Today In Blues - Dec 15


© 2004 L.W. "Junior" Jackson

On this 15th day of December in 1939 vocalist Cindy Birdsong of The
Supremes was born in Camden, NJ.
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Radio DJ Alan Freed, who claimed to have coined the term "Rock n
Roll", was born today in 1921 in Salem, OH.
The term had long been a slang for sex, used in variations in many
Blues songs.
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Producer John Hammond of Columbia Records was born today in 1910 in
NYC, NY.
Hammond "discovered" and produced Billie Holliday, Bessie Smith,
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Christian, Bennie
Goodman, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. His "Spirituals to Swing"
concert in NYC in the late 30s brought many Blues artists into the
public light, and his son John Hammond Jr is a long time prominent
Blues artist.
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West Coast Blues harp player Mark Hummel (Flying Fish, Tone-Cool
Records) was born on this day in New Haven, CT in 1955.
Hummel has been on the Blues scene for years, and has emerged as one
of the Blues premier harp players. His "Harmonica Blowout" concerts,
featuring multible Blues harp players, have become major drawers
across the country.
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Jazz pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton wa born today in 1911 in
Wichata, KS.
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Chicago Blues singer Andrew "Voice " Odom was born on this day in 1936
in Denham Springs, LA.
Odom sang with Earl Hooker in the 60s and Jimmy Dawkins in the 70s.
He released a solo album on Flying Fish records "Goin' To California"
in 1992. He died of a heart attack while enroute from Buddy Guy`s
Legends in Chicago to another Chicago club, The Checkerboard shortly
after "Goin` To California" was released.
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Johnny Bond, sax player for Johnny Ace and BB King, died on this day
in 1989 in Oak Park, IL at age 70.
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Saxaphonist Jackie Brenston, who played with Ike Turner and co-wrote
"Rocket 88", considered by many to be the first Rock n Roll song, died
on this day in 1979 in Memphis.
Brenston took Rocket 88 to the top of the R&B charts in 1952,
recording it with Turner`s "Kings of Rhythm", but billed as "Jackie
Brenston and His Delta Cats". He continued to play with The Kings of
Rhythm until 1962. He did some session work for Buddy Guy and Otis
Rush before giving up music and spending his life as a truck driver.
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Bruce Kaplin, founder of Flying Fish records, died on this day in 1992
in Chicago at age 47.
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Jazz - Blues pianist and songwriter Fats Waller died on this day in
1943 in Kansas City, MO at age 39.
Waller was an icon of jazz in the 20s and 30s.
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On this day in 1877, Thomas Edison finally got around to filing a
patent on that phonograph he invented 25 days earlier.
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