Day Tripping: October 11
The Influencer
Shortly after his birth in 1919, Art Blakey’s mother died. He was raised by a family friend with his siblings in Pittsburgh, having never known his father. His musical development is not well documented. But it is known that by grade seven, Blakey was working full-time as a piano-playing musician.
“So go on and play, and if you make a mistake, make it loud so you won’t make it next time.”
At some point in the 1930s, Art switched from piano to drums while learning the job of bandleader. In 1944, he joined the bebop movement with bandmates Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Paker, and Sarah Vaughan.
After a soul-searching visit to Africa, Art Blakey returned to America to form The Jazz Messengers. Over the next 35 years, Blakey’s band became a proving ground for many of Jazz music’s greatest names, including Wayne Shorter, Chuck Mangione, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Terrance Blanchard, and Wynton Marsalis.
Besides Louis Armstrong, Art Blakey may have been the most influential figure in modern jazz.
Today is:
Sausage Pizza Day — How many different pizza days could there be? Not that I’m complaining, of course.
Musical Ride
Saturday Night made its debut on NBC in 1975 with musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston. Each performed two songs including Preston’s Nothing from Nothing.
The show later changed its title to Saturday Night Live.
Interesting Notes
Mississippi residents Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker informed police they were abducted by aliens in 1973. Passed off as drunks at first, the two gave separate corroborating stories, and they both passed lie detector tests.
The Sherrif’s department claimed they did everything possible to catch the two men, but their stories remained consistent.
Gone But Not Forgotten
John Elroy Sanford was the real name of beloved comedian, Redd Foxx. His hit TV show, Sanford and Son came on the heels of more than 50 recordings and a nightclub act that pushed many boundaries.
Redd Foxx passed away in 1991 at age 68.
Notable Births
1953 — David Morse said, “I don’t like talking about myself. I’m not really interested in myself. One of the good things about being a supporting actor is that you get to talk about other people.”
1962 — Joan Cusack said, “I was never the ‘babe,’ so I knew I’d never get those big roles. I’d always be the best friend or the quirky sidekick.”
K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan
All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:
The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present
A comprehensive directory for Day Tripping