b. (on a plantation) Montgomery, Texas, USA.

1929 Norman Simmons
Piano/Arranger/organ/conductor
b. Chicago, IL, USA.

1914 "Pinky" Williams, alto-tenor-bari sax
b. Tuskaloosa, AL, USA, d. Aug. 17, 1996.
His brother "Skippy", played tenor sax.

Notable Events
on this date include:

1924.
Jimmy Jones, piano, piano
died in Chicago, IL, USA.
Age: 29.
Worked with singer Bessie Smith

1927.
The "Jazz Singer,"
1st Full Length movie
with a sound track,
premieres in
New York City.

1967.

Frank "Cicero" Weaver
of "The Weaver Brothers & Elviry" died.

1973.
Bill Williams, guitar, piano
died in Greenup, KY, USA. Age: 75

1975.
Claude Grant, age 69
of the "Tenneva Ramblers" died.

1996.
Theron Eugene "Ted" Daffen
age 84, songwriter, bandleader, died.

Songs Recorded/Released
on this date include:

1939
"Wolverine Blues"
Jack Teagarden Orch. (recording date)

1950 "Thinking Of You ", - voc: Eddie Fisher
1950 "Harbor Lights ", - Guy Lombardo Orch.
1956 "True Love ", - voc: Bing Crosby
1958 "Tom Dooley ", - Kingston Trio
1962 "He's A Rebel ", - Crystals
1962 "All Alone Am I ", - Brenda Lee voc.