Happy birthday to Billy Bang, avant-jazz violinist of the NYC downtown loft jazz scene of the '70s & '80s and beyond. A unique presence, his style merges contemporary "classical"/avant-garde, fire music/free-jazz, blues, swing and funk and he always chose great sideman. He could work well as a solo performer, in duos, jazz combos, as part of an orchestra or with dancers (he himself was a great dancer onstage). Born William Walker in Alabama, he grew up in the Bronx & Harlem. He was given a violin because he was small. He learned to play it as a youth but quit...

One of the New Orleans iconic producers, Edwin Bocage aka Eddie Bo brought a harder, grittier sound to the Crescent City in the '60s & '70s funk world. With his awesome drummer James Black and a stable of ripping vocalists, he cut several classics and remains a local legend. Himself a soulful singer and pianist, he composed, arranged and produced some great R&B, blues and funk over a long career in which he became one of the city's most prolific artists. His family were builders and masons, as well as early NOLA jazz musicians. Bo's influences also include bebop and...

Here's a nod to the underknown pianist Harry Whitaker, on his day of birth. Harry was more of a behind-the-scenes guy, best known for his work with Roy Ayers' Ubiquity (he composed the classic "We Live In Brooklyn Baby") and Roberta Flack (during her peak years). From Pensacola FL, he started playing piano at 5. His family moved later to Detroit, and he got his career started there with local gigs as a teenager. In 1960 he moved to NYC. He played with Slide Hampton in '65 before taking to playing on the road in various bands. He joined Ayers...

Here's a shout-out to "The Ugly One", pioneering Jamaican dee-jay "toaster" Winston Sparkes aka King Stitt. Born with a unique face and a stuttering habit, he embraced these attributes and they became part of his public persona. He got his start as an early deejay for Coxone Dodd's Downbeat sound system in 1956 after being spotted by the OG deejay Count Machuki and went on to be a popular attraction during the ska years. In '69 he cut his first recordings for producer Clancy Eccles (not including some live action sound system recordings from '63 that weren't released until later)....

One of my very favorites of the honky/cracker artists, country music star Hank Williams had a soulful delivery and wrote some lasting classics. He came from Alabama and got his guitar lessons from a black street performer named Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne before getting his professional start in Montgomery in '37. He started out on the radio before signing a recording contract with MGM. He became very popular and was part of the Grand Ole Opry for a brief period and made some television appearances. He developed bad addictions to booze & painkillers (he was born with spinal problems) and...