Ellington's Ladies

Clockwise: Ivie Anderson; Phyllis Hyman; Etta James; Blossom Dearie; and Dinah Washington.

Tonight, to continue the celebration of ny nephew's wedding, I decided I would love to showcase some brilliant songs by Duke Ellington, sung by some amazingly talented and beautiful ladies. Truly, this post was inspired by the beautiful Jazz music by Aaron Bridgers, the longtime lover of Billy Strayhorn, who worked with Ellington, as an arranger, musician, and writer. You can check him out on Queer Music Heritage. Now, that just put me in mind of Duke Ellington, who certainly deserves attention for his lush music, as well as his support for early LGBT artists. I will start with a true Jazz standard, "Mood Indigo". It was written in 1930 as a instrumental, but was instantly so popular, lyrics were written for it. Many years later, it was sung by Dinah Washington, one of a long list of singers who got their start in church choirs. Unfortunately, she is also on a long list of singers who left us much too early, with drugs involved. Her voice was special, as you can hear on "Mood Indigo".



Next up, we have Ivie Anderson, who sang for Ellington's orchestra from 1931 to 1942, when she had to step off the road due to a chronic asthma. But her clear and sweet tone was popular, and she also made some appearances in movies, like with the Marx Brothers in 'A Day At The Races'. I found this video of her performing the great song, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)". The song has music by Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, and was published in 1941.



The next song is another one starting out as an instrumental. "Sophisticated Lady" was written by Ellington and Irving Mills in 1932, only to have Mitchell Parish write lyrics later. It went on to become a jazz classic. Vocalist Blossom Dearie really came into her own in the 1950s, playing clubs and really a darling of the Beat Generation. Not only were people were flocking to see her in New York City dinner clubs, she was also a sensation in Europe. Her unique styling made her an original. Here is Blossom Dearie singing "Sophisticated Ladies".



I don't know if there is much I can say about the late Etta James that hasn't been said  time and time again since her passing. Indeed, she was a brilliant vocalist, combining a voice of gold with superb musicality and phrasing. Here she sings the great Ellington classic, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", with music by Duke, and lyrics by Bob Russel.



And, finally, we have to know there are just times when the meeting of artist and song is just perfect. However, with a talent like the late, great Phyllis Hyman, it was hard to imagine her handling a song well, for she would never settle for that. Her vocals were spectacular, whether in the R&B genre, Pop, or Jazz. She just did it all. So when I found a clip of her singing "In A Sentimental Mood", I was near-giddy, and so happy to share it. Enjoy.



Have a sophisticated Saturday night!

Ring The Belles • Ladies Singing of Christmas

Clockwise: Rosemary Clooney, Nancey Wilson, Karen Carpenter, and Dinah Washington.

As we are two weeks away from Christmas, I thought it was time to let my Ladies sing a bit of the holidays. And while there are some obvious choices, I thought I would try to avoid those, and go for some artists and songs that you might not hear as much, and just enjoy their music and artistry. I will begin with a choice that might seem obvious, until you see the song. Rosemary Clooney might be closely associated with a star turn in the film 'White Christmas', but she was also an exceptional Jazz singer. I picked a recording she did later in her career, singing a song most closely associated with 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. In 1965, Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi wrote "Christmas Time Is Here" for the television special, where it was played over an ice skating scene. The song is beautiful, and in Rosemary's gifted hands, it is so very special. This is Rosemary Clooney singing "Christmas Time Is Here".

Earl E. Lawrence wrote the next song, "That's What I Want For Christmas", and it was soon recorded by many people. But I particularly love the recording by Nancy Wilson, a woman with a remarkable voice. Wilson began her career in the late 1950s, singing with a big band. She honed her skills, and by the early 1960s, Wilson went out on her own. It seemed like a great choice, with her rich voice and remarkable delivery. She was won three Grammy Awards, and has been a favorite of many. This is her recording of Lawrence's "That's What I Want For Christmas".

Dinah Washington is another great singer with a remarkable and recognizable voice, said to be the "biggest selling black female sings of the 1950s". While she is best known for her recording of "What A Diff'rence A Day Makes", she had countless hits during her career. Sadly, she passed away at just 39 years of age, after a tumultuous life that included seven marriages. But the lady could sing, that is sure. I love her interpretation of a wonderful song written by Clyde Otis, "Ole Santa". It is a beautiful and sweet ballad, just perfect for Washington, who paints a beautiful painting with the lyrics. So please enjoy Dinah Washington singing "Ole Santa".

