| 1922 | Aaron Bell, He was one of the best bassists ever in the Duke Ellington band; his powerful lines and graceful, yet sturdy support provided a rich presence in the rhythm section alongside drummer Sam Woodyard and the Duke on piano. He died in 2003.
(102) |
| 1928 | Johnny Griffin, Once billed as "the world's fastest saxophonist," Johnny Griffin has been one of the top bop-oriented tenors since the '50s. He gained early experience playing with the bands of Lionel Hampton (1945-47) and Joe Morris (1947-50), and also jammed regularly with Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell.
(96) |
| 1930 | Frank Strazzeri, Pianist long based in the Los Angeles area, Frank Strazzeri has been in demand for straight-ahead sessions for decades.
(94) |
| 1935 | Allen Jaffe, Traditional jazz tuba player from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He is best known as the proprietor of the institution of Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. he also played tuba for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. As owner of the facility, he played a major role in the New Orleans jazz revival of the 1960s, shepherding the latter-day careers of George Lewis, Jim Robinson, Alcide Pavageau, Punch Miller, Chester Zardis, Kid Sheik Cola, Percy Humphrey, Willie Humphrey, Kid Thomas Valentine, Billie and De De Pierce, and others. Allen has performed in the Zulu parade on Mardi Gras Day with the Olympia Brass Band and was a regular in this group for many years. Allen passed away in 1987 at the age of 51.
(89) |
| 1937 | Joe Henderson, Legendary saxophonist. Although his sound and style were virtually unchanged from the mid-'60s, Joe Henderson's signing with Verve in 1992 was treated as a major news event by the label (even though he had already recorded many memorable sessions for other companies). He died in 2001.
(87) |
| 1945 | Collin Walcott, He was one of the first sitar players to play jazz. As a member of "Oregon", Walcott's flexibility, interest in different cultures, and ability to play not only sitar but tabla and other percussion instruments made him a very valuable musician. He died in 1984.
(79) |
| 1946 | Stafford James, A gifted and versatile bassist, he has played bebop, hard bop, free and R&B material since emerging in the late '60s working with Monty Alexander, Albert Ayler and Sun Ra.
(78) |
