Russell Procope, Saxophone, 1908, New York, NY
Russell's primary instrument was the alto sax, but first he studdied the violin for about eight years. During the latter part of the 1920s he worked with Jellyroll Morton, then played the clarinet and alto sax in the big-bands of Benny Carter and Chick Webb. Around 1935 he also worked with the ensembles of Fletcher Henderson and Tiny Bradshaw. During his army service (mid '40s) he was stationed in New York, where he was able to continue playing, mainly in shows. Russell joined Duke Ellington's band in 1947, where he remained until 1974. After Ellington's death in 1974, Russell played with Brooks Kerr, in the Broadway musical "Ain't Misbehaven", and also led the group, Ellingtonia. Procope was not the most innovative improviser and was much in demand as a reliable section player. His solo work on "Mood Indigo" (1950) established his reputation as a bluesy, warm-toned clarinetist. Russell Procope died in 1981.
Johnny Rae, Vibes/Drums, 1934, Boston, MA
Johnny's formal training was at the New England Conservatory, the Boston Conservatory, and the Berklee College where he concentrated on drums. Around 1955 he performed in the Boston area with such leaders as the pianist Al Vega, Herb Pomeroy and Jay Migliori. He later moved to New York where he worked with George Shearing, on vibes, not drums. During the latter part of the 1950s' Johnny worked with Johnny Smith, Ralph Sharon, Cozy Cole, and Herbie Mann. He then played drums with Cal Tjader in the San Francisco area for around five years. Johnny was able to switch between drums to vibes frequently, depending on what the gig called for, being more than competent on each instrument. In the late '70s he played in various show bands and concentrated on playing latin jazz. He has published instructional books for both, drums and vibes.