My final song of the night is credited to the Carpenters, but at the heart of the recording, it is Karen Carpenter's voice that makes it special. In 1978, Karen and her brother Richard released their first holiday offering, and it was rather lovely. It combined classic songs with new, like the beautiful "Merry Christmas Darling", written by Richard and Frank Pooler. But I am particularly fond of their take on "Christmas Waltz", written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. The richness of Karen's voice, the silkiness of the tone, it all comes together on the song "Christmas Waltz".

Have a great weekend!

Songs From the Hart • Rodgers & Hart

Clockwise: Anita O'Day, Barbara Cook, Dinah Washington, and Peggy Lee.

Richards Rodgers and Lorenz Hart were a monumentally successful writing team in the 1920s and 1930s, making hit Broadway scores filled with songs that went on to be an essential part of the Great American Songbook. And when they weren't working ion Broadway, they were making Hollywood sing! With songs like "Blue Moon", "With A Song In My Heart", "Isn't It Romantic", "Blue Moon", "My Funny Valentine", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and so many others, it is no wonder they rank among the top songwriters of the day. I offer you four very talented ladies singing four great songs I haven't mentioned yet, starting with one of my favorites, Anita O'Day. Her vocal instrument is a magical thing to me, So when she takes on a great song like "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered", I get warm just thinking about it. The song, from the 1940 musical 'Pal Joey', is so soft, so tender, and Anita delivers it so sweetly. So I hope you enjoy when Anita O'Day sings "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered".

There are just some special voices out there, and I have to say Barbara Cook is one of them. She was a glowing light on Broadway in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, including winning the Tony Award playing Marion in the original production of 'The Music Man' in 1957. In 1959, Cook released the album 'Barbara Cook Sings From the Heart', featuring the music of Rodgers and Hart. One of the tracks she sang was fro the 1936 musical 'On Your Toes', a show that was directed by C. Worthington Miner and choreographed by George Balanchine. It featured Ray Bolger, and the show ran for over 300 performances. It was originally written as a movie for Fred Astaire, but he thought it was not right for him, and it went to Broadway and made Ray Bolger a star. From that score came a delightful number that certainly grabs my attention, especially when sung by Cook. Please enjoy Barbara Cook singing "There's A Small Hotel", off her 'Sings From the Heart' album.

While many of her hits had a sexy, sultry feel, Peggy Lee was a great singer who showed through time and many styles just how great she could be. Lee began her career as a singer on the radio, and in fact had her own local show while still a teen. She moved to California, and was singing at club when she was discovered by Benny Goodman, and became his singer at the age of 21. Just a few years earlier, in 1937, Rodgers and Hart had a hit Broadway musical that was quickly made into an MGM musical. With a score that included "My Funny Valentine", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Johnny One Note" and more, the 1939 film starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney was a surefire hit. Another of the songs was recorded in 1941 by Lee and the Benny Goodman Trio, one of their early recordings. I hope you love Miss Peggy Lee singing "Where Or When", their romantic look at déjà vu.

There is something so delicious and spicy about the vocals of Dinah Washington. Both her voice and her phrasing were unique, making her a must-hear vocalist. The woman was singing from an early age, first with the Gospel choir in church, and soon was singing solo, wining a talent contest at age 15, and launched a career singing in Chicago clubs. It was there she was heard by Lionel Hampton, who helped launch her recording career. By the late 1940s, Washington was making hit records, topping the R&B charts. In 1955, she released the album 'For Those In Love', made up by some of the great love songs of the time. That would include "This Can't Be Love", from the 1938 musical 'The Boys From Syracuse'. The song is a real look at love, as opposed to the romanticized look at it. I hope you can enjoy Dinah Washington singing "This Can't Be Love" as much as I do.

Rodgers and Hart wrote so many great songs, I could put together another 50 posts. And, given time, I just might. But I hope this Jazzy interlude makes for a nice moment in your weekend.

Torch, Arlen Style

Clockwise: Helen O'Connell; Eva Cassidy; Aretha Franklin; and Dinah Washington.

