From Jon Hammond N.Y., NY: I was honored to be invited to be with friends, family and Atlantic Records WEA and so many Musicians on this day in 1989 in Lincoln Center. I arrived with Bernard Purdie long-time Atlantic recording artist and we sat together amongst the Musicians, in concert were Modern Jazz Quartet, Roberta Flack, Phil Collins, Manhattan Transfer, Ron Carter, Sylvia Simms and at end after Ahmet’s eulogy George Wein played a piano blues with Claude Nobbs on harmonica. Cocktail reception followed, it was somber but warm and joyful at the same time. Now Ahmet has passed RIP, he was always nice to me so I pass this on in their memory.
Sincerely,
Jon Hammond http://www.HammondCast.com
*Ahmet Ertegun was “one of the most significant figures in the modern recording industry” who “co-founded Atlantic Records in 1947 with partner Herb Abramson. Atlantic was at the forefront of great independent labels that sprang up in the late Forties, challenging the primacy of the major labels of the time (RCA, Columbia and Decca) by discovering, developing and nurturing new talent. Under the guiding hand of Ertegun – the son of a career diplomat and a lifelong jazz and blues aficionado – Atlantic became the nation’s premier rhythm & blues label in a few short years. The label’s artist roster in the Fifties reads like an honor roll of R&B talent: Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, LaVern Baker, the Drifters, the Coasters, the Clovers, and many more. During this period, Ertegun produced or coproduced the vast majority of records released on Atlantic. He even wrote songs for Atlantic artists in the early days using the pseudonym “Nugetre” (Ertegun spelled backwards). Though he was less directly involved as a producer, Ertegun continued at the helm of Atlantic in the Sixties and Seventies as the company conquered the realms of soul and rock, from Aretha Franklin to Led Zeppelin, with phenomenal success. Ertegun serves as chairman of Atlantic Records to this day. At the tenth annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in 1995, it was announced that the museum’s main exhibition hall would be named after Ertegun.” (quote from Museum)
Nesuhi Ertegun “spent most of his lifetime working at Atlantic Records and associated labels. He joined Atlantic in 1956, nine years after its founding by his brother Ahmet and Herb Abramson. Nesuhi initially developed Atlantic’s album department and built up the label’s extensive catalog of jazz long-players. The list of jazz artists he produced at Atlantic over the years reads like a who’s who: John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, the Modern Jazz Quartet and more. Nesuhi also became involved with the label’s rhythm & blues and rock and roll roster as well, producing several hit records for Ray Charles, the Drifters, Bobby Darin and Roberta Flack. The son of a Turkish diplomat, Nesuhi acquired his taste for black music while growing up in Washington D.C., where he and Ahmet would frequent the Howard Theater and scour the community for records by their favorite musicians. In 1944, he moved to Los Angeles to run the Jazzman Record Shop. While there he created his own label, Crescent Records (later Jazzman), on which he recorded the likes of Kid Ory and Jelly Roll Morton. Nesuhi also served as editor of Record Changer magazine and taught the first accredited course in jazz offered in the U.S., at UCLA. In addition to founding the jazz division at Atlantic, Nesuhi later went on to spearhead the label’s international operations, expanding the business and opening up new markets overseas. After the merger of the Warner Brothers, Elektra and Atlantic labels in 1971, he headed WEA International. He later oversaw the special projects division of Warner Communications and launched East/West, a Atlantic-distributed label, in 1988.” (quote from Museum)
Jon Hammond on the scene covering Joe Franklin’s annual Thanksgiving show and free turkey dinner at Laugh Factory NYC, a great tradition, Miracle on 42nd St.! Owner Richard Basciano an icon of Times Square says “By giving this holiday gift we want to give our thanks to the people NYC for making us what we are today .”
