2006 – Barbara Streisand’s tour-opening performance at Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center is the highest single event gross in the 10-year history of the arena.
Is Barbara a Rock chick…. oh yeah… she was funny girl… and Hello Dolly chick… she rocks.
2005 – Dozens of artists perform on stages around the world during Bob Geldof’s Live 8 concerts. In the United States, those not attending the show in Philadelphia, can catch everything from highlights to entire regional concerts via television, online, satellite radio and mobile broadcasts. The massive global initiative is spearheaded by Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof in an attempt to fight poverty and influence G8 summit leaders.
2005 – Live 8 concerts are held in locations from London to Philadelphia to Tokyo to raise awareness of African poverty. Among the performers are Madonna, Green Day, Paul McCartney, U2, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, a reunited Pink Floyd with Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, Bjork, Jet, Simple Plan, Neil Young, Maroon 5, Pet Shop Boys, The Cure and Shakira.
2004 – John Whitehead, one half of Phillie soul hitmakers Mcfadden & Whitehead (“Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”), is shot dead by an unknown assailant while fixing his car. He was 55.
b.10th July 1948, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
d, 11th May 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
John Whitehead was shot dead, whilst working on a vehicle with another man, in Philadelphia on the 11th of May 2004. He was 55.
The killer fled after shooting John in the neck and then shooting his colleague, who was rushed to hospital after the incident.
Gene McFadden (who was Whitehead’s songwriting partner in the singing group McFadden and Whitehead) went to the scene of the shooting in the city’s West Oak Lane neighbourhood and stood there trembling apparently, WPVI-TV reported.
The partnership formed a group called the Epsilons in their youth and were discovered by Otis Redding.
They also toured with Otis in the 1960′s.
After a brief stint at the Stax imprint, the duo then wrote hit songs performed by several artists for the Philadelphia International imprint in the 1970′s, including ‘Back Stabbers,’ ‘For the Love of Money,’ ‘I’ll Always Love My Mama,’ ‘Bad Luck,’ ‘Wake Up Everybody,’ ‘Where Are All My Friends,’ ‘Don’t Let Love Get You Down,’ ‘The More I Get, The More I Want,’ and ‘Cold, Cold World.’
The pinnacle of their own recording success came with ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’, which went to No. 1 on the R & B chart and reached No. 13 on the pop chart.
John embarked, briefly, on a solo career in 1988 with the release of ‘I Need Money Bad’ on Polygram Records in 1988.
2004 – Queens of the Stone Age frontman and Eagles of Death Metal drummer Josh Homme is involved in a bar brawl in New York’s East Village. A publicist described Homme as “injured” and the Eagles cancel their Philadelphia gig.
2002 – Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher suffers from whiplash and shock after he is injured in a car accident in Indianapolis. The band is forced to postpone upcoming concerts in Philadelphia and Boston.
2001 – Jazz tenor saxophonist Harold Land dies in Los Angeles after a stroke. He is 73. Land gained prominence in 1954 when he joined a quintet led by trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach.
For many performers, working with a string section is a long-held dream. The lush backdrop warmly supports an instrumentalist or a singer, setting the stage for emotional, often unforgettable performances. Listen to orchestral albums by such greats as Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, and Johnny Hodges, and the beauty and feeling that arise from these situations is soon appreciated.
A Lazy Afternoon is a stellar contribution to this genre. Here, the consummate tenor saxophone artistry of Harold Land, easily one of jazz’s premier improvisers, meets the sumptuous string orchestrations of Ray Ellis, who is best recalled for Lady in Satin, a 1958 session for Columbia Records for which he wrote gorgeous string backdrops for Holiday.
A Lazy Afternoon features ear-pleasing renditions of such evergreens as “You Go To My Head,” “Invitation,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “Nature Boy,” “In A Sentimental Mood,” “Wave,” and the title track, “Lazy Afternoon.” Land and the string and orchestral palette are accompanied by the ace rhythm team of Billy Higgins (drums), William Henderson (piano), and James Leary (bass).
The tenor saxophonist, who will always be remembered for his scintillating performances with the masterful quintet led by trumpeter Brown and drummer Max Roach in the mid-50′s and with the internationally acclaimed quintet he co-led with Bobby Hutcherson in the late ’60s and early ’70s, fits superbly into the context. He employs his rugged, individualistic style and his trademark expressive tone, mixing compelling melody readings with alluring improvisations.
For years, Land had wanted to do an album with strings, having been touched by recordings by Parker and Brown, as well as by Lady in Satin. And his appearances with Tony Bennett in the late ’60s and ’70s also flamed his desire for a string album. Then, he’d join the singer, mostly in Las Vegas, but occasionally on tours of Latin America, serving as the star soloist with the full orchestra that backed Bennett and reaching audiences that might not have otherwise known of his work. “Those appearances were always memorable and helped foster the desire in my soul to make an album with strings,” says Land.
