Norman O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Father Norman James O'Connor, "The Jazz Priest", (November 20, 1921 - June 29, 2003) was born in Detroit, Michigan
, on November 20, 1921. He became interested in jazz
music at an early age and began playing piano
with local jazz bands while in high school. He continued to work occasionally as a musician into the 1940s, but had abandoned the thought of music as a career by the time he enrolled at Catholic University in Washington
. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the aesthetics of popular music.
Ordained as a Roman Catholic
priest
of the Paulist
order in 1948, Father O'Connor sometimes included jazz
music in his services.
In 1954, three years after becoming the Catholic chaplain
at Boston University
, he was named to the board of the first Newport Jazz Festival
. He would appear at the event in his priest collar, and serve as the master of ceremonies for concerts and moderator of panel discussions. His introduction of John Coltrane
at the festival in 1965 can be heard on Coltrane's New Thing at Newport
(as well as My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport), and his introduction of Dave Brubeck
at the 1971 festival can be heard on Brubeck's The Last Set at Newport. Fr. O'Connor also introduced Duke Ellington
and the members of his orchestra (along with personal quips) at the 1957 Festival, as heard on Duke Ellington's Ellington at Newport
. (Complete). O'Connor wrote a weekly jazz column for The Boston Globe
and freelanced for Down Beat
, Metronome, and other music magazines. He did jazz radio shows on WGBH-FM for many years previous to, and overlapping with, the advent of TV at WGBH
, in 1955. When television started, he continued in the new medium on Jazz with Father O'Connor. His guests included national jazz figures, like Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing
, among others, as well as local Boston musicians like "Boots" Mussulli, Herb Pomeroy and Al and Buzzy Drootin.
In 1962, O'Connor became the director of radio and television for the Paulist Fathers
in New York
. He also hosted a syndicated radio show and the local TV show, "Dial M for Music", on WCBS-TV
(New York City). The show was popular in the New York area, and many great jazz musicians performed on it; including Duke Ellington
(in a trio with Horace Silver
and Johnny Hodges
), The Modern Jazz Quartet
, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band
, Bill Evans
, Woody Herman
, Maynard Ferguson
, Peggy Lee
, Mongo Santamaría
, Gene Krupa
, and Joe Williams
, among others. O'Connor became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, and remained one even after being named director of the Mount Paul Novitiate, a church training center in Oak Ridge, New Jersey
, four years later.
In 1980, Father O'Connor was hired as the executive director of Straight and Narrow, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Paterson, New Jersey
. In his later years, his profile in the jazz world became considerably lower. Nevertheless, he remained the "Jazz Priest" to the end, producing benefit concerts by Marian McPartland
and other musicians for Straight and Narrow with the help of his longtime friend George Wein
. O'Connor retired in 2002.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 81 in Wayne, New Jersey
, on June 29, 2003.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, on November 20, 1921. He became interested in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music at an early age and began playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with local jazz bands while in high school. He continued to work occasionally as a musician into the 1940s, but had abandoned the thought of music as a career by the time he enrolled at Catholic University in Washington
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
. He wrote his doctoral thesis on the aesthetics of popular music.
Ordained as a Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
of the Paulist
Paulists
Paulists, or Paulines, is the name used for several Roman Catholic Orders and Congregations taken in honour and under the patronage of St. Paul the Hermit....
order in 1948, Father O'Connor sometimes included jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music in his services.
In 1954, three years after becoming the Catholic chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, he was named to the board of the first Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
. He would appear at the event in his priest collar, and serve as the master of ceremonies for concerts and moderator of panel discussions. His introduction of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
at the festival in 1965 can be heard on Coltrane's New Thing at Newport
New Thing at Newport
New Thing at Newport is a 1965 album by jazz musicians John Coltrane and Archie Shepp.-Original LP release New Thing at Newport :Side One# Spoken introduction to John Coltrane's set by Father Norman O'Connor - 1:08...
(as well as My Favorite Things: Coltrane at Newport), and his introduction of Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
at the 1971 festival can be heard on Brubeck's The Last Set at Newport. Fr. O'Connor also introduced Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and the members of his orchestra (along with personal quips) at the 1957 Festival, as heard on Duke Ellington's Ellington at Newport
Ellington at Newport
Ellington at Newport is a 1956 jazz live album by Duke Ellington and his band, recording their historic 1956 concert at the Newport Jazz Festival, a concert which revitalized Ellington's flagging career. Jazz promoter George Wein describes the 1956 concert as "the greatest performance of...
. (Complete). O'Connor wrote a weekly jazz column for The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
and freelanced for Down Beat
Down Beat
Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
, Metronome, and other music magazines. He did jazz radio shows on WGBH-FM for many years previous to, and overlapping with, the advent of TV at WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
, in 1955. When television started, he continued in the new medium on Jazz with Father O'Connor. His guests included national jazz figures, like Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing
George Shearing
Sir George Shearing, OBE was an Anglo-American jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for MGM Records and Capitol Records. The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard charts during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s...
, among others, as well as local Boston musicians like "Boots" Mussulli, Herb Pomeroy and Al and Buzzy Drootin.
In 1962, O'Connor became the director of radio and television for the Paulist Fathers
Paulist Fathers
The Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, better known as the Paulist Fathers, is a Roman Catholic religious society for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Servant of God Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker in collaboration with Fr. George Deshon, Fr. Augustine Hewit, and Fr. Francis A. Baker....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He also hosted a syndicated radio show and the local TV show, "Dial M for Music", on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
(New York City). The show was popular in the New York area, and many great jazz musicians performed on it; including Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
(in a trio with Horace Silver
Horace Silver
Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
and Johnny Hodges
Johnny Hodges
John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges was an American alto saxophonist, best known for his solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years, except the period between 1932–1946 when Otto Hardwick generally played first chair...
), The Modern Jazz Quartet
Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet was established in 1952 by Milt Jackson , John Lewis , Percy Heath , and Kenny Clarke . Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955...
, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band
The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis around 1965. The band performed for twelve years in its original incarnation, and included a 1972 tour of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. The band won a 1978...
, Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
, Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
, Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Mongo Santamaría
Mongo Santamaría
Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All...
, Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
, and Joe Williams
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
, among others. O'Connor became a fixture on the New York jazz scene, and remained one even after being named director of the Mount Paul Novitiate, a church training center in Oak Ridge, New Jersey
Oak Ridge, New Jersey
Oak Ridge is an unincorporated area within West Milford in Passaic County and Jefferson Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07438....
, four years later.
In 1980, Father O'Connor was hired as the executive director of Straight and Narrow, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. In his later years, his profile in the jazz world became considerably lower. Nevertheless, he remained the "Jazz Priest" to the end, producing benefit concerts by Marian McPartland
Marian McPartland
Margaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
and other musicians for Straight and Narrow with the help of his longtime friend George Wein
George Wein
George Wein is an American jazz promoter and producer who has been called "the most famous jazz impresario" and "the most important non-player... in jazz history"...
. O'Connor retired in 2002.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 81 in Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
, on June 29, 2003.