Welcome to Gaia! ::

Welcome back snowe_lotus!!!

Glad to see you've sorted some things out!

we need a bari player, and how bout a less known one. besides mulligan pepperadams, ronnie cuber, and nick brignola. lets bring out good ol'
serge chaloff


Instrument: baritone sax
Style: bop

Short introduction: One of the great baritone saxophonists and the first major soloist on that instrument to emerge since Harry Carney (he preceded Gerry Mulligan), Serge Chaloff was a drug addict during his prime years, resulting in broken friendships and lost opportunities. After playing with the orchestras of Boyd Raeburn (1944-1945), Georgie Auld (1945-1946), and Jimmy Dorsey (1946-1947), he found fame as one of the "Four Brothers" with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1947-1949). After a stint with Count Basie's octet (1950), Chaloff returned to his native Boston, where he eventually worked on kicking his dangerous habit. Ironically, when he finally got off drugs, Chaloff contracted spinal paralysis and he played his final recording session (a reunion of the Four Brothers in 1957) seated in a wheelchair. Mosaic's 1993 limited-edition four-CD Serge Chaloff box set has all of his sessions as a leader, and his exciting solos still put him near the top of his field.

General impression(if any): great person to listen to, swingin and all
'
Recommended recordings/famous works: blue serge, boston blowup, and others
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=SERGE|CHALOFF&uid=CAW010503270039&sql=11:tijxlffe5cqy~T0

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Name: Dinah Washington

Style: Jazz, blue to light pop and R&B

Short introduction:
One of the most versatile and gifted vocalists in American popular music history, Dinah Washington made extraordinary recordings in jazz, blues, R&B and light pop contexts, and could have done the same in gospel had she chosen to record in that mode. But the former Ruth Jones didn't believe in mixing the secular and spiritual, and once she'd entered the non-religious music world professionally, refused to include gospel in her repertorie.

Washington 's penetrating, high-pitched voice, incredible sense of drama and timing, crystal clear enunciation and equal facility with sad, bawdy, celebratory or rousing material enabled her to sing any and everything with distinction. Washington played piano and directed her church choir growing up in Chicago. For a while she did split her time between clubs and singing and playing piano in Salle Martin 's gospel choir as Ruth Jones.

There's some dispute about the origin of her name. Some sources say the manager of the Garrick Stage Bar gave her the name Dinah Washington ; other say it was Hampton who selected it. It is undisputed Hampton heard and was impressed by Washington, who'd been discovered by manager Joe Glaser.

She worked in Hampton 's band from 1943 to 1946. Some of her biggest R&B hits were written by Leonard Feather , the distinguished critic who was a successful composer in the '40s. Washington dominated the R&B charts in the late '40s and '50s, but also did straight jazz sessions for EmArcy and Mercury, with horn accompanists including Clifford Brown , Clark Terry and Maynard Ferguson, and pianists Wynton Kelly , a young Joe Zawinul and Andrew Hill. She wanted to record what she liked, irregardless of whether it was considered suitable, and in today's market would be a crossover superstar.

"What A Difference A Day Makes." From that point forward nearly all of her recordings were slow ballads with accompaniment from faceless orchestras that would not have been out of place on a country record! Although she did have a few more hits (including some duets with Brook Benton), Washington's post-1958 output has not dated well at all, unlike the music from her first 15 years of recordings. However she was only 39 and still in peak musical form when she died from an accidental overdose of diet pills and alcohol in 1963. Dinah Washington remains the biggest influence on most black female singers (particularly in r&b and soul) who have come to prominence since the mid-1950's. Virtually all of her recordings are currently in print on CD's including a massive reissue series of her Mercury and EmArcy sessions.

-- Ron Wynn and Dan Morgenste, All-Music Guide

General impression(if any):
One thing's for sure... I began listening to Dinah Washington from her "What A Difference A Day Makes" onwards... In fact, from the orchestration etc, I initially thought she was a country singer until I found her other works. Her voice, though tinged with a slight rasp is pleasant to listen to and accentuated with her emotive form of phrasing. Most of her later music is a pleasant listen on a lazy summer afternoon by the sea with a glass of iced tea... 3nodding

Recommended recordings/famous works:
"What A Difference A Day Makes" the album

Went out to get Glamoured yesterday and it's fantastic... xd I'm reccomending it to all fans of really smooth stuff... her vocals are so thick and lush that you can cut it with a knife... whee

I heart Cassandra Wilson whee

On Martin Taylor...
1. I would consider him swing. I just consulted AMG and they agree with swing, and say that he's also crossover jazz. Seems relatively accurate to me, though I agree, his music is very diverse.
2. I find it funny that Martin Taylor is an acoustic guitar player, and that both his first and last name are names of leading acoustic guitar producers.

wow i didnt no that i love the album a tribute to jack johnson. it was the first miles album i ever got