The Count was especially popular with Jewish comedians, namely Jerry Lewis (Cinderfella) and Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles). The Master had been primarily with that label from 1924 onward, with stops along the way at Columbia, Capitol, and Bethlehem records. Régis Huby - Violin Irène Lecoq - Violin Guillaume Roy - Viola Alain Grange - Cello. Wikipedia list of persons by occupation. Then you can go check them out and see what I mean. From Ella & Louis ’ … In 1936 he helped Benny Goodman tear down the walls between white and black musicians in  “live” performances. There is a strong classical feel throughout the album, both in terms of repertoire and in its performance, but there is no doubt that this is a program of uniquely African-American composers. A hang-up for which we, his listeners, are eternally grateful. Before it was all over, he’d won just about every honor and glory a jazz musician can achieve, including six Grammys and numerous best-selling albums. Two major documentaries attest to this. The list of famous violinists from all over the world is long because the violin is one of the most versatile instruments there is. Leroy Smith was an earlier African American violinist and orchestra leader from Detroit. He as also worked as a video jack-of-all-trades for the Criterion Collection, and produced many jazz recordings for SSJ Records, Japan. You're the Cream in My Coffee. Of interest is the number of awards Hampton received along the way, including the National Medal of Arts and several Honorary Doctorates. Years later, Hampton observed: “The Benny Goodman Quartet made it possible for Jackie Robinson to get into major league baseball. She soon signed with Capitol Records. Easily purchase pieces online with secure checkout, multiple payment options and global shipping. One of his major European engagements included a period of early ‘50s residency in France where he was awarded the , rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jean Cocteau, and conducted an affair with singer Juliette Greco. Arrangements for ragtime orchestras had parts for violins in which they were as important as the other instruments. “The New Sounds.”. Juilliard Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies, Dimitri Musafia, Master Maker of Violin and Viola Cases, Johnson String Instrument and Carriage House Violins. Violinist.com Interviews Volume 1, with introduction by Hilary Hahn, Violinist.com Interviews Volume 2, with introduction by Rachel Barton Pine, http://www.will.uiuc.edu/fm/programs/classicallyblack/cbboulongne.htm, http://www.classicallounge.com/samuelthompson/, http://www.violinist.com/directory/bio.cfm?member=nobilemente. Concerto for Jazz Violin and Orchestra. More: https//musicians.allaboutjazz.com/billreed, 8149 Santa Monica Blvd. He did not improvise, but played by memory. Not long after completing her final recording in 1990, “Sassy,” as Vaughan was lovingly nick-named, passed away. i can't remember if she was on violin of viola, but it was really nice. Eventually, however, he could be found starring at the likes of major Japan concert halls. Davis’ later years were filled with many health issues resulting in the musician’s death at the relatively young age of 65. The overall sound was much like swing stars of that era, such as Benny Goodman. In addition to his significant seven-decades-long career as a jazz musician, bandleader, vibes player, African-American Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) is also remembered for another undertaking. Though Sarah came along a decade-or-so later after Ella, like “First Lady of Song” Fitzgerald, she got a head start by winning the historic talent contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. The violin was a lead instrument in the recordings of A. J. Piron, whose trumpeter Peter Bocage also played violin. The numbers one and two female jazz vocalists in the golden age of the art form were Ella, Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Menu. Wilson would have a successful career with Capitol, lasting from that start in ‘60 to 1971. Then there's Boyd Tinsley from the Dave Matthews Band. Both members attended Dillard High School of Performing Arts. . After high school Kev Marcus attended Florida International University and Wil B enrolled at Florida State University. by Bill Reed. It was then that she remarked: “I’m not going to be doing it anymore, and what better place to end it than where I started, in Ohio” –– her last professional engagement. The violin has a long and prosperous history that spans decades. Although Mingus died at 56,  his name remains high on the list of jazz greats. This discussion has been archived and is no longer accepting responses. In the very early days of the genre, it was a … Amazon. It was there, in 1935, that he founded his first big band, which would endure for the next half-century. Basie didn’t leave his Jersey home (and place of birth) entirely behind; he would become widely known as “The Kid from Red Bank.” It stuck with him for the rest of his life. Later in his career, Mingus could be found versatile enough to be performing with players from any era. In the first half of the 20th century these eight, great black jazz musicians, who helped to create one of America’s unique contributions to the musical canon, come alive in the wonderful posters, photographs and promotional pieces that are part of WalterFilms’ collection of African Americana. Along the way, there were many memorable recordings, and the winning of countless awards, including four Grammys. Discover the best of Violinist.com in these collections of editor Laurie Niles' exclusive interviews. 41: Spanky DeBrest. In rapid order came two record contracts. She also performs with background tracks for a more elegant, energetic, and richer sound! He also was a faculty member of the Crystal Palace School of Music and conducted the orchestra at the Croydon Conservatoire. Black Violin's new single "A Flat" off of their highly anticipated Sophomore album "Classically Trained" produced by Infamous. Famous Black Violinists: Black concert violinists from the 17th century to the present day in Europe and America. As noted in the description of the press kit herein for director Clint Eastwood’s daring work, the film “remains one of the few classic movies about jazz.”