SPOTLIGHT for OCTOBER 28TH...

SPOTLIGHT for
OCTOBER 28TH...

BIRTHDAYS

1917 William A. Bolick
C&W Singer/Mandolin
b. Hickory, NC, USA.
Member: "Blue Sky Boys", a duo comprised of Bill and Earl Bollich. (Bill: Singer/Mandolin ,né: William A. Bolick, b. Hickory, NC, USA, and Earl: Singer/Guitar, né: Earl A. Bolick, b. Hickory, NC, USA. d. April 19, 1998)

1919 Richard Brown, vocals
d. Jan. 11, 2002 (Natural causes)
né: Herbert Richard Brown.
This ballad vocalist lived long enough to see Television and to sing on such TV shows as Be My Guest . Prior to that, he was often heard on Radio shows including the famed Stop The Music program. In his later years, he became a full time Rabbi. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Richard Melvin Brown, award winning songwriter & author of the popular songwriting manual "The Lyricist's Assistant" How To TURN Your Words Into a SONG. Another Richard Brown was heard on lead vocals,and guitar/organ for the group "Curses". The other members were Cindy Yogmas: keyboards, vocals, Mike D'allessandro: drums, and David Parker: bass. The band "Heroes Of The Alamo" is a New York City based band (1999) that consists of Richard Brown (Bass, Vocals), Todd Carlstrom (Vocals, Lead Guitar), David Makuen (Vocals, Guitar) and Kevin Slane (Drums, Percussion, Vocals). The group took their name from a B-Movie poster hanging in an East Village Taco shop. And, perhaps the best known Richard Brown was Richard "Rabbit" Brown, one of the most celebrated "Songsters", and the only one from new Orleans to record. Brown was born in New Orleans ca. 1880 and died there in 1937. In his early years, he was a type of musician often called "Songsters", --musicians who sang on the streets for whatever small change that passersby would give them. He used to sing on the streets of Storyville (the bordello district of old New Orleans). "Rabbit" was a regular performer at Mama Lou's "Restaurant", and other bordellos, and he frequently worked as a singing boatman on Lake Pontchartrain. He may have been one of the earliest New Orleans' folk singers to learn the Twelve Bar Blues Pattern. Two of the songs he composed are "The Downfall of the Lion", which told how New Orleans Police Superintendent David Hennessey was shotgunned to death. The other song, "Gyp the Blood" told the story of the murder of restauranteur and bar owner Billy Phillips by Charles Harrison (a.k.a. "Gyp the Blood"), a New York hoodlum on the "lam". In 1927, 'Rabbit' recorded 6 tracks in New Orleans.

1916 William Palmer "Bill" Harris, Trombone
b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. Aug 21, 1973, Hallandale, FL, USA.
To quote 'Chubby' Jackson,
"To date, my favorite gentleman on trombone was, and still is without
question, his honor Bill Harris. What a creative musician he was. He
used to play differently every time he stood up to solo. The band used
to impatiently await his turn and when he sat down, the entire band
would visibly let him know how they felt."
Starting in 1938, Harris toured with the big bands of Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley, and Bob Chester. After playing with Benny Goodman (1943-1944) and Charlie Barnet, and guesting on a couple of Eddie Condon's Town Hall concerts, Harris became famous for his work with Woody Herman's First Herd (1944-1946). During 1948-1950, he was one of the few 'First Herd' members to also be in the Four Brothers Second Herd. During 1956-1959, Harris also re-joined Herman a few times. In 1947, he co-led a band with Charlie Ventura, in 1953 teamed up with Chubby Jackson, and during 1950-1954 starred with 'Jazz at the Philharmonic'. During the second half of the 1950s, Harris often collaborated with Flip Phillips, and in 1959 their band formed the nucleus of Benny Goodman's group. Subsequently he mostly retired to Florida, although did appeared briefly in Las Vegas.

1909 Willie Hatcher, Soul vocals
b. Clarksdale, MS, USA. (raised in Cleveland, OH, USA) (also recorded with his brothers Edwin (d. April 2, 2003, England, UK, heart attack ), and Roger Hatcher. Edwin is also known as Edwin Starr).

