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Blue Velvet (Houston Person Album)
''Blue Velvet'' is an album by saxophonist Houston Person which was recorded in 2001 and released on the HighNote label. accessed March 12, 2018 Reception In his review on Allmusic, Stewart Mason states " It's impossible to fault any of Houston Person's albums from this period, as the tenor saxophonist remains a sublimely gifted soloist with a gorgeous, well-rounded tone and a smartly melodic soloing sense ... This is undeniably fine music, but there's so little to differentiate this album from so many others that Houston Person has done that finally, it's primarily of interest either to die-hard fans or those who have near heard any albums from this period in Pers ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houston Person
Houston Person (born November 10, 1934) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and record producer. Although he has performed in the hard bop and swing genres, he is most experienced in and best known for his work in soul jazz. He received the ‘Eubie Blake Jazz Award’ in 1982. Biography Person grew up in Florence, South Carolina, and first played piano before switching to tenor saxophone. He studied at South Carolina State College where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999. In the United States Air Force, he joined a service band stationed in West Germany, and played with Don Ellis, Eddie Harris, Cedar Walton, and Leo Wright. He later continued his studies at Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. He first became known for a series of albums for Prestige in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, he was never married to the vocalist Etta Jones, but did spend many years as her musical partner, recording, performing and touring, and for much of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oscar Levant
Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906August 14, 1972) was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian and actor. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recordings featuring his piano performances. He was equally famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and later in movies and television, as for his music. Early life Levant was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1906, to Orthodox Jewish parents who had emigrated from Russia. His father, Max, was a watchmaker who wanted his four sons to become either dentists or doctors. His mother Annie was a highly religious woman whose father was a Rabbi who presided over his daughter's wedding to Max Levant. Oscar Levant moved to New York in 1922, following the death of his father. He began studying under Zygmunt Stojowski, a well-established piano pedagogue. In 1925, aged 18, he appeared with Ben Bernie in a short fil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Wyands
Richard Francis Wyands (July 2, 1928 – September 25, 2019) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, best known for his work as a side-man. Early life Wyands was born in Oakland, California, on July 2, 1928 and grew up in Berkeley. He began playing the piano at age 7 or 8 and started playing professionally in 1944, while a teenager, in San Francisco. Wyands earned a degree in music from San Francisco State College in 1950. At school and college he played piano and drums. Wyands was influenced by Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, and Teddy Wilson.Panken, Ted (December 2, 2012"An interview with Richard Wyands for the Liner Notes for Half and Half (Criss-Cross) – Feb. 7, 2000" Later life and career In the early 1950s, Wyands was part of Vernon Alley's group that was the house band at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco, and thus part of the rhythm section that accompanied visiting soloists. The year after leaving the Black Hawk in 1954, Wyands w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenor Saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while the alto is pitched in the key of E), and written as a transposing instrument in the treble clef, sounding an octave and a major second lower than the written pitch. Modern tenor saxophones which have a high F key have a range from A2 to E5 (concert) and are therefore pitched one octave below the soprano saxophone. People who play the tenor saxophone are known as "tenor saxophonists", "tenor sax players", or "saxophonists". The tenor saxophone uses a larger mouthpiece, reed and ligature than the alto and soprano saxophones. Visually, it is easily distinguished by the curve in its neck, or its crook, near the mouthpiece. The alto saxophone lacks this and its neck goes straight to the mouthpiece. The tenor saxophone is most recognized for it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bernie Wayne
Bernie Wayne (March 6, 1919 – April 18, 1993) was an American composer who wrote over 1,000 songs and music for commercial jingles. He was best known for " Blue Velvet", which was recorded as a hit by numerous artists, and " There She Is", the song long associated with the Miss America pageant, as well as songs written for Elvis Presley, Broadway musicals and Hollywood productions. He also wrote the tune featured in commercials for Chock full o'Nuts which portrayed it as the "heavenly coffee". Personal life Wayne was born Bernard Weitzner in 1919 in Paterson, New Jersey.Vosburgh, Dick"Obituary: Bernie Wayne" ''The Independent'', April 30, 1993. Accessed December 16, 2012. He was married to Phyllis Michelle, and died at the age of 74 of heart failure in Marina del Rey, California on April 18, 1993. Career Wayne worked with Ben Raleigh, writing songs for Cass Daley, as well as the 1946 hit "Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)," which was first popularized by bandleade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Velvet (song)
