Jazzfest facts, hot off the press. - New Jersey Jazz Society

JerseyArticlesJazzBig Band in the SkyBy Fradley GarnerJersey Jazz International Editor■ Buddy Schutz, 92, drummer,photographer, teacher, Union City, NJ,Nov. 23, 1914 — Newton, NJ, Feb. 24,2007. Adolph (Buddy) Schutz, perhaps thelast of the Swing era big name banddrummers and aveteran of some149 documentedrecordings, enjoyed acareer that spannedover 70 years, drivingthe orchestras ofGlenn Miller, BennyGoodman, JimmyDorsey and Vincent Lopez and spotlightedwith the Dorsey band in “Lost in theHarem” and other movies. Schutz, a TomsRiver resident, died in a hospice after astroke. “Need a refresher on Buddy?” askedthe drummer Don Robertson, in his featurein Not So Modern Drummer magazine.“Think of the Benny Goodman and MarthaTilton recording of ‘And the Angels Sing’with that tricky Fralich-time Ziggy Elmanchorus after the vocal. A lot of peoplethought that was Gene Krupa. Or jump afew years to the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestraand all those great Helen O’Connell/BobEberle vocal specials. What do they have incommon? Buddy Schutz in the driver’s seat.”Robertson also wrote a biographical articleon Buddy on the occasion of his 90thbirthday that was published in theDecember 2004 issue of Jersey Jazz (Pg. 20 –21) and in several other publications.■ Leroy Jenkins, 74, violinist, reeds player,composer, educator, Chicago, IL, Mar. 11,1932 – New York, NY, Feb. 24, 2007. LeroyL. Jenkins, at about age 7, was playing violinrecitals at one of Chicago’s biggest Baptistchurches, accompanied by Ruth Jones, ayoung pianist better known in years tofollow as the blues queen DinahWashington. Leroy grew up to become apoll-winner on that instrument, a musiceducator in the South, and composer ofworks including an opera performed at theMetropolitan in New York and music forThe Mother of Three Sons, staged by a dancecompany at New York City Opera in 1991.He was 74 when he died in Brooklyn of lungcancer complications. Jenkins played thealto saxophone in high school and won abassoon scholarship to Florida A&MUniversity, although he returned there to thesaxophone and clarinet and took up theviolin again. Back in Chicago, he joined amusicians’ cooperative, expanding on thestructures of Ornette Coleman and CecilTaylor in his compositions. He formed anassociation with three other avant-gardemusicians. In 1969, he and Anthony Braxtonand Leo Smith moved to Paris where theyforged a Continental reputation. Back inNew York in 1970, Jenkins moved in withOrnette Coleman, and formed a trio calledthe Revolutionary Ensemble that stayedtogether for six years. Writing for classicalensembles, he also led a kind of jazz-funkgroup, Sting. He recorded his own work foran Italian label, Black Saint. His interestsshifted back to academic music and heworked often with Muhal Richard Abramsand other old classical colleagues. He alsoAl Viola. © Ray Avery, CTSIMAGES.COMwrote pieces that were performed by theBrooklyn Philharmonic, the Kronos StringQuartet and other chamber groups.■ Al Viola, 87, guitarist and mandolinplayer, Brooklyn, NY, June 16, 1919 –Studio City, CA, Feb. 21, 2007. FrankSinatra, after doing a free-form, vocal-andguitarduet of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”with Al Viola, pronounced him “one of theworld’s great guitarists.” Viola’s employer fornearly a quarter century added: “I think heplays beautifully. As a matter of fact, if youweren’t looking at him, you’d swear he wasan octopus.” The 87-year-old mastermusician succumbed to cancer at home andclose to his wife, Glenna, and their two sons,Dan and Jeff. “Al worked until three weeksbefore his death,” Glenna Viola told JerseyJazz. He played “only gigs that he wanted todo,” she said. Born into a musical family inBrooklyn, Albert Viola was started on boththe mandolin and guitar by his brother, andtaught himself from early life on. He playedwith a violinist friend at local Chinese restaurants.“My mother thought I was robbingthe bank because I was bringing home $22 aweek during the Depression,” he was quotedby the Associated Press. During World WarII he played inan Army bandin Sacramento.There he teamedup with thepianist PageCavanaugh andbassist LloydPratt. The PageCavanaugh Trioplayed at leadingLos Angelesnightclubs, touringin 1947–1949and recordinghits like “Walkin’My Baby Back16April 2007 JerseyJazz