Throughout the years, Punchy has had the opportunity to play with some legends of their craft.
Ike isaacs
Ike Isaacs (no relation to the British guitarist of the same name) was a fine supportive bassist best-remembered for his association with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. He started out playing trumpet and tuba before switching permanently to bass. After a period in the Army (during which he took lessons from Wendell Marshall), Isaacs had stints with Tiny Grimes (1948-1950), Earl Bostic (1951-1953), Paul Quinichette (1953), and Benny Green (1954). He led his own band in his native state of Ohio during part of 1956, married Carmen McRae, and for two years was part of her trio. Next, Isaacs led the trio that backed Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Later associations included Count Basie (a European tour in 1962), Gloria Lynne (1962-1964), and Erroll Garner (1966-1970), in addition to work with his own combo. Isaacs' one session as a leader took place in 1967 for the tiny RGB label, a trio outing with pianist Jack Wilson and drummer Jimmie Smith.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/isaacs-mn0000771105
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/isaacs-mn0000771105
Ray Bryant
Although he could always play bop, Ray Bryant's playing combined together older elements (including blues, boogie-woogie, gospel, and even stride) into a distinctive, soulful, and swinging style; no one played "After Hours" quite like him. The younger brother of bassist Tommy Bryant and the uncle of Kevin and Robin Eubanks (his sister is their mother), Bryant started his career playing with Tiny Grimes in the late '40s. He became the house pianist at The Blue Note in Philadelphia in 1953, where he backed classic jazz greats (including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Lester Young) and made important contacts. He accompanied Carmen McRae (1956-1957), recorded with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival (taking a brilliant solo on an exciting version of "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me"), and played with Jo Jones' trio (1958). Bryant settled in New York in 1959; played with Sonny Rollins, Charlie Shavers, and Curtis Fuller; and soon had his own trio. He had a few funky commercial hits (including "Little Susie" and "Cubano Chant") that kept him working for decades. Bryant recorded often throughout his career (most notably for Epic, Prestige, Columbia, Sue, Cadet, Atlantic, Pablo, and Emarcy), and even his dates on electric piano in the '70s are generally rewarding. However, Bryant was heard at his best when playing the blues on unaccompanied acoustic piano. After a lengthy illness, Ray Bryant died in Queens, New York on June 2, 2011; he was 79 years old
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-bryant-mn0000869265/biography
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-bryant-mn0000869265/biography
Harry "sweets" edison
Harry "Sweets" Edison got the most mileage out of a single note, like his former boss Count Basie. Edison, immediately recognizable within a note or two, long used repetition and simplicity to his advantage while always swinging. He played in local bands in Columbus and then in 1933 joined the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra. After a couple years in St. Louis, Edison moved to New York where he joined Lucky Millinder and then in June 1938, Count Basie, remaining with that classic orchestra until it broke up in 1950. During that period, he was featured on many records, appeared in the 1944 short Jammin' the Blues and gained his nickname "Sweets" (due to his tone) from Lester Young. In the 1950s, Edison toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, settled in Los Angeles, and was well-featured both as a studio musician (most noticeably on Frank Sinatra records) and on jazz dates. He had several reunions with Count Basie in the 1960s and by the '70s was often teamed with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; Edison also recorded an excellent duet album for Pablo with Oscar Peterson. One of the few swing trumpeters to be influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, Sweets led sessions through the years for Pacific Jazz, Verve, Roulette, Riverside, Vee-Jay, Liberty, Sue, Black & Blue, Pablo, Storyville, and Candid among others. Although his playing faded during the 1980s and '90s, Edison could still say more with one note than nearly anyone; he died July 27, 1999, at age 83.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/harry-sweets-edison-mn0000670641/biography
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/harry-sweets-edison-mn0000670641/biography
maxine Sullivan
A subtle and lightly swinging jazz singer, Maxine Sullivan's delivery was very likable, and she did justice to all of the lyrics she sang during her long career. After moving to New York, Sullivan sang during intermissions at the Onyx Club and was discovered by pianist Claude Thornhill. Thornhill recorded her with a sympathetic septet singing a couple of standards and two Scottish folk songs performed in swinging fashion -- "Annie Laurie" and "Loch Lomond." The latter became a big hit and Sullivan's signature song for the rest of her career.