"Blue Velvet" is a popular song written and composed in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. A top 20 hit for Tony Bennett in its original 1951 version, the song has since been re-recorded many times, with a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reaching No. 1. Inspiration and composition Songwriter Bernie Wayne was inspired to begin writing "Blue Velvet" on a 1951 visit to Richmond, Virginia where he stayed at the Jefferson Hotel: at a party at the hotel Wayne continually caught sight of a female guest dressed in blue velvet with whom he would have a holiday romance.''Indianapolis Star'' 20 February 1988 "Music's Smooth as Velvet: songwriter touts Greenfield film" by Scott L. Miley p.B-1 Tony Bennett original version and 1951 covers The song's co-writer Bernie Wayne had pitched "Blue Velvet" to Columbia Records head A&R man Mitch Miller, who as soon as he'd heard the song's opening measure: "She wore blue velvet", had suggested giving the song to Tony Bennett. (Wayne's response: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray Noble
Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United States. Noble wrote both lyrics and music for many popular songs during the British dance band era, known as the "Golden Age of British music", notably for his longtime friend and associate Al Bowlly, including "Love Is the Sweetest Thing", "Cherokee", "The Touch of Your Lips", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", and his signature tune, "The Very Thought of You". Noble played a radio comedian opposite American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen's stage act of Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy, and American comedy duo Burns and Allen, later transferring these roles from radio to TV and popular films. Early life and career Noble was born at 1 Montpelier Terrace in the Montpelier area of Brighton, England. A blue plaque on the house commemorates him. He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I Hadn't Anyone Till You
I Hadn't Anyone Till You" is a popular song written by Ray Noble in 1938. It has been recorded by many artists and is regarded as a standard. Tony Martin sang it with the Ray Noble band in 1938, reaching number four in the charts over a period of twelve weeks. A Tommy Dorsey version (with a vocal by Jack Leonard) the same year reached number ten. Alec Wilder wrote of the song, It is a smooth, direct, slightly rhythmic ballad of no great range and unmistakably a song of its time, the late thirties. It makes a move in the second half of the B section (the design is A-B-A-C/A) into the key of A major from the parent key of F major, which adds that dash of color needed in a song of so direct and unpushy a nature. It is a song with both sophistication and a flavor of the past. Other recordings * Billie Holiday - for the album ''Velvet Mood'' (1956) * Bobby Darin - included in his album '' It's You or No One'' (1963) * Brenda Lee - for her album ''All Alone Am I'' (1963) * Carla Bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Eckstine
William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award "for performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." His recording of " I Apologize" (MGM, 1948) was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. ''The New York Times'' described him as an "influential band leader" whose "suave bass-baritone" and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs inspired singers like Earl Coleman, Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock, and Lou Rawls." Early life and education Eckstine was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of William Eckstein, a chauffeur, and Charlotte Eckstein, a seamstress. Eckstine's paternal grandparents were William F. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Be My Love
"Be My Love" is a popular song with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Nicholas Brodszky. Published in 1950, it was written for Mario Lanza, who sang it with Kathryn Grayson in the 1950 movie ''The Toast of New Orleans''. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1950 but lost out to "Mona Lisa". He recorded it on June 27, 1950, with Ray Sinatra's orchestra. Lanza's 1950 recording of the song (released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 10-1561) was his first million-seller, eventually selling over two million copies. It was on the ''Billboard'' charts for 34 weeks, going all the way to number one. It was the theme song for Lanza's radio program, ''The Mario Lanza Show'' (1951–52). It eventually became so firmly linked to him that he wearied of it and resorted to spoofing it in private. Other versions *Ray Anthony's rendition of "Be My Love" (Capitol F1352) also charted in 1951, peaking at No. 13. *Connie Francis recorded "Be My Love" in 1964 f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Adair
Thomas Montgomery Adair (June 15, 1913 – May 24, 1988) was an American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter. Biography Adair was born on 15 June 1913, in Newton, Kansas, where his father owned a clothing store: he was the only child of William Adair and Madge Cochran. Around 1923 the family moved to Los Angeles, where Tom Adair attended Los Angeles Junior College (now Los Angeles City College). In his early career he worked as a complaints clerk at the local power company, while writing poetry and song lyrics in his spare time. In 1941, Adair met Matt Dennis in a club and the duo began writing songs together. Adair's song-writing career took him to New York during the 1940s where he penned several Broadway hits, and worked with Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra. He later returned to Los Angeles and worked with writer James B. Allardice on scripts for sit-coms. In 1949, Adair married Frances Adelle Jeffords; in later life, they worked together on songs and teleplays for Disney. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Hopper
Harold Stevens Hopper (November 11, 1912 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – November 2, 1970 in Sylmar, California) was an American singer/songwriter, film score composer and screenwriter. Life Hopper was a member of The Pied Pipers singing group. He composed the themes tune to several television series such as ''Judge Roy Bean'', '' Colt .45'', ''26 Men'', ''Circus Boy'' and ''Bearcats!''. He guest starred on the CBS sitcom, '' Dennis the Menace'', starring Jay North in the title role. Hopper co-authored the script for the 1968 film ''Shalako'', starring Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina .... References {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopper, Hal 1912 births 1970 deaths Musicians from Oklahoma City American male singer-songwriters American film score composers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
