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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSAVOY SULTANS, TheThe house band at NYC's Savoy Ballroom '37-46, the name revived 30 years later. The original band was led by reedman Al Cooper (b Lofton Alphonso Cooper, 1911-81) and included his half-brother Grachan Moncur on bass (b 2 Sep. '15) as well as Rudy Williams on reeds (b '09, Newark NJ; d Sep. '54: played with Hot Lips Page, Luis Russell, John Kirby, etc), Drummer Razz Mitchell used a riveted Chinese sizzle cymbal. They were capable of raising the roof; visiting bigger names had tough competition. Jumpin' At The Savoy on MCA was an LP compilation. Freelance drummer David A. 'Panama' Francis (b 21 Dec. '18, Miami FL; d 18 Nov. 2001, Orlando FL) had played with Roy Eldridge, Lucky Millinder (opposite the Sultans at the Savoy), Tony Bennett, Dinah Shore, Ray Charles, Sy Oliver, many others; worked in L.A. '68-73; was music director for a Carnegie Hall show re-creating the Savoy era in '75 and formed new Sultans: albums on Stash/Viper's Nest included Everything Swings '83. |