December 26th is the birth date of several notable musicians including Bill Crow (b. 1927), John Scofield (b. 1951) and Dwight Dickerson (b. 1944). We wish them a happy birthday and remember Monty Budwig (1929-1992). We have performances by each.
At last year’s 92nd Street Y concert in New York in memory of pianist Marian McPartland, Bill Crow soloed on a piece she wrote in the 1950s when he was a member of her trio. Grace Kelly is the alto saxophonist. Pianist Jon Weber makes the announcement.
Monty Budwig was the bassist in a concert that reunited heroes of the glory days of what came to be called West Coast Jazz. This was at the Aurex Jazz Festival in Japan with Budwig; Bud Shank, alto saxophone; Shorty Rogers, flugelhorn; Jimmy Guiffre and Bob Cooper, tenor saxophones; Bill Perkins, baritone saxophone; Pete Jolly, piano; Shelly Manne, drums. The piece is a classic by Rogers, “Popo.â€
Here’s John Scofield last year at the Blue Note in Milano with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart playing Carla Bley’s “Lawns.â€
Pianist Dwight Dickerson, born in Los Angeles, has worked with groups led by James Moody, Charles Lloyd, Red Holloway and Sergio Mendes. He has toured with his own groups and as a guest artist in Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the Middle East. We hear him with tenor saxophonist Red Holloway’s quartet in a track that may have set a speed record for performances of Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream.â€
Happy birthday to all. Happy listening to us.