About maketodayrock.com: We celebrate musicians' birthdays, remember those we've lost, and highlight key moments in music such a release dates, chart peak dates, or anything else tied to a specific date. Pick any day from the menu in the top right. The front page shows recent obituaries.
October 29, 1939 ~ Drummer Makaya Ntshoko born in Cape Town, South Africa ~ Closely associated with Dollar Brand and Hugh Masekela with whom he would regularly collaborate over his lengthy career, including on the 1959 Jazz Epistles Verse 1 landmark album by the Jazz Epistles. Despite their brief lifespan, the ensemble, inspired by American bebop, is considered pivotal to the development of South African jazz and one of the nation's first black ensembles to record. Following the band's disbandement, Ntshoko founded the Jazz Giants, with whom he played until departing South Africa. Ntshoko would go on to work in both Europe and America, appearing on albums by Stuff Smith, fellow expatriate Masekela (Home Is Where The Music Is), John Tchicai, Pepper Adams (Julian), Joe McPhee, Hannibal Lokumbe, Johnny Dyani (Song For Biko), Mal Waldron, Bob Degen, Ben Webster, and Abdullah Ibrahim. As a leader, Ntshoko is perhaps most noted for the Makaya & the Tsotsis album released in 1974 ~ Ntshoko passed away in 2024October 29, 1938 ~ Folk singer, guitarist, banjoist, fiddler Peter Stampfel born in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA ~ Emerged form the 1960s New York folk scene. Best known for co-founding the Holy Modal Rounders, originally a duo with Steve Weber. The band's blend of folk and psychedelia would earn them a cult following from the late 1960s through the early 1970s. Reportedly the band's rendition of the traditional Hesitation Blues was the first song to include the word “psychedelic” in its lyrics, pronounced as psyche-delic. The duo Stampfel and Weber would also briefly team up with the Fugs, resulting in the 1966 album Virgin Fugs, before recording their third album out of over half a dozen through the late 1970s. Stampfel has also fronted the Unholy Modal Rounders, without Weber, and recorded over half a dozen albums as a solo artist
October 29, 1937 ~ Classical pianist Michael Ponti born in Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Germany ~ Acclaimed interpreter of the works of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff as well as lesser-known composers including Charles-Valentin Alkan, Mily Balakirev, Clara Schumann and Sigismond Thalberg. Ponti has worked with renowned orchestras such the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra ~ Ponti passed away in 2022
October 29, 1937 ~ Bluegrass, country banjoist Sonny Osborne born in Roark, Kentucky, USA ~ Formed the Osborne Brothers with Bobby Osborne, best known for their 1967 Rocky Top hit single. In-demand session musician, member of the Nashville A-Team. Also worked with the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, and Bill Monroe's backing unit the Bluegrass Boys ~ Osborne passed away in 2021
October 29, 1925 ~ John Haley Sims, commonly known as jazz saxophonist Zoot Sims, born in Inglewood, California, USA ~ Learned to play drums and clarinet at an early age. Brother of trombonist Ray Sims. Worked with Kenny Baker, Bobby Sherwood, Benny Goodman, Sid Catlett, Artie Shaw, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Jaki Byard, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Louie Bellson, Clifford Brown, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Booker Ervin, Coleman Hawkins, Quincy Jones, the Manhattan Transfer, Carmen McRae, the Metronome All-Stars, Anita O'Day, Jimmy Rushing, and Joe Venuti. A saxophone-playing character on the Muppet Show would later also be named Zoot ~ Sims passed away in 1985October 29, 1905 ~ Songwriter Albert E Brumley, full name Albert Edward Brumley, born near Spiro, Oklahoma, USA ~ Pivotal to gospel music, especially southern gospel. Wrote over 800 songs including Brown's Ferry Four's If We Never Meet Again, Jimmie Davis' I Cannot Find The Way Home, Mac Wiseman's Dreaming Of A Little Cabin, and Reverend JM Gates' I'll Fly Away ~ Brumley passed away in 1977