A Lazy Afternoon came to fruition when a story on Land, written by Jason Fine in Option magazine, told of his wish to make a string album. Postcards A&R Director Ralph Simon read the story, liked the idea and, being another fan of Lady in Satin, tracked down Land and then Ellis, both of whom live in Southern California.
Both principals, who had never worked together prior to A Lazy Afternoon, were enthusiastic about the collaboration. “Harold is a beautiful guy, and laid-back, and he plays that way,” says Ellis. “The album feels real good to me.” “Ray’s beautiful writing was so tasteful and romantic — that’s a good word,” says Land. “The album worked out the way I wanted. With the turbulent state of affairs in this country, as well as the world, I would hope this album would manifest a little peaceful feeling, a positive effect, to all who hear it, as opposed to the negativity we are bombarded with every day. That feeling of peace is something I have been trying to express through music for a long time and, hopefully, this album will be a continuance of that effort.”
The saxophonist and the arranger have lived fulfilling artistic lives. Land, born in Houston and raised in San Diego, moved to Los Angeles in the early ’50s. In 1954, he joined the famed Brown-Roach quintet, with which he toured the United States and recorded several albums for EmArcy (all of which are available as reissue CDs). After two years with the ensemble, Land felt the need to be closer to his family, which was in Los Angeles, and so he returned and has resided there ever since. Land recalled the mid-to-late ’50s, when LA was teeming with jazz. “That was a very healthy period here,” says the tenorman. “A lot of clubs around the city had a six-night-a-week policy, and most musicians were working.”
He soon began to establish himself as one of the most singular and powerful of jazzmen, making albums with bassists Red Mitchell and Curtis Counce and then, in 1958, making his 12” LP debut (he had recorded four selections in 1949 that were released by Savoy). Harold in the Land of Jazz was issued on Contemporary Records, and was followed a year later by The Fox, on HiFi Jazz (available as a Contemporary Records reissue), which many consider his best early recording. He also began performing with Gerald Wilson’s orchestra, and with pianists Hampton Hawes and Carl Perkins, becoming an essential cog in the wheel of Los Angeles jazz. Nonetheless, the saxophonist didn’t really get much exposure outside LA until he formed a quintet with vibist Bobby Hutcherson in the late ’60s. The band recorded for Blue Note and toured the US and Europe. “There were a lot of similar things that Bobby and I responded to emotionally and musically,” Land says.
Also during the ’60s, Land, like so many saxophonists, became enamored with John Coltrane, and he found that both his smooth sound and his approach to improvising changed during this period. “John definitely inspired me with his intense spirit, and I usually say that spirit moved me so much that I became a little more intense in my own musical presentation,” says Land. “At the same time, I was trying to maintain a certain individuality that I hope I have managed to do.”
In the late ’70s and ’80s, Land joined the Timeless All-Stars, which also included Higgins, Hutcherson, Cedar Walton (piano), and Curtis Fuller (trombone). In and around performances with the Timeless band, Land fronted fine quintets that featured trumpeters Blue Mitchell (their Mapenzi, on Concord Jazz, is a classic) and Oscar Brashear (documented on Xocia’s Dance on Muse). Land remains one of the most impressive and deep improvisers in jazz. As is said in the Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, “Land is a fine musician who has not received the fame he deserves.”
Ellis, a Philadelphia native, was originally a tenor saxophonist who taught himself to write while serving in the Army band during World War II. His first commercial charts were crafted in the mid-’50s for pop singers such as the Four Lads (“Moments to Remember,” “Standing on the Corner” — both Billboard Top 10 pop chart hits) and Johnny Mathis (“That Certain Smile,” “Wild Is the Wind”). Later, during his tenures at Columbia, MGM, and RCA Records, he wrote arrangements for hit records by Connie Francis (“Where the Boys Are”), Bobby Darin (“Splish Splash”), Clyde McPhatter (“Lover’s Question”), Brook Benton (“It’s Just a Matter of Time”), and Tony Bennett (“Firefly”). “I think I was a success because I figured out how to write what the producers wanted,” he says.
But the biggest record of Ellis’s career is the timeless Lady in Satin, on which Holiday sang such torch songs as “You’ve Changed” and “Violets for Your Furs.” “Billie picked the tunes and they were all stories of unrequited love — the story of her life,” Ellis recalls. The recording, done in three sessions at Columbia’s then-fabled 30th street studios in New York, was mostly a series of first takes. Her raw talent and emotional quality were astounding, and really moved Ellis. “It was great,” he says of her ability to give the songs meaning. And the album has held up, he feels. “It still sounds contemporary, and people keep calling me because of it,” says Ellis, who has also scored for television, including a theme for NBC’s “Today” show which has run from the ’70s into the ’90s.