Tonight I am inspired by the music of the great Harold Arlen. Truthfully, it started this morning when a song come to mind, and I just kept humming it. But first, more about the man. In 1905, Arlen was born Hyman Arluck, in Buffalo, New York, United States, the child of a Jewish cantor. He took piano lessons as a child, became a popular act in the Buffalo area. In his twenties, he made his way to New York City, and soon changed his name to Harold Arlen. In the 1930s, he and lyricist Ted Koehler worked together often, and had a regular gig writing songs to be performed at the popular Harlem nightclub, The Cotton Club. Arlen also began writing music for both Broadway and Hollywood musicals, as well as for popular singers of the day. This brings me back to my inspiration for this post, that song that kept playing in my head. While I will admit it was the Barbra Streisand version, it was "When The Sun Comes Out" that was playing loud and clear. The song was written by Arlen in 1941 with Ted Koehler, and originally sung by Helen O'Connell with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. And so I picked that version to play here, for it is really wonderful.

Arlen also worked with other lyricists, some of the best around. In 1941, he was writing with Johnny Mercer on a film with the working title 'Hot Nocturne'. They wrote a great song, introduced in the movie by William Gillespie. That song was "Blues In The Night", and soon the movie title was changed to match the song. And the song quickly became a standard, a part of the Great American Songbook, and recorded by some of the biggest names in the music business. I picked a version that was recorded in 1997, by the late Eva Cassidy. Cassidy, who passed away the year before, was working on the album at the time of her death. Eva had a magical way to blend her acoustic Pop and Blues roots to make amazing music, and loved taking on some of the iconic music. Here is her recording of "Blues In The Night".

In 1954, Arlen released another project written for the great Judy Garland. He had, of course, worked with her earlier, when he worked on a little film named 'The Wizard of Oz'. So when he began working on the film 'A Star Is Born' with lyricist Ira Gershwin, everyone had to know magic was bound to happen. And it most certainly did. I still remember quite vividly the scene in 'A Star Is Born' when Esther Blodgett, played by Judy, is jamming with some studio musicians and she sings "The Man That Got Away". It was magnificent. But I've had Judy singing the song on the blog before, and decided to try something a little different, so here is a lovely version by Dinah Washington, recorded for her 1962 album 'Drinking Again'.

And, if I was covering the music of Harold Arlen, I couldn't ignore the great song written, according to lore, in front of a drug store in Hollywood in 1938, could I? Legend has it while driving up Sunset Boulevard after a rain, Arlen noticed a rainbow over the iconic Schwab's Drug Store, and it inspired a song for the project he was working on. He was writing the music for the musical 'The Wizard of Oz' with E. Y. Harburg, which became a huge hit in 1939. That would include the song sung by Judy Garland, "Over The Rainbow". And once again, I have posted Judy singing it before, so I tried to find something new, and was thrilled when I found this version by Aretha Franklin, which is truly wonderful. Enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

A Night with Dinah Washington

Miss Dinah Washington was one of the top vocalist of the 1950s, and the was the greatest selling black female recording artist of that period. Her big hit was not just big, but megahuge. "What A Difference A Day Makes" had such a strength and depth to it, it is damn close to irresistible. And like many singers, she first found music in her church, singing in the choir. By the time she was 15 years old, Dinah was playing in clubs around Chicago, making a name for herself. By the time she was 19, she had attracted the attention of many people, including Lionel Hampton, who signed her up to sing with his band. After two years with Hampton, Dinah went solo, and started with singing the music of the great Fats Waller. She also recorded this great song co-written by Louis Jordan and Billy Austin in 1944. Here is Dinah Washington singing "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby".

Next up, Dinah sings "I Don't Hurt Anymore", written by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins. As a single, Dinah had a big hit in 1954, and it is easy to hear why. This Bluesy song is just wonderful, and she sings it perfectly. This is a clip of her singing it live in 1956. You can just eat this up with a spoon, it is so yummy.

In 1955, Washinngton recorded a great song written by Cole Porter, originally featured in the 1934 Broadway musical 'Anything Goes'. Dinah Washington recorded "I Get A Kick Out Of You" for the album 'For Those In Love', and it is easy to see she loves the song. You can hear it in the recording. Another thing you hear on the record is the early work of a young Quincy Jones, who did most of the arrangements for the album.

Dinah sings "Drinking Again", a 1962 torch song, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Doris Tauber. Dinah recorded the song that same year, on an album of the same name. This time out, the songs were arranged by the great Don Costa, best known for his work with Frank Sinatra, both as a producer and arranger.

Unfortunately, Washington was not to be with us that much longer. While she was around, she certainly lived life to the fullest. She was married seven times, and had two children. She made music in four decades, from her choir music in the 1030s, to the high-quality recordings of the 1960s. Early on the morning of December 14, 1963, Washington's seventh husband Dick "Night Train" Lane went to sleep with his wife, and awoke later to find her slumped over and not responsive. A doctor pronounced her dead on the scene. An autopsy later showed a lethal combination of secobarbital and amobarbital, which contributed to her death at the age of 39.

