Jazz

Died On This Date (March 11, 2011) Hugh Martin / Wrote “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Hugh Martin
August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011

Hugh Martin was a highly successful American theatrical and film composer and arranger.   Over the course of a career that spanned some 60 years, Martin wrote the music and in some cases the lyrics for such musicals as Make A Wish, High Spirits, and his most celebrated, Meet Me In St. Louis, in which Judy Garland sang his  “The Trolley Song,” “The Boy Next Door,” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”  He also worked as a vocal arranger on Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Sugar Babies, and Top Banana to name a few.  His film credits include Athena, The Girl Most Likely, and Best Foot Forward.  Hugh Martin was 96 when he passed away on March 11, 2011.

You can learn more about Hugh Martin by watching THIS INTERVIEW for the National Association of Music Merchants.



Died On This Date (February 14, 2011) George Shearing / Popular Jazz Pianist and Composer

George Shearing
August 13, 1919 – February 14, 2011

George Shearing was a popular and influential jazz pianist and composer who could claim over 300 pieces as his own.  Born blind in London, Shearing spent his early professional career playing in an all-blind band – he started playing the piano at just three years old.  During his late 20s, Shearing moved to the United States where he continued to master his complex style of swing, bop and bebop.  In 1949, he formed the George Shearing Quintet and went on to record for such labels as Verve, Capitol, and MGM.  His hits included “Lullaby Of Birdland” and “September In The Rain.”    Over the years he’s collaborated with the likes of Oscar Pettiford, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, and Mel Torme.  In 2007, he was knighted – Officer of the Order of the British Empire – for his contributions to music.  George Shearing died of heart failure on February 14, 2011.  He was 91.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

The Definitive George Shearing - George Shearing

Died On This Date (December 28, 2010) Billy Taylor / Respected Jazz Pianist

Billy Taylor
July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010

Billy Taylor was a highly respected jazz pianist, composer, and educator whose career spanned the better part of seven decades.  A disciple of Art Tatum, Taylor began playing professionally in 1944, first as part of Ben Webster’s group, and eventually as the house pianist of the Birdland club.  During those early years, he collaborated with the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie.   As one of jazz’s greatest ambassadors, Taylor devoted much of his time to ensure that the music be shared with new generations of fans through his teachings as well as on television and radio.  Many Americans may remember him from his 250+ interviews he conducted for CBS News Sunday Morning.  He has been awarded a Grammy, an Emmy, a Peabody, an NEA Jazz Masters Award and the National Medal of Arts, to name just a few.  Billy Taylor was 89 when he died of heart failure on December 28, 2010.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Billy Taylor Trio

Died On This Date (December 27, 2011) Rory J. Thomas / Respected Australian Jazz Musician

Rory J. Thomas
November 13, 1942 – December 27, 2010

Photo By Gene Ramirez

Rory J. Thomas was, among many other things, a gifted Australian jazz musician, conductor, and film documentarian.  Thomas was just five years old when he first took up the piano, and by the time he was a young adult, he had played in such popular local bands as the Questions and Doug Parkinson in Focus.   After graduating college in Sydney, Thomas received a scholarship to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.  While there, he found work as a late night disc jockey and field reporter for a local radio station.  One of his assignments was to cover the historic Woodstock music festival in 1969.  That was followed by music festivals across Europe during breaks from his studies.   He was also involved in the musical arrangements for the original Broadway production of Godspell and was later invited to be the musical director of the Australian production of the show.  During the ’80s, Thomas launched a long and respected career as a music educator in Australia, the U.S., and France.  During the final years of his life, Thomas was still teaching at times over 12 hours a day, all while undergoing chemotherapy.  He was awarded many honors over his long career, including being knighted by the French government in 2009, the first time that honor has ever been handed to an Australian jazz musician.  Rory J. Thomas, 68, died on December 27, 2010 following a 7-year battle with cancer.

Thanks to Anne Bentley for the assist.



Died On This Date (December 9, 2010) James Moody / Jazz Icon

James Moody
March 26, 1925 – December 9, 2010

James Moody was an influential jazz saxophonist and flautist who is perhaps best remembered for his 1949 hit recording, “Moody’s Mood For Love.”  Moody learned to play the sax at an early age, and after his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1946, he landed himself a two-year gig playing with Dizzy Gillespie.  Over the course of a career that spanned over an astonishing 60 years, Moody performed with the likes of Quincy JonesMiles Davis, Max Roach, and Kenny Barron to name a few.  He recorded upwards of  50 albums for such respected labels as Blue Note, Vanguard, Prestige, and Mercury.  In later years, he devoted much of his time and money to music education.  In 2010, he received a Grammy nomination for his Moody 4B album.  On December 9, 2010, James Moody died following nearly a yearlong struggle with pancreatic cancer.  He was 85.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Moody 4B - James Moody, Kenny Barron, Todd Coolman & Lewis Nash