HAROLD GRAY

The traditional jazz world lost one of its finest and most effective advocates when Harold Gray (Chester Harold Gray, Jr.), 101,  died Nov. 5 of pneumonia in Washington, D.C.

Gray was born on a farm in Nevada, Mo., moving to the D.C. area in 1926 when his father became a lobbyist for a national farmers' organization.  He graduated from George Washington University, then worked for AAA and established himself as an enthusiastic travel writer for the Washington Post, reporting on long car trips to such destinations as Quebec and Mexico. He left D.C. for a 10-year stint in Chicago, working for the National Highway Users Conference, then returned to Washington in 1948. He was a lobbyist and transportation consultant for auto and highway interests, remaining active in the workforce into his 80s and visiting more than 20 states to promote the development of the interstate highway system.

Gray was had far-ranging interests beyond transportation, however, including major involvement in civic activities in the D.C. area and leadership positions within the traditional jazz world which benefited greatly from his can-do attitude. He and his wife, Lida Ruth (who died in 2001), were a welcome sight at trad jazz festivals throughout the country, and he served the Potomac River Jazz Club well as president. He also was a founder of the American Federation of Jazz Societies (AFJS) and took on the presidency during a particularly difficult time when the society was trying to satisfy a variety of jazz genres within the federation.

The Mississippi Rag remembers him as a cheerful and knowledgeable resource for news who occasionally provided articles for the RAG on AFJS projects. 

Gray is survived by sons Chester H. Gray III of McLean, Va., Thomas L. Gray of Kensington, Md., and Gordon H. Gray of Boulder, Colo.; two sisters; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Son Tom belongs to bluegrass groups and also played bass in his father's favorite band, the Federal Jazz Commission, which officially disbanded in June after playing a final gig.

ODETTA

Odetta, 77, a powerful singer associated with the civil rights movement, died Dec. 2 of heart disease in Manhattan, N.Y.  Although she was usually described as a folk singer, she was also a respected singer in traditional jazz and blues genres and was booked at such events as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival where she drew large crowds.

She was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 31, 1930, and said that the music of the Depression shaped her life. She was especially influenced by prison and work songs. She earned a music degree at Los Angeles City College and began her professional singing career in 1950 as part of the cast for Finian's Rainbow. At that time, she also began singing at San Francisco coffeehouses, then moved to New York City in 1953 where she sang at the Blue Angel and other nightclubs. She released her first solo album, Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues, in 1956 and that same year performed a solo concert at Carnegie Hall.

Odetta was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts' National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999, and she received a Living Legend tribute from the Library of Congress in 2003.

Her health deteriorated as she aged, but her voice remained strong enough to provide many memorable moments in concert.  In a recent interview with Tavis Smiley on PBS, she ended the interview in song, and it was clear that her interpretive powers and distinctive voice were intact.

December 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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