Jazz

Died On This Date (October 15, 2011) Betty Driver / Noted English Singer & Actress

Betty Driver
May 20, 1920 – October 15, 2011

Betty Driver was an English singer, author, and actress who is best known for her  2800+ appearances on the popular British soap opera, Coronation Street.  Prior to that, Driver starred in numerous musicals where she was able to show off her skills as a singer, mostly of ballads.  She also entertained millions via the radio for many years.  During the ’40s, Driver fronted big bands with whom she traveled around Europe entertaining WWII soldiers.    Betty Driver was 91 when she passed away on October 15, 2011.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.



Died On This Date (October 8, 2011) Piet Noordijk / Respected Dutch Saxophonist

Piet Noordijk
May 26, 1932 – October 8, 2011

Piet Noordijk was a respected Dutch saxophonist who, over a career that stretched several decades played in both orchestras and big bands.  The list of groups he played with includes the Skymasters, Malando, the Ramblers, and the Metropole Orchestra.  In 1965, Noordijk was presented with the Boy Edgar Prize, the highest achievement for a Dutch jazz musician, and in 1987, he won the Bird Award which is also bestowed upon only the best in his field.  He went on to win other awards as well. Over the course of his career, Noordijk is known to have played with the likes of Nina Simone, Dexter Gordon, Toots Thielemans, and Wynton Marsalis.  Piet Noordijk was 79 when he passed away on October 8, 2011.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Swinging With Strings (Live At the Bimhuis Amsterdam) - Piet Noordijk & The String & Rhythm Section of The Metropole Orchestra

Died On This Date (September 20, 2011) Frank Driggs / Record Producer & Jazz Historian

Frank Driggs
1930 – September 20, 2011

Frank Driggs was a jazz lover who became one of the genre’s most respected historians and collectors.  Because of his reputation, producer legend, John Hammond hired him during the late ’50s to help him put packages together for Columbia Records.  While at the label, Driggs worked on releases by the likes of Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and the most celebrated, Robert Johnson’s Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings which won Driggs a Grammy in 1991.  He also produced records for Bluebird, Okeh, and MCA, to name a few.  Meanwhile, Driggs was gathering jazz photos, hand bills, ticket stubs and such for his own personal collection which, by the mid 2000s, swelled to over 100,000 images.   After retiring in 1977,  Driggs continued to earn a living by providing photographs for books and documentaries, the highest profile being perhaps Ken Burns’ Jazz series of 2001.  Frank Driggs passed away of natural causes on September 20, 2011.  He was 81.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.



Died On This Date (September 19, 2011) Hal Roach / Chicago Jazz Musician

Hal Roach (Born Rochester Coleman)
1929 – September 19, 2011

Hal Roach was a jazz pianist who, for the better part of 36 years, held court at the popular Eli’s The Place For Steak in Chicago.  Roach was just a young child living in Mississippi when he learned to play the piano on a piece of cardboard.  He eventually moved to Chicago with his family, and after serving in the US Army in Korea, Roach focused on his music and soon landed the gig at The Place For Steak.  In 1994, Roach was at the piano when in walked President Bill Clinton who was in town for a fundraiser.  Despite being forewarned by the Secret Service to keep it on the down-low, Roach immediately kicked into “Hail To The Chief.”  Over the course of his career, Roach also entertained the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Liza Minnelli. As reported in the Chicago Tribune, Hal Roach was 82 when he passed away on September 19, 2011.

Thanks to Gary Case for the assist.

Died On This Date (September 6, 2012) Wardell Quezergue / New Orleans R&B Legend

Wardell Quezergue
March 12, 1930 – September 6, 2011

Photo by Chris Granger

Wardell Quezergue was without a doubt one of the most important figures in New Orleans R&B for the better part of the last 60 years. It was during the ’40s that Quezergue began making his mark on the music world as a member of Dave Bartholomew’s band.  After a stint in the Army band in Korea, he settled back in New Orleans where he formed his own group and label, and began arranging pieces for the likes of Fats Domino and Professor Longhair.  As Quezergue’s reputation as an arranger and producer grew, so did the list of artists who wanted to employ his services.  Over the year’s that list grew to include the likes of the Dixie Cups (“Iko Iko”), Jean Knight (“Mr. Big Stuff”), Aaron Neville, Paul Simon, the Spinners, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, and Dr. John for whom he produced and arranged the Grammy-winning Goin’ Back To New Orleans.  Sadly, Quezergue lost most of his possessions to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but a fund-raiser by many leading musicians helped him get back on his feet.   Wardell Quezergue was 81 when he died of congestive heart failure on September 6, 2011.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus of the Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Wardell Quezergue