1892 Oliver "Ollie or Dink" Johnson
piano/drums/clarinet, b. Biloxi, MS, USA.
d. Nov. 29, 1954, Portland, OR, USA
Biography
Dink Johnson was nothing if not versatile, as one can judge from the three instruments that he played. Johnson started out working in New Orleans as a pianist in Storyville. He traveled to Los Angeles where he was a member of Bill Johnson's Creole Band in 1913, as a drummer. Johnson freelanced, played drums during Jelly Roll Morton's stay in California and in 1922 recorded with Kid Ory's band (Spikes' Seven Pods of Pepper), on clarinet! Johnson spent much of his career in California, leading the Five Hounds of Jazz (later renamed the Los Angeles Six) and then mostly working as a solo pianist. Although he ran his own restaurant in Los Angeles, he remained active as a player into the late '40s. Johnson was much better-known locally then he was nationally, performing in an early style that fell between stride and ragtime. Dink Johnson recorded fairly extensively (mostly as a pianist) for American Music during 1946-47, Euphonic (1948) and Nola (1950).
~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

1907 Everard Steven "Rudy or Root" Powell Sr., clarinet/alto sax
b. New York, NY, USA. d: Oct. 30, 1976, New York, NY, USA.
aka: Musheed Karweem
bio
A fine journeyman clarinetist and altoist, Rudy Powell (who in later years would change his name to Musheed Karweem) had a fairly productive career. He studied piano and violin as a child before switching to saxophone. Powell was a professional musician by 1927, playing with June Clark and Gene Rodger's Revellers. His first major job was with Cliff Jackson's Krazy Kats from 1928-30. The altoist (who was influenced a bit by Benny Carter ) had many associations through the years, working with Elmer Snowden ,Dave Nelson ,Sam Wooding , Kaiser Marshall's Trio, Rex Stewart (1933), Fats Waller (off and on from 1935-37), Edgar Hayes ,Claude Hopkins (1938-39 and 1944), the Teddy Wilson big band, Andy Kirk (1940-41), Fletcher Henderson (1941-42), Eddie South ,Don Redman (1943), Chris Columbus , Cab Calloway's Orchestra (1945-48), Lucky Millinder (1949-51), Jimmy Rushing ,Buddy Tate , pianist Benton Heath's New Garden Ballroom Orchestra (1953-61), Ray Charles (1961-62), Buddy Johnson and Duke Ellington's My People show. Powell's last major association was with the Saints and Sinners (1965-69), although he freelanced occasionally into the 1970s. Powell recorded with most of the above names (plus Al Casey in 1960 and Henry "Red" Allen ) but never as a leader.
~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Notable Events
on this date include:

1965.
Earl Bostic, alto sax
died in Rochester, NY, USA.
Age: 52.

1967.
Jody Edwards, vocals
died in Dolton, IL, USA.
Age: 70.
Worked with vaudeville team of 'Butterbeans & Susie'

1979.
Jimmy Skinner
C&W singer-songwriter
died. Age: 70

1980.
Alexander D. Burt
Inventor of 45 rpm record
died in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Age: 75

1985.
Bernard Wolfe, author
died in Woodland Hills, CA, USA.
Age: 70
Wrote book: 'Really The Blues'

Songs Recorded/Released this date include:

1920 “Grieving For You - Feather Your Nest”
- Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/Wh...evnst.ram

1920 “My Wonder Girl
- Coral Sea”
- Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/wh...rcorl.ram

1924 “Undertakers Blues”
- Helen Gross accompanied by the Kansas City Five
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/gr...blues.ram

1925 “Just Around The Corner”
(Featured In The Universal Picture "Oh, Charlie")
- Ted Lewis and his Band
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/le...r1925.ram

1925 “While We Danced Till Dawn”
- Ted Lewis and his Band
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/le...ldawn.ram

1926 “It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry”
- Waring's Pennsylvanians
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/wa...MeCry.ram

1927 “One Night In Havana”
(Hoagy Carmichael - )
Hoagy Carmichael and his Pals
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ho...night.ram

1927 “Dope Head Blues”
(Victoria Spivey)
- Victoria Spivey
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/sp...blues.ram

1927 “Red Lantern Blues”
(Victoria Spivey)
- Victoria Spivey
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/sp...blues.ram

