Who's Almost Who In Knickerbocker Village History: Lester Young And Flip Phillips

I'm always looking for any excuse, now matter how far-fetched, to include a good jazz clip and this one is special.

Gjon Mili was a film producer who created the movie Jammin' the Blues in 1944 with Lester Young, Harry Edison, Jo Jones and several others. The 10 minute film won an Academy Award for a short movie. A few years later, in 1950 he assembled another group of great musicians together to film another few clips. These were all musicians who performed worldwide in Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic. Harry Sweets Edison on trumpet, Lester Young and Flip Phillips on tenors, Bill Harris on trombone with Hank Jones piano, Ray Brown bass and Buddy Rich on drums. Ella Fitzgerald comes in on a scat vocal as well

What's the KV connection? Dr. Lester Young, Jr, Lester Young's son, works with Professor Bob Nathanson (Bobby Knuckles) at L.I.U. He's also a state regent in the Dept of Ed. Flip Phillips' real name was Joseph Filippelli and he was living at 170 Ashland Place in Brooklyn in 1930. That address is around the corner from L.I.U's Brooklyn campus.