Jazzin’Around Pork Pie Hat

Jack Costanzo @S p a c e A g e P o p M u s i c: Costanzo’s first real fame came when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1947. Ace Kenton arranger Pete Rugolo wrote “Bongo Riff” to showcase Costanzo’s talents. Costanzo was a featured soloist on a number of other Kenton recordings from this period, including “Chorale for Brass, Piano, and Bongo,” “Fugue for Rhythm Section,” “Unison Riff,” “Journey to Brazil,” and “Harlem Holiday.”

Isaac Hayes : Not far away from the radio station, over in the Peabody Place Entertainment Center a block from Beale Street, Hayes holds forth on a regular basis in the centrally located ‘Owners Booth’ of his acclaimed restaurant, Isaac Hayes Music-Food-Passion (a partnership with Lifestyles of Memphis). He often performs with whoever’s on the bandstand there, or at the sister restaurant of the same name up in Chicago, which is loca

Noro Morales @musicofpuertorico : He returned to Puero Rico in 1961 to work at the Hotel la played in noted nightclubs such as the Palladium, The Stork Club, Copacabana and La Conga. But he also played more humble venues in the Hispanic “barrio”, earning him the title of “King of Latin Music.” During this time he appeared with such famous artists as Tito Rodríguez, José Luis Moneró, Chino Pozo, Willie Rosario and Tito Puente.

Howlin’Wolf : In 1951, Wolf came to the attention of a young Memphis record producer, Sam Phillips, who took him into the studio and recorded “Moanin’ at Midnight” and “How Many More Years,” and leased them to Chess Records. Released in 1952, they made it to the top 10 on Billboard’s R&B charts. Wolf cut other songs that Phillips farmed out both to Chess and RPM. Chess eventually won the fight for Wolf, who moved to Chicago in 1953 and called the city home for the rest of his life.

Blossom Dearie @allmusic : After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. Her focus on intimate readings of standards (“Deed I Do,” “Thou Swell”) and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background.

Charles Mingus : After his death, the National Endowment for the Arts provided grants for a Mingus foundation created by Sue Mingus called “Let My Children Hear Music” which catalogued all of Mingus’ works. The microfilms of these works were then given to the Music Division of the New York Public Library where they are currently available for study and scholarship – a first for jazz.

Charlie Haden : Time Magazine has hailed jazz legend Charlie Haden as “one of the most restless, gifted, and intrepid players in all of jazz.” Haden’s career which has spanned more than fifty years has encompassed such genres as free jazz, Portuguese fado and vintage country such as his recent cd Rambling Boy (Decca) not to mention a consistently revolving roster of sidemen and bandleaders that reads like a list from some imaginary jazz hall of fame

Peggy Lee : Lee’s openness to so many forms of music – she even recorded an album of folk songs, “Sea Shells” (Decca, 1956) – led her to become one of the first mainstream performers to record material by The Beatles and other contemporary songwriters. In 1969 she returned to the Top Twenty with her highly formal version of Leiber and Stoller’s “Is That All There Is?,” arranged by Randy Newman. It was taken from an album of the duo’s songs, “Mirrors” (A&M) [sic]. Throughout the seventies and eighties she toured intermittently.

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