Kate Borger has birthdays to celebrate in August - Louis Armstrong, August 4, 1901, Tony Bennett, August 3, 1926 and Pittsburgh’s Eddie Jefferson, August 3, 1918.
Bennett and Armstrong also share some common proximity in their lives: Queens, New York.
Tony Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Astoria, Queens, and even made a record about those roots in 1990, “Astoria: Portrait of the Artist.”
Louis Armstrong, famously from New Orleans, moved to his home in Corona, Queens in 1943, which is now the Louis Armstrong House Museum - with a remarkable array of archives and memorabilia. Including a portrait of Louis Armstrong painted by Tony Bennett!
Eddie Jefferson, Pittsburgh native and vocalist noted as the “godfather of Vocalese,” has a special birthday event Saturday night in his honor at Con Alma, August 3rd for the late set, celebrating Eddie Jefferson and the art of Vocalese. Vocalist and songwriter Phat Man Dee has company coming - Eddie Jefferson mentee, vocalist George V Johnson Jr.
Celebrate the birthdays of musical royalty with Kate Borger on Rhythm-a-Ning - Friday morning at 10, Saturday morning at 11, on WZUM.