Jazz

Died On This Date (June 11, 2008) Mickey McMahan / Played Trumpet For Lawrence Welk

Clinton “Mickey” McMahan
August 23, 1930 – June 11, 2008

Mickey McMahan at center

Mickey McMahan was a trumpeter for both Lawrence Welk and Les Brown.  McMahan joined the Welk show in 1967, and stayed 15 years.  Prior to his years with Welk, McMahan played in Brown’s Band of Renown on The Steve Allen Show as well as at military bases around the world when they were Bob Hope’s USO band.  Mickey McMahan died of neuropathy and an unrelated blood disease on June 11, 2008.  He was 77.

Thanks to longtime Welk staffer Morgana Kennedy for the assist.

Died On This Date (June 10, 2009) Huey Long / The Ink Spots

Huey Long
April 25, 1904 – June 10, 2009

hueyAt 105 years old, Huey Long was the last surviving member of Doo Wop legends, the Ink Spots.  Long’s career began back in 1925 as a banjoist for one of Houston’s most popular Dixieland bands of the ’20s, Frank Davis’ Louisiana Jazz Band.  He later moved to Chicago and switched to the more popular guitar.  In 1944, he was asked to join the Ink Spots with whom he stayed for the next 40 years.  Long passed away of natural causes on June 10, 2009.

What You Should Own

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20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Ink Spots - The Ink Spots



Died On This Date (June 10, 2009) Jack Nimitz / Jazz Saxophonist

Jack Nimitz
January 11, 1930 – June 10, 2009

nimitzJack Nimitz began playing the saxophone while a teenager in Washington DC.  Throughout the ’50s, he played with such jazz greats as Woody Herman, Herbie Mann and Stan Getz.  During the ’60s, Nimitz moved to Los Angeles to do film session work and continued to play with a who’s who list of West Coast jazz greats.  During the ’70s, he played with a popular Charlie Parker tribute band called Supersax.  Jack Nimitz died of emphysema at the age of 79.

Died On This Date (June 7, 2009) Hugh Hopper / Bassist For Soft Machine

Hugh Hopper
April 29, 1949 – June 7, 2009

583058Hugh Hopper was a fusion bassist who is most famous for playing in British psychedelic rock band,  Soft Machine from 1968 to 1972.  Starting out as the band’s road manager Hopper was asked to join the band in time to record their second album.  Hopper also did session work for ex-Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett.  Hopper left Soft Machine in 1972, but continued to stay very active with various groups until he was diagnosed with leukemia in June of 2008.  He died as a result of the disease at the age of 64.

What You Should Own

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Third - Soft Machine

Died On This Date (June 6, 1991) Stan Getz / Jazz Great

Stan Getz (Born Stan Gayetzky)
February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991

Stan Getz was a jazz saxophone player who earned the nickname, “The Sound” because of his warm mellow tone.  Although he tried his hand at several different instruments, it was the saxophone he received from his father at 13 that Getz connected with.  He reportedly practiced as much as eight hours a day and was soon playing in the All City High School Orchestra of New York City.   And remarkably, Getz was hired at just 16 years old to play in Jack Teagarden’s band.  He would go on to play with the likes of Nat King Cole, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman and Stan Kenton before he was barely into his 20s.   Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, Getz came to exemplify all that was “cool jazz.”  He also dabbled in bossa nova, partnering with Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto to record the classic album, Getz/Gilberto from which their Grammy-winning hit “The Girl From Impanema” came from.  In the ’70s, Getz moved toward fusion, recording with Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea.  Stan Getz struggled with drug and alcohol addiction from an early age, which likely lead to his death from liver failure at the age of 64.

What You Should Own

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Getz / Gilberto - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto & Stan Getz