Birthdays this weekend include Milt Hinton, bassist, who happened to be the house bassist at the New York club where bop was born, Minton's. (Thelonious Monk was the house pianist for those nights. The usual jamming regulars also included Kenny Clarke, the drummer who changed jazz drumming forever when he switched the timekeeping from the bass drum to the cymbal during those jams; and, before his premature death, Charlie Christian, the guitarist with Benny Goodman's organisation who loved to jam.)
Milt Hinton Trio, "Satin Doll"
! No longer available(Trivia: The pianist for that Milt Hinton Trio date was Jane Jarvis, who later became famous in New York as the house organist for the New York Mets from the opening of Shea Stadium until her departure to return to jazz piano in 1979. She died at 94 in 2010.)
. . . Phil Harris, bandleader/singer/comedian who was famous playing one of the foils on
The Jack Benny Program in radio before nailing his own hit radio comedy with his wife,
The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show; he had several hit records (he and Faye each sang a number on their radio show) on his own, especially . . .
Phil Harris, "The Thing"
! No longer available(Phil Harris and Alice Faye were a second marriage for each, but they ended up being one of show business's longest-lasting marriages, 54 years, ending only when Phil Harris died of a heart attack at 91 in 1995; Alice Faye died three years later.)
. . . avant garde composer/musician Terry Riley, whose pioneering minimalism sometimes took him to unusual collaborations including with the Velvet Underground's co-founder John Cale . . .
Terry Riley, "In C"
! No longer availableJohn Cale & Terry Riley, The Church of Anthrax
! No longer available. . . Mick Fleetwood, co-founder (with Peter Green and John McVie; Green named the group after the rhythm section) of Fleetwood Mac . . .
Fleetwood Mac, "Like It This Way"
! No longer available. . . bassist John Illsley, the only member besides Mark Knopfler to ride Dire Straits all the way to the end of the band's life . . .
Dire Straits, "Tunnel of Love"
! No longer available. . . Curt Smith, bassist/synthesiser player, who was half of Tears for Fears . . .
Tears for Fears, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
! No longer available