Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame slates induction ceremony, gala for Nov. 16 The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will expand its rolls this month, with several big names and influential performers from around the state. This years inductees include the late Earl Grant, the late Marvin Ash, Charles V. Gardner and the Shadow Lake Eight. Others to be honored at the event include Hal Singer, Papa John DeFrancesco and the late J.J. Cale. Singer and Gardner are scheduled to perform at the induction ceremony gala, scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 16 with a reception at the Jazz Depot, 111 E. First St. Shadow Lake Eight, a dance jazz band being inducted into the hall, and Tulsa-based blues guitarist Little Joe McLerran will also perform. Singer, now 94, survived the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 and traveled the state with his saxophone, playing for several bands in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. After topping the R&B charts in the 1950s, he embarked on a European tour and settled in France, where he continues to play. The ease of which Hal Singer transitions from R&B to jump blues embodies the richness and depth of our musical heritage, Jason McIntosh, Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame CEO, said in a press release. He played a major role in the evolution of jazz, and his influence continues to this day. Singer will receive the Jay McShann Lifetime Achievement Award. DeFrancesco was a prolific keyboardist, responsible to some for the renaissance of the Hammond organ, which is widely used in jazz and blues music today. He will receive the Living Legend Award. Pianist and organist Grant, of Idabel, scored several hits and recorded 30 albums before his death following a car crash in 1970 in New Mexico. Gardner was originally from Iowa but made a big splash on the Oklahoma jazz scene in 1992, bringing a wealth of experience from his days as a musician in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Sandy, played regularly in Tulsa and have performed around the country. Ash was an influential pianist who at 22 moved to Tulsa, where he expanded his musical skills as a studio pianist. Ash later moved to Los Angeles, where he played for many studios, including the Walt Disney music department. Cale, this years blues inductee, is widely credited with being one of the creators of the Tulsa Sound, a style of music that emerged in the 1950s to combine rock, blues, rockabilly and country music. Cale died in July. Tickets for the gala are $100 and can be purchased by calling Bettie Downing with the Jazz Hall of Fame at 918-281-8609. More information on the event and the honorees is available at okjazz.org By JERRY WOFFORD World Scene Writer
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 20:10:02 +0000
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