. It included name musicians, like Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey. It would not be stressing things too much in calling this Kansas City, Missourian, “the man who invented modern jazz.”. Among his books are: Hot from Harlem: Profiles in Classic African-American Entertainment, Brains as Well as Feet, Early Plastic: A Memoir, and Shared Air: My Six-Decade Interface With Celebrity. The Duke once claimed that the only reason he kept his band together was so that he could hear what his imaginary musical notes on paper sounded like in real-time. Born in Ohio, jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson, after much performance time on the road, arrived in New York City in 1960. Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson. Famous Asian Violinists. Early jazz violinists included Eddie South, who played violin with Jimmy Wade's Dixielanders in Chicago; Stuff Smith; Claude "Fiddler" Williams, who played with Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy. African American string music from fiddle and banjo to spirituals, blues, ragtime, jazz. catalogs, record jackets, etc., which would make it doubly rare. Mariana - I saw her play the Sinfonia Concertante with the Mobile Symphony a few years ago. The Greatest Female Jazz Vocalists of Today! West Hollywood, CA 90046. 03:45. The first was with the noteworthy Prestige outfit, followed by a mainstream affiliation with none other than one of THE big three record labels: Columbia. Its descriptive title . The violin has long been a staple of jazz, with such esteemed musicians like Joe Venuti, Ray Nance, Svend Asmussen, Eddie South, Stuff Smith and others. We’ll list the most famous violin players of all time and give some basic info on each. Three-quarters of a century later, that still — more or less — holds true. This was such an important development that we just cannot fluff it off or forget about it.”. Sheet music for strings. There are far too many highpoints to address here; however, two which cry out are the album Kind of Blue (1959), which became the most significant selling jazz album of its day, and the Miles Davis-[arranger] Gil Evans big band trilogy: Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain. Jean-Luc Ponty. One can only wonder how he would have developed artistically if he had been given more time. There is little question that Duke Ellington was the most famous, respected, charming, talented, elegant figures of the jazz musician and “beyond category” a definition oft-used to describe him. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and bluegrass along with roots also in country and other musical traditions.... more Alphonso Trent and Andy Kirk employed violinists in their territory bands. Widely hailed in jazz circles as one of the best contemporary jazz drummers around today, Terri Lyne Carrington has had an illustrious music career spanning some 30 years. As a teenager, Smock played violin in prominent musical organizations including the All-City Student Symphony and the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic, of which she was the only African American member. However, a few of the noteworthy Basie instrumentalists and singers who gained early-on professional experience include Lester Young and Freddie Green, and songsters, Joe Williams and Jimmy Rushing. The following is a list of notable jazz guitar players, including guitarists from related jazz genres such as Western swing, Latin jazz, and jazz fusion. To see the extensive vintage original collection click on this link; African-American Collectibles and Black Memorabilia, Bill Reed is a journalist and writer whose articles on show business, the arts, and popular music have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, the San Francisco Examiner, International Documentary, and Japan’s Swing Journal. There are sound clips of Leroy Smith and his Orchestra (with John Long on violin) at Red Hot Jazz. We’ll also cover the greatest and most popular female violinists and the best jazz violinists, because we feel each deserve their own section. WalterFilm.com offers a range of African-American Cultural History that celebrates the achievements of black actors, black artists, black musicians, black athletes, black politicians, and other members of this country’s African-American Community. There are, reputedly, around 25,000 known recorded versions of George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward’s standard ‘Summertime’. Several websites list recordings by violinist Leroy Smith under Stuff Smith's name. This retail store advertisement (above) does not appear to have been recycled into any other Victor placement, i.e. Black Violin is an American hip-hop duo from Florida composed of two classically trained string instrumentalists. It was a long row to hoe for this master musician, from the ‘40s L.A. Central Avenue Swing-to-Bop crossover scene. . Starting in the mid-Thirties, alto saxophonist Carlie Parker found himself inspired by the swing era likes of Ellington and Basie. This re-formatted groundbreaking Goodman Quartet would end up playing at the likes of the Waldorf-Astoria. In more recent years, the likes of Jean-Luc Ponty, Regina Carter and Mark O‘Connor made headlines and entertained listeners. Rachel Barton has recorded an album by little known black composers from the 18th and 19th centuries. … It has the distinction of giving jazz vocal stars Betty Carter and Little Jimmy Scott their first big. Right off, she had the good fortune to record with the label’s stars Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing. However, a Mingus 78 rpm disc from just a few years finds this player/composer/arranger thoroughly ensconced in the bubbling bop cauldron. US spiritual jazz label founded in Oakland, CA, by Gene Russell in 1971, and active until 1975. Financing and distribution for the label were provided by Dick Schory's Ovation Records.The label was founded in order to showcase black musicians, invoking a more political and spiritual tone, and explored styles such as funk, free jazz, and soul