Future sessions found her singing vintage folk tunes such as "Darling Nellie Gray," "I Dream of Jeanie," "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes" and "If I Had a Ribbon Bow." Even if lightning did not strike twice, she was now a popular attraction. She appeared briefly in the movie Going Places opposite Louis Armstrong and in the Broadway show Swingin' the Dream. From 1940-1942, Sullivan often sang with her husband, bassist John Kirby's Sextet, a perfect outlet for her cool sound. She starred for two years on a radio series, Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm; she had a reasonably successful solo career, and then in the mid-'50s (similar to Alberta Hunter) became a trained nurse. In 1968, the singer began making a comeback, performing at festivals and even playing a little bit of valve trombone and flügelhorn. Now married to pianist Cliff Jackson, Sullivan (whose style and appealing voice were unchanged from earlier years) sometimes appeared with the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and she recorded frequently. During her later period, she often sang with mainstream jazz groups, including Scott Hamilton's. Quite fittingly, the last song that she ever recorded in concert was the same as her first record, "Loch Lomond." Maxine Sullivan's earliest recordings are available on a Classics CD. A Tono LP has some of her mid-period recordings, and from 1969 on, she recorded for Monmouth Evergreen (reissued on Audiophile), Fat Cat Jazz, Riff, Kenneth, Stash, Atlantic, and Concord.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/maxine-sullivan-mn0000395819/biography
Future sessions found her singing vintage folk tunes such as "Darling Nellie Gray," "I Dream of Jeanie," "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes" and "If I Had a Ribbon Bow." Even if lightning did not strike twice, she was now a popular attraction. She appeared briefly in the movie Going Places opposite Louis Armstrong and in the Broadway show Swingin' the Dream. From 1940-1942, Sullivan often sang with her husband, bassist John Kirby's Sextet, a perfect outlet for her cool sound. She starred for two years on a radio series, Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm; she had a reasonably successful solo career, and then in the mid-'50s (similar to Alberta Hunter) became a trained nurse. In 1968, the singer began making a comeback, performing at festivals and even playing a little bit of valve trombone and flügelhorn. Now married to pianist Cliff Jackson, Sullivan (whose style and appealing voice were unchanged from earlier years) sometimes appeared with the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and she recorded frequently. During her later period, she often sang with mainstream jazz groups, including Scott Hamilton's. Quite fittingly, the last song that she ever recorded in concert was the same as her first record, "Loch Lomond." Maxine Sullivan's earliest recordings are available on a Classics CD. A Tono LP has some of her mid-period recordings, and from 1969 on, she recorded for Monmouth Evergreen (reissued on Audiophile), Fat Cat Jazz, Riff, Kenneth, Stash, Atlantic, and Concord.
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/maxine-sullivan-mn0000395819/biography
bobby atchison
Robert was born in Akron, Ohio, and was educated in the public school system. He began playing the drums in high school and performed in and around the Akron area with his lifelong friends, Waymond "Punchy" Atkinson and Jimmy Noel, who later formed the famed "Legends of Howard Street." He continued his education at Howard University, where he played in the university's highly regarded "Big Band."
Following this experience, Robert spent the next few years playing in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, and Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, and Ontario. It was during this time period that he met and played with Major Holly, Teddy Buckner, Red Prysock, Illinois Jacquet, Wilbur Ware, Thelonious Monk, and Mal Waldron. He did Jazz to Poetry at the "Half Note" with Roland Hanna and Oliver Jackson. He performed with Jimmy Woody and Jackie Bryer at the "High Hat" in Boston, sat in on Monday Night at "Birdland," and went on the road with Red Garland, Oscar Peterson, and Jimmy Boyd. He also performed with Phil Moore Jr., Chauncey Locke, Curtis Amy, and Henry Franklin. It was through Phil Moore Jr. that he was able to get in the movie industry in the sound department of most of the major studios.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13356186
Musicians remember one of Akron's own: Bobby Atchison, 80, dies. He played drums with several notables. Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH)| February 18, 2006 | COPYRIGHT 2007 Akron Beacon Journal. (Hide copyright information)Copyright Byline: Marilyn Miller
Feb. 18--Musicians and lovers of Akron's musical roots are mourning the passing of drummer Robert L. "Bobby" Atchison. The Akron native, who played with notable musicians and traveled the world to perform, died Feb. 8 of cancer. He was 80. "If it had to do with music, my dad was involved," said daughter Judy Lipscomb of Atlanta. "He lived, ate and slept music. He would do anything from jam sessions or mini concerts to playing with big bands or jazz to poetry readings." Born in Akron, he attended Miller Elementary School and started playing drums at age 6 when his uncle bought him his first set. The graduate of South High School went on to study music at Howard University in Washington, D.C. As a teen, he played in nightclubs on Howard Street where the main attractions were the likes of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Other times, he played for floor shows featuring performers such as singer/comedian Scatman Crothers. "Bobby was a straight-ahead jazz drummer," said saxophonist Jimmy Noel of Akron. "I played with him in the '50s. One of his pet peeves was that he made sure he always dressed nice. He always looked dapper." Mr. Atchison was quick to strike up a conversation -- even with strangers. That's how he met his wife, Barbara, whom he spotted walking down the street. "He introduced himself, wined and dined her, and the rest is history," Lipscomb said. The couple moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s. They were married 41 years. Barbara Atchison died in November 2004. They had two other daughters: Renee Green of Huntsville, Ala., and Robin Barnes of Miami. After his wife's death, Mr. Atchison moved back to Akron to be closer to family. Mr. Atchison was a playback man or boom man with 20th Century Fox and other movie studios. He helped with the soundtracks for Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again, both starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby, as well as M*A*S*H.