Now, Ellis has written the kind of arrangements that have moved Land to deliver powerful performances. It seems clear that people will be talking about, and listening to, A Lazy Afternoon for years to come as well.
Harold Land Discography (as a leader)
Grooveyard (Contemporary) 1958
Harold in the Land of Jazz (Contemporary/OJC) 1958
The Fox (HiFi Jazz/OJC) 1959
Eastward Ho! Harold Land in New York Jazzland (OJC) 1960
Westcoast Blues! Jazzland (OJC) 1960
Hear Ye! Harold Land Quintet with Red Mitchell (Atlantic) 1961
The Peacemaker (Cadet) 1967
Take Aim (Blue Note) 1969
Jazz Impressions of Folk Music (Imperial) 1971
A New Shade of Blue (Mainstream) 1971
Choma (To Burn) (Mainstream) 1971
Damisi (Mainstream) 1977
Total Eclipse (with Bobby Hutcherson) (Blue Note)
Mapenzi (Concord Jazz) 1977
Xocia’s Dance (Muse) 1981
A Lazy Afternoon (Postcards) 1995
Promised Land (Audiophoric) 2001
2001 – James Myers, whose 2-minute, 8-second tune “Rock Around the Clock” is considered the granddaddy of all rock’n'roll songs, dies of leukemia. He is 81. Myers wrote the song with Max Freedman in 1953.
1919-2001
JAMES E. MYERS
a.k.a. JIMMY DeKNIGHT
Posted May 11th – From the Associated Press:
Songwriter James Myers dies;
co-wrote ‘Rock Around the Clock’
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — James Myers, whose two-minute, eight-second tune “Rock Around the Clock” is considered the granddaddy of all rock ‘n’ roll songs, has died of leukemia. He was 81.
Myers, who died Wednesday, wrote the song with Max Freedman in 1953. Bill Haley & His Comets recorded it in 1954, and it soared to the top of the charts in 1955 as the theme song of the teen rebel movie “The Blackboard Jungle.”
With its rockabilly sound, the song was considered a breakthrough for crossing racial barriers by borrowing from rhythm and blues.
Myers, who also wrote under the name Jimmy DeKnight, wrote more than 300 songs and had bit parts in movies and TV shows, but “Rock Around the Clock” remained his most famous work.
He said the melody evolved in his head over a few years before he finally wrote it down. While picking out the tune on a piano at his office one day, his friend Freedman joined him.
“When we finished it he said, `What are you going to call it?’ I said, ‘Rock Around The Clock,”‘ Myers said in an interview with the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Burns, Tenn.
“And he said, `Why rock? What’s that mean? Why not “Dance Around The Clock?”‘ And I said, ‘I just have a gut feeling and since I’m half writer and whole publisher, I’m the boss! Right!’ So, we called it ‘Rock Around The Clock.”‘
The song was No. 1 for eight weeks and went on to sell 22 million copies worldwide. It has been recorded by more than 500 artists, from Mae West to the Sex Pistols, and has been used in more than 40 movies and on TV shows such as “Happy Days.”
“It sounded like nothing else,” said Howard Kramer, associate curator for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. “The drums and guitar on that song sound like nothing else. The snare drum on that was like a howitzer going off.”
Dick Clark called the song “the anthem of rock ‘n’ roll.” Disc jockey Alan Freed pronounced it “the daddy of rock ‘n’ roll” songs.
A Philadelphia native, Myers was a drummer in his own band before joining the Army during World War II. After serving in the South Pacific, he returned to his hometown to become a songwriter, country music promoter and music publisher.
Marshall Lytle, the bass player who played “Rock Around the Clock” with Bill Haley & His Comets, said he realized how big the song was as the band drove to Boston from New York in Haley’s new Cadillac and turned on the radio.
“It was one of those new car radios, where you pushed a button and it went to the next station,” he said. “I turned on the radio and hit the button and the station was playing ‘Rock Around the Clock.’ I hit the button again and the next station was playing ‘Rock Around the Clock,’ and the next station too.
“Within two minutes that morning, I heard `Rock Around the Clock’ playing on 12 different stations simultaneously.”
Myers estimated he made $10 million in royalties from the tune.
“He figured out that at any given moment, ‘Rock Around the Clock’ is playing somewhere in the world,” Lytle said.
Myers, who lived in Bonita Springs, Fla., for the last year, will be buried in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Myers told the News-Press of Fort Myers last year that he didn’t set out to create a style of music; he just wanted to make people feel happy.
2001 – Soul vocalist Charles Pettigrew of the duo Charles & Eddie dies in Philadelphia after a long battle with cancer. The group achieved international success with the 1992 single “Would I Lie To You?,” which reached No. 16 on The Chart Toppers Hot 100 and topped the charts in 16 countries.
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