On April 29th, in 1899, seminal jazz musician, composer, pianist, bandleader, social activist, orchestra conductor, major collaborator with Billy Strayhorn, posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner, DownBeat Hall of Fame member, 14-time Grammy Award-winner, NEA Jazz Master and swing jazz pioneer-Duke Ellington (Edward Kennedy Ellington) was born in Washington, D.C., USA. Ellington is most known for the many jazz standards he composed with Billy Strayhorn like-Take the A Train, Black-Brown and Beige, Mood Indigo, Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue and Mood Indigo. He’s also known for his piano skills as a bandleader that helped transform the sound of jazz from the late 20s up to his death in 1974. His career spanned over 50 years. Due to this fact, TOV will cover his life up to the 20s and resume the write up on him for his death day-May 24th, 1974.
Ellington’s parents were pianist-Daisy & Edward. He started taking piano lessons from Marietta Clinkscales when he was 7 (1906). He got the nickname Duke from his style of dress and elegant demeanor as a child. He was a prolific baseball player that wanted to spend more time on the field than on the piano. As a result, he often skipped his lessons. When he was 14 (1913), he frequented Frank Holiday’s Poolroom and listened to the jazz pianists on deck. Hearing their rhythmic, bluesy and soulful playing inspired him to take the instrument seriously. In the latter part of the 1918, he moved to NYC and started playing at clubs. He was encouraged by Sidney Bechet, Fats Waller and James P. Johnson to pursue a career full-time. He took them up on the offer in the early 20s. He was 75 when he passed.
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On April 29th, in 1934, bluesman, singer, guitarist, West Side Chicago Blues innovator, songwriter and multi-label recording artist-Otis Rush (Jr.) was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi. He’s most known for being left-handed and stringing his guitar upside-down or the reverse of right-handed players. He had a blues style of playing that can be described as sustained bent notes (glissando) and a slower overall pitch. He played just behind the 4-measure count which is markedly different from the funk style of playing that accentuates the One or the first note on a 4-bar measure. He’s very similar to Buddy Guy and Magic Sam in that all three were major West Side of Chicago residents that innovated the West Side Blues sound. His strong voice was distinct as well. He was a tenor at rest, but had a vast vocal range.
Rush was introduced to the blues in Mississippi, before his family moved to Chicago when he was 15. By then, he’d started playing guitar and singing. Muddy Waters urged him to record and perform. He became a session musician for local outfits and recording artists. In his early 20s, he signed to Cobra Records and released 8 singles. Some of his staple songs came from these releases which often featured a young Ike Turner on guitar. His most successful song on Cobra was-I Can’t Quit You Baby (1956). Cobra folded in 1959 and Rush signed with Chess Records (1960). His stint at Chess was short lived as he signed with Duke Records in 1962 and Vanguard in 1965. He toured and recorded throughout the 60s and 70s. He was 84 when he passed (Sept. 29th, 2018).
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On April 29th, in 1945, iconic duet vocalist, legendary Motown singer, songwriter, session musician, former member and significant other of James Brown-Tammi Terrell (Thomasina Winfred Montgomery) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. TOV covered the artist’s death on the March 16th post (45 short days before her 25th birthday). Please refer to it for more information. We've covered Tammi’s career up to 1965 when she first signed with Motown. To quickly recap, she first signed to Scepter and recorded a few sides, then she sang with James Brown, shortly after she signed to Checker Records and linked with Jerry Butler, before landing at Motown. Gordy changed her name from Montgomery to Terrell and she dropped her first single-I Can’t Believe You Love Me (1966).
She joined the Motown Revue that featured the Temptations. This is when her romance with David Ruffin started. He proposed to her later that year, but was already married with 3 children and a girlfriend. When she found out, she was livid, as she should’ve been. However, the Temptations documentary depicts her as being irate, moody, mean, unstable and a public fighter. They don’t give the back drop that Tammi was upset about David’s romantic life. She ended their relationship in 1967. The movie also does not mention that. Later that year, Gordy decided he wanted to have Tammi & Marvin Gaye record some duets. They recorded their first one separately-Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. After they heard each other in the final mix, they knew they had to record the rest of their duets together. She was 24 when she passed.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On April 29th, in 1929, Latin jazz musician, percussionist, sideman, drummer, bandleader, conga player, former member of the Fania All-Stars and The Blackout All-Stars-Ray Barretto was born in New York City, New York. He’s most known for pioneering Latin jazz during the 50s and 60s. He was inspired to play music when he was in the US Army (age 17) and heard Dizzy Gillespie’s song-Manteca. It featured a Latin sound. He returned to the states in the late 40s and started working on his conga skills by jamming with others like Tito Puente and Jose Curbelo, both of whom asked him to join their band. He was 76 when he passed.
On April 29th, in 1933, country musician, decriminalization of marijuana advocate, guitarist, songwriter, poet, producer, actor, social activist and co-chair on the advisory board for NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws)-Willie (Hugh) Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas. He’s most known for the hit song he penned for Patsy Cline-Crazy and his solo hit-On the Road Again. He’s one of the few musician that performs music from other genres like blues, folk, jazz, soul and reggae. He’s been in trouble with the law, the IRS, the Feds and any other American law enforcement agency you can think of. A true rebel and free speaker, he’s never hid his trees or held his tongue. Willie is 85 today.
On April 29th, in 1935, we lost a seminal bluesman, innovator of the ‘crooning’ technique of singing, songwriter, pianist, major influence of Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Witherspoon, Charles Brown, T-Bone Walker and Amos Milburn-LeRoy Carr. He’s most known for his early 1930s songs like: Midnight Hour Blues, How Long Blues, Blues Before Sunrise and Hurry Down Sunshine. His music has been covered by many like Robert Johnson, Long John Baldry, Champion Jack Dupree and Eric Clapton. He and his musical partner-the guitarist Scrapper Blackwell, penned several songs that helped shape the sound of modern Blues, Soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll. He was 30 when he passed.
On April 29th, in 1992, following the Rodney King verdict and the acquittal of 4 LAPD officers that savagely beat him-nearly to his death-the L.A. Riots jumped off in Los Angeles, CA. On the 29th, the jury was on its 7th day of deliberations. They couldn’t agree on a guilty/not guilty charge so the officers were acquitted. This infuriated the Black and Brown citizens of L.A. and the world overall because it was clear that the officers were beating King who was not resisting. Onlookers and courtroom supporters of King that were outside the courthouse, stormed the front doors. The Police immediately tried to contain the situation but fell short. The next several days saw much violence and mayhem.
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