jazz. The elegance of this WalterFilm poster gives some sense of how much admiration his label, Victor, accorded him. Louis Farrakhan is famous and plays the violin, although he's not famous for his violin playing. The earliest references to jazz performance using the violin as a solo instrument was during the first decades of the 20th century. Flash forward to the end of his life (in 1974), and Ellington had created music for just about every form of show business, including theatre and film. Features The 50 Best Jazz Drummers Of All Time. In 1971, he even recorded an album while performing there. About Us | Blog | Shop | Contact Us | Privacy | FAQ | Shipping | Sitemap, © 2021 Walter Reuben, Inc. | Website Design: High Arte | Graphic, Media & Website Design | Digital Marketing by VIEWS Digital Marketing, African-American Collectibles and Black Memorabilia, https//musicians.allaboutjazz.com/billreed, 6 PLAYS & PERFORMERS IN THE HISTORY OF LGBTQ THEATER, SHIRLEY TEMPLE & JUDY GARLAND – DOLLS FOR THE AGES, 2020 New York International Antiquarian Book Fair. Starting in show business, pianist Count Basie worked as a back-up player on the historic black vaudeville circuit, the Theater Owners Booking Association *. She would also have success on TV–with her own show, in nightclubs, jazz festivals, etc. She has an extensive list of songs ranging from Top 40s to R&B, Hip Hop, Pop, 50s to 90s era, Movie/TV/Broadway/Disney soundtracks, Classical, Country, World music, and more. In May 2016, Glasper released his new album, Everything’s Beautiful, which remixes several Miles Davis tracks from the Columbia/Legacy vault and features an A-list of collaborators. Inasmuch as this WalterFilm photo of Davis does not seem to appear in other known jazz collections, it should be regarded as rare. Sadly, Parker dies at the implausibly early age of 34. Stuff Smith was another famous black jazz violinist. Somewhat ironically, Hampton’s big band ended up lasting even longer than Goodman’s. In the first half of the 20 th century these eight, great black jazz musicians, who helped to create one of America’s unique contributions to the musical canon, come alive in the wonderful posters, photographs and promotional pieces that are part of WalterFilms’ collection of African Americana. For an article giving a short history, see jazz guitarists . She died in 2018. The groundwork above and much more was laid down when, in 1944, he relocated to New York City. I know the style of all singers listed here and I'm open for some new. I was surprised to Yahdi Menuin's name on this list. Both recordings were hits. Several decades later, France’s Michel Legrand made a recording with Vaughan. She continued to perform and record with other labels until 2011. When the members of Black Violin first learned to play their signature instruments-Wil Baptiste at Click on an image to view offering. It probably helped in marketing Wilson that she was exceptionally attractive. In addition to the huge number of popular classical violinists like Pablo de Sarasate, Niccolo Paganini, and Yehudi Menuhin, there are also as many jazz, folk and … Mingus had first recorded in the early 1940s. One of the greats in the pantheon of African Americana is Miles Davis (seen above). From the classical string quartet, they have a kept a taste for… No less talented is her accompanist Ellen Bottorff, who lets her take the spotlight but sure knows how to swing and firmly, assuredly support the violin with her jazz-meets-classical style. Jazz strings: jazzstrings, jazz violin, jazzviolin. He organized student march protesting the assassination of Malcolm X. Marvin X, SFSU undergrad, was in the march, 1965. featuring works by Akua Dixon Turre. Kev Marcus plays the violin and Wil B. plays the viola. Parker is a prime example of The Good Die Young. His contemporaries included the likes of bandleader Billy Eckstine, alto sax giant Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Stéphane Grappelli. Joe Venuti was best known for his work with guitarist Eddie Langdurin… One of her very earliest sides, “Lover Man,“ (1945) found her backed by Charlie “Bird” Parker (also in this WalterFilm collection) and Dizzy Gillespie. *. Ranked and rated, from big-band leaders to bebop pioneers and fusion futurists, uDiscover reveals a list of the 50 best jazz … Smock spent the early 1940s performing light concert music before becoming a protégé of veteran jazz violinist Stuff Smith in 1943. Maybe it's in the list the next time ;) Sort by: I will listen to her. Swing Strings: Five Jazz Violinists The violin was partly responsible for bringing non-Americans to jazz. Her honors were many, including multiple Grammys and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Jazz violin began in New Orleans in the early 1900s. Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was a Grammy Award-winning American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. But not for long. This is a list of jazz violinists who have become notable. Glasper’s revered 2012 release Black Radio demonstrated his talent for jazz fusion and scooped a Grammy for Best R&B album in 2013. Tureeda Mikell, Mechelle LaChaux, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, Tarika Lewis free styling … Here he says as much in his own words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV0IcFyXUWs Jazz, a music genre that originated in the African American community, is known for its soulfulness and complex musical variations. The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted ten of his releases, including 1949’s Birth of the Cool and, from a decade later, Kind of Blue. Davis picked up the trumpet at age 13. A Philly native, William “Spanky” DeBrest, like his bass-playing contemporary Paul Chambers, didn’t live to see his 40th birthday. An example: an early Sixties trio of Mingus, vibist Red Norvo and guitarist Tal Farlow. Drummers of all time black composers from the 18th and 19th centuries implausibly early age of 65 Saddles...., these musical meanderings landed him in Kansas City, Missouri poster some. Energetic, and richer sound Marvin X, SFSU undergrad, was in the recordings of A. J.,. 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