1928 “I'm Sorry, Sally”, - Danny Altier and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...sally.ram

1928 “My Gal Sal”
- Danny Altier and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...alsal.ram

1928 “Down At Jasper's Bar-Be-Que”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...spers.ram

1929 “Apple Blossoms”
- Joe Venuti's Blue Four/Five/Six
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ve...ssoms.ram

1929 “Runnin' Ragged”
- Joe Venuti's Blue Four/Five/Six
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ve...agged.ram

1929 “No More Blues”
- Kentucky Jazz Babies
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...blues.ram

1929 “Old Folks Shake”
-Kentucky Jazz Babies
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...shake.ram

1929 “He's So Unusual”
- Annette Hanshaw
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ha...sual2.ram

1929 “I Think You'll Like It”
- Annette Hanshaw
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ha...oull2.ram

1930 “Chocolate To The Bone (I'm So Glad I'm A Brownskin)”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...olate.ram

1930 “Scuddlin'”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...dlin'.ram

1930 “My Handyman Ain't Handy No More”
- Edith Wilson
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/Ed...aint5.ram

1930 “Cracker Jack”
(w/ piano accompaniment)
-Harry Reser
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/re...rjack.ram

1930 “Flapperette”
(w/ piano accompaniment)
~Harry Reser
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/re...rette.ram

1943 "Pistol Packin' Mama "
- Bing Crosby

1943 "Blue Rain "
- Glenn Miller Orch.

1957 "April Love "
- Pat Boone

1957 "You Send Me "
- Sam Cooke

1957 "Little Bitty Pretty One "
- Thurston Harris

1957 "All The Way "
- Frank Sinatra

LYRICS:

My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More

Once I used to brag about my handy man, but I ain't braggin' no more
Somethin' strange has happened to my handy man, he's not the man he was before
Wish somebody could explain to me, about this dual personality
He don't perform his duties like he used to do, he never hauls the ashes 'less I tell him to
Before he hardly gets to work he says he's through, my handy man ain't handy no more
He's forgotten his domestic science, and he's lost of his self-reliance
He won't make a single move unless he's told, he says he isn't lazy, claims he isn't old
But still he sits around and lets my stove get cold, my handy man ain't handy no more
Time after time, if I'm not right there at his heels, he lets that poor horse in my stable miss his meals
There's got to be some changes 'cause each day reveals, my handy man ain't handy no more
He used to turn in early and get up at dawn, and full of new ambitions, he would trim the lawn
Now, when he isn't sleeping all he does is yawn, my handy man ain't handy no more
Once he used to have so much endurance, now, it looks like he needs life insurance
I used to brag about my handy man's technique, around the house he was a perfect indoor sheik
But now the spirit's willing but the flesh is weak, my handy man ain't handy no more

He's So Unusual
~(A. Lewis - A. Silver - A. Sherman, from Sweetie)

You talk of sweeties, bashful sweeties,
I got one of those,
Oh, he's handsome as can be,
But he worries me;
He goes to college and gathers knowledge,
Hooh! What that boy knows!
He's up in his Latin and Greek,
But in his sheikin', he's weak!

'Cause when I want some lovin',
And I gotta have some lovin',
He says, "Please! Stop it, please!"
He's so unusual!

When I want some kissin',
And I gotta have some kissin',
He says, "No! Let me go."
He's so unusual!

I know lots of boys who would be crazy over me,
If they only had this fellow's opportunity.
You know, I would let him pet me,
But the darn fool, he doesn't let me!
Oh, he's so unusual that he drives me wild!

When we're in the moonlight,
He says, "I don't like the moonlight.
Aw, let's not talk in the dark."
Huh, he's so unusual!

And when we're riding in a taxi,
He converses with the cheuffeur,
Oh, why don't he talk to me?
Oh, he's so different!

Others would be tickled pink to bop-op-a-dop-e-dop!
He don't even know what bop-op-op-a-dop's about!
He says love is hokum,
Oh, I'd like to choke, choke, choke him!
'Cause he's so unusual that he drives me wild!

You might as well be by yourself as in his company,
When we're out together, I'm as lonesome as can be.

But still I'm mad about him,
And I just can't live without him;
'Cause he's so unusual that he drives me bop-bop-a-dop-bop!