No one should be alone on this day of giving thanks and all are invited. Come out for a day of food and fun and share good times with friends. Happy Thanksgiving from Times Square Arts Center and The World Famous Laugh Factory. Enjoy Joe Franklin legend of Radio & TV here! jh
WENDY OXENHORN, Executive Director of JAZZ FOUNDATION of AMERICA on HammondCast for KYCY/KYOU 1550 AM with host JON HAMMOND at the American … all � Federation of Musicians Local 802 offices in New York City. JFA helps Jazz Musicians in need with housing, medical help and even instrument replacement in the case of the Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. Website: http://jazzfoundation.org Wendy speaks with Jon about the work of Dr. Frank Forte, Dizzy Gillespie, and the generous benefactors and patrons who are helping bring the mission of JFA to fruition. http://www.HammondCast.com c)2006 *Tags: Dizzy Gillespie, Dr. Frank Forte, HammondCast, Nat Hentoff, The legendary Clarence ?Frogman? Henry, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. The Prince of Bavaria with Ivana Trump and our beloved Prince Max of Schaumburg-Lippe at our auction Legendary trombone artist, Benny Powell is originally from New Orleans. It was poignant to see him & young Glenn playing side by side. 10 yr old trumpet sensation, Glenn Hall, played at the Auction with the trumpet we got for him. He is the future of New Orleans. Denise Rich with Sharon Wise of E-Jazz Online Lois Gilbert-Jazz Corner Danny Glover Ivan Helfand Marc Henry Johnson Quincy Jones Kathleen Kenny Jack Kleinsinger Melinda Krasting Spike Lee Jarrett Lilien President of E*TRADE Financial Maritess Lilien Joe Lovano Bruce Lundvall CEO of Blue Note Records GeoffreyD.Menin-Levine, Plotkin, Menin Martha Nelson Managing Editor People Magazine Jill Newman Nancy Newman-SVP, MTV Networks Hank O?Neal-HOSS Inc./Chiascaro Records Minoru Odamaki-Wallenius Wilhelmsen Richard D. Parsons Chairman & CEO of Time Warner Inc. Norm Pearlstine Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. Ann Ruckert-Thirteen Stories Records Bobby Schagrin & Pete Siegel of Gotta Have It Auctions H.S.H. Prince Max of Schaumburg-Lippe Dr. Billy Taylor Dr. Agnes Varis-Agvar Chemicals, Inc. Marlisa Vinciguerra-Managing Director of Lehman Brothers David Walden Sharon Wise-Ellington?s Jazz Club of Sanibel Island & E-JazzOnline Bill Wurtzel Title Sponsors E*TRADE Financial Time Warner Inc. Sponsors JazzCorner Gotta Have It Auction House NYC Amy K. Knapp Denise & Michael Delaray Evercore Partners Services East L.L.C. Gulf Coast Musician’s Releif Fund Harold Snyder Hellman Family Foundation HOB Entertainment, Inc. Hudson Knight Trading Group Long Island University Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Office Lorraine Gallagher Lowenstein Sandler PC Mike De Paola Morgan Stanley Sony/BMG The Blessing Foundation The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. The New York Community Trust Time Warner Foundation The Zoline Foundation Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Board Of Directors Leo A. Corbie Chairman, DSW Jarrett Lilien President Wendy Atlas Oxenhorn Executive Dir. Herbert F. Storfer Chairman Emeritus Glen Barros Margaret Bridge Michael Brough Bob Cranshaw Hon. David Dinkins Frank Forte, MD Ben Giordano Sandy Jordan Nat Hentoff Carl Horton Gil Noble Hank O?Neal Robert Opatrny, Esq. Jimmy Owens Michael Pietrowicz Ann Ruckert Ronald S. Tikofsky, PhD David Walden Bill Wurtzel
I saw the Google Maps Van cruising up W. 44th St. between 8th and 9th Ave. at 10:10AM 11/14/2007. It has a highly interesting big black contraption on top of the van and a satellite antenna of some sort. The driver had an open laptop he was working as he was driving.
My first hit when I returned from living in Paris for 1 year, exactly 365 days in Paris where I wrote this tune and played it with the cats for SMALLS JAZZ Club Opening. Alex Foster of SNL Band plays a burning tenor solo on ‘Lydia’s Tune’, enjoy! jh
1993 JON HAMMOND Band with all star lineup opening the scene by bringing in for first time ALEX FOSTER saxophonist of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Band searing solo featured on this film in intimate setting playing Jon’s hit composition “LYDIA’S TUNE”, JON HAMMOND at the XB-2 Hammond Organ with Rhythm Section of RAY GRAPPONE drms CHUGGY CARTER perc BARRY FINNERTY gtr, Jon just back in New York from living in Paris where he composed the song. Catch Jon’s radio show HammondCast 7 mornings a week on KYOU & KYCY 1550 AM CBS San Francisco CA http://www.HammondCast.com c)2007 / ASCAP many have followed.
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