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Jazz Hall of Fame: Knights of Our Realm

by Manny Meland on June 08, 2010

British royalty bestows aristocratic titles on citizens who have excelled and enriched the nation in some way. In America, we award Oscars and Grammys to those that excel in their fields. We also honor the deserving by inducting them into a Hall of Fame.

On June 4th, the Sunshine Jazz Organization of South Florida (SFJHOF) held a special ceremony at the American Legion Hall In Miami to induct its first six deserving jazz personalities into the newly formed Jazz Hall of Fame. Here are the six honored.

Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was born in Tampa Florida in 1928. He learned to play jazz on an alto sax and his talent took him to great heights in the music world. He and his brother, coronetist Nat Adderley, played with Ray Charles in Tampa in the 40s until New York beckoned him. There, he gigged and recorded from 1955 to 1975 with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ray Brown, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and the list goes on and on. Adderley made many songs famous including “Mercy Mercy Mercy.” Julian Adderley died of a stroke in 1975. He was inducted posthumously into the Down Beat “Jazz Hall of Fame.”

China “The Mahj” Valles, who was the road manager for saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, came to Florida in 1962 to head the upstart jazz radio station WBUS. It was a sad day when radio station WBUS terminated its jazz format after a few short years and depriving the locals of the only local jazz radio. Fans of China gathered at the Holiday inn on LeJeune Road in Coral Gables for a “Last Ride on the Bus.’’ This veteran DJ was the originator of the Sunshine Jazz Organization. His nickname, “The Mahj” (short for maharaja), was laid on him by none other than Duke Ellington.

Lenny Zeif helped jazz take root in the Miami airport area. He brought jazz to the lounge at the Travellers Hotel which he managed in the 1970s. He featured corpulent pianist Billy Marcus. Soon saxophonist Eric Allison joined the band. Billy and Eric had great chemistry and Lenny constantly refreshed their programs by adding quality guest artists. They developed a crowd of loyal jazz fans. In the 1980s, these fans followed him to the Take Five Lounge on LeJeune Road. Unfortunately, Lenny suffered a stroke that paralyzed half his body and impeded his speech. He recovered his ability to speak and went on to found the Jazz Hot Line. He presently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Saxophonist Jesse Jones, Jr. has been a cool jazz fixture in South Florida since the 1960s. Back then, it was fun to see him and his brother, trumpeter Melton Mustafa, jam on Sundays with McMillan’s Ragtime Band in Coconut Grove.

Inspired by Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Jesse and Mustafa tried to emulate the Adderley groove. Jesse is a mainstay in the Miami jazz scene. Now, one of his goals is to plant the seeds of jazz in young people. He has been working with kids in schools and community centers and in 2004 performed a Yabba Dabba Doo Concert with Simon Salz and Ira Sullivan for 700 youngsters. He has played with the best and continues to enrich our music scene.

Othello Molineaux was born and grew up in Trinidad where he developed a skill of fashioning and tuning steel drums which he cut down from 55 gallon metal drums. His genius brought amazing sounds to his pans. When he settled in South Florida, he played with jazz musicians who considered his instrument a novelty item. He won recognition when he played with Jaco Pastorius on Jaco’s Grammy nominated album. This led to recordings with other jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Joe Zawinul, Chicago, Monty Alexander and Ahmad Jamal. Molineaux also scored big time with his CD “It’s About Time.”

Alice Day, Miami’s grand dame of music, is truly a renaissance woman. For several decades, she has graced the stage of every jazz club in South Florida. I had the pleasure of engaging her when I managed the lounge at the Miami Skyways in the 1970s. She continued to gain vocal maturity with her flexibility and outstanding range. Many budding singers have benefited from her assistance and advice. Today, she is a world class act working the European music circuit and her shows sell out. For the past few years, she has been a mainstay at the Hotel Oriental in Bangkok, Thailand.

Congratulations to this season's inductees. They have enriched their communities and our lives. Some may have earned a fortune. Most play for the love of it. The recognition bestowed on them is their just reward. And most importantly, the honor is enduring.

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