He also helped with set designs for movies, but his passion was playing the drums. "Bobby ran with some high-powered people," said Waymon "Punchy" Atkinson, whose first job was playing with Mr. Atchison in the early 1940s. "He was a great drummer and very competitive, otherwise he couldn't have been affiliated or played with so many monumental figures. He even played a short stint with Thelonious Monk." The last time Atkinson played with Mr. Atchison was in "The Legends of Howard Street" tribute in July 2005 to recognize Akron's jazz greats. From the 1940s to 1960s, Howard Street was known as Akron's version of Harlem. Atkinson will play again for his friend on Saturday.
"His last request was for Jimmy and I to play at his funeral," Atkinson said. "I'll keep that promise." Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Stewart & Calhoun Funeral Home, 529 W. Thornton St., Akron. Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or [email protected]
Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.),
(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail [email protected].
Following this experience, Robert spent the next few years playing in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, and Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, and Ontario. It was during this time period that he met and played with Major Holly, Teddy Buckner, Red Prysock, Illinois Jacquet, Wilbur Ware, Thelonious Monk, and Mal Waldron. He did Jazz to Poetry at the "Half Note" with Roland Hanna and Oliver Jackson. He performed with Jimmy Woody and Jackie Bryer at the "High Hat" in Boston, sat in on Monday Night at "Birdland," and went on the road with Red Garland, Oscar Peterson, and Jimmy Boyd. He also performed with Phil Moore Jr., Chauncey Locke, Curtis Amy, and Henry Franklin. It was through Phil Moore Jr. that he was able to get in the movie industry in the sound department of most of the major studios.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13356186
Musicians remember one of Akron's own: Bobby Atchison, 80, dies. He played drums with several notables. Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH)| February 18, 2006 | COPYRIGHT 2007 Akron Beacon Journal. (Hide copyright information)Copyright Byline: Marilyn Miller
Feb. 18--Musicians and lovers of Akron's musical roots are mourning the passing of drummer Robert L. "Bobby" Atchison. The Akron native, who played with notable musicians and traveled the world to perform, died Feb. 8 of cancer. He was 80. "If it had to do with music, my dad was involved," said daughter Judy Lipscomb of Atlanta. "He lived, ate and slept music. He would do anything from jam sessions or mini concerts to playing with big bands or jazz to poetry readings." Born in Akron, he attended Miller Elementary School and started playing drums at age 6 when his uncle bought him his first set. The graduate of South High School went on to study music at Howard University in Washington, D.C. As a teen, he played in nightclubs on Howard Street where the main attractions were the likes of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Other times, he played for floor shows featuring performers such as singer/comedian Scatman Crothers. "Bobby was a straight-ahead jazz drummer," said saxophonist Jimmy Noel of Akron. "I played with him in the '50s. One of his pet peeves was that he made sure he always dressed nice. He always looked dapper." Mr. Atchison was quick to strike up a conversation -- even with strangers. That's how he met his wife, Barbara, whom he spotted walking down the street. "He introduced himself, wined and dined her, and the rest is history," Lipscomb said. The couple moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s. They were married 41 years. Barbara Atchison died in November 2004. They had two other daughters: Renee Green of Huntsville, Ala., and Robin Barnes of Miami. After his wife's death, Mr. Atchison moved back to Akron to be closer to family. Mr. Atchison was a playback man or boom man with 20th Century Fox and other movie studios. He helped with the soundtracks for Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again, both starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby, as well as M*A*S*H.
He also helped with set designs for movies, but his passion was playing the drums. "Bobby ran with some high-powered people," said Waymon "Punchy" Atkinson, whose first job was playing with Mr. Atchison in the early 1940s. "He was a great drummer and very competitive, otherwise he couldn't have been affiliated or played with so many monumental figures. He even played a short stint with Thelonious Monk." The last time Atkinson played with Mr. Atchison was in "The Legends of Howard Street" tribute in July 2005 to recognize Akron's jazz greats. From the 1940s to 1960s, Howard Street was known as Akron's version of Harlem. Atkinson will play again for his friend on Saturday.
"His last request was for Jimmy and I to play at his funeral," Atkinson said. "I'll keep that promise." Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Stewart & Calhoun Funeral Home, 529 W. Thornton St., Akron. Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or [email protected]
Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.),
(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail [email protected].