It Had To Be Whoopee • Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Clockwise: Ruth Etting; Billie Holiday; Dinah Washington, and Teresa Brewer.

Once again, I was not sure what I was going to do for this week, and then it hit me. I was doing the morning post for featuring Cass Elliot, and I was typing in that the lyrics were written by Gus Kahn, and I realized that was it, I had to feature the lyrics of Gus Kahn! So here we have it, a German immigrant who went on to be a great Tin Pan Alley lyricists, writing for singers, big bands, Broadway, and vaudeville. He wrote in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, when many of the songs in the Great American Songbook were being heard. In fact, he has several of those songs, including the songs featured here. And I will start with one that was published in 1922, and recorded by so many of the great voices in the music industry over the next several decades. I bring you the 1955 recording by Teresa Brewer, singing "My Buddy", with music by Walter Donaldson.

When I was thinking which recording I would pick for the next song, it didn't take me long at all. While some of the greatest voices have tried their hand at "It Had To Be You", I felt the interpretation by Billie Holiday in 1955 would be hard to top. The song was originally published in 1924, and had music by Isham Jones. Many remember it from the 1942 film 'Casablanca', but it was written 18 years before. Enjoy as Lady Day sings "It Had To Be You".

"Love Me Or Leave Me" was first heard in the score of the Broadway show, "Whooppee", which graced the stage in 1928. It was introduced by singer/actress Ruth Etting, and the song was so popular, her recording became the top-selling recording of the time. In fact, it was so popular that when Etting returned to the stage in 1930 with a different show, the song was added to placate many of the audience who wanted to hear Etting sing it! So enjoy Ruth Etting singing "Love Me Or Leave Me", with music by Walter Donaldson.

And finally, we have another song that was also written for the 1928 production 'Whoopee". With music by Walter Donaldson, "Makin' Whoopee" was first sung on the stage of jazz great Eddie Cantor, who also recorded it. It was, of course, a song about sex, and warning all men should beware of the evil trap known as marriage. I just love the 1956 recording by Dinah Washington, for the absolute joy of it, with just a hint of flirtation.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Some Sophisticated Ladies

Clockwise: Ivie Anderson; Phyllis Hyman; Etta James; Blossom Dearie; and Dinah Washington.

This week, I decided I would love to showcase some brilliant songs by Duke Ellington, sung by some amazingly talented and beautiful ladies. I thought of this post after reading a post on Queer Music Heritage, featuring some beautiful Jazz music by Aaron Bridgers, the longtime lover of Billy Strayhorn, who worked with Ellington, as an arranger, musician, and writer. You can check it out here. Now, that just put me in mind of Duke Ellington, who certainly deserves attention for his lush music, as well as his support for early LGBT artists. I will start with a true Jazz standard, Mood Indigo. It was written in 1930 as a instrumental, but was instantly so popular, lyrics were written for it. Many years later, it was sung by Dinah Washington, one of a long list of singers who got their start in church choirs. Unfortunately, she is also on a long list of singers who left us much too early, with drugs involved. Her voice was special, as you can hear on Mood Indigo.



Next up, we have Ivie Anderson, who sang for Ellington's orchestra from 1931 to 1942, when she had to step off the road due to a chronic asthma. But her clear and sweet tone was popular, and she also made some appearances in movies, like with the Marx Brothers in A Day At The Races. I found this video of her performing the great song, I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good). The song has music by Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, and was published in 1941.



The next song is another one starting out as an instrumental. Sophisticated Lady was written by Ellington and Irving Mills in 1932, only to have Mitchell Parish write lyrics later. It went on to become a jazz classic. Vocalist Blossom Dearie really came into her own in the 1950s, playing clubs and really a darling of the Beat Generation. Not only were people were flocking to see her in New York City dinner clubs, she was also a sensation in Europe. Her unique styling made her an original. Here is Blossom Dearie singing Sophisticated Ladies.



I don't know if there is much I can say about the late Etta James that hasn't been said time and time again since her passing. Indeed, she was a brilliant vocalist, combining a voice of gold with superb musicality and phrasing. Here she sings the great Ellington classic, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, with music by Duke, and lyrics by Bob Russel.



And, finally, we have to know there are just times when the meeting of artist and song is just perfect. However, with a talent like the late, great Phyllis Hyman, it was hard to imagine her handling a song well, for she would never settle for that. Her vocals were spectacular, whether in the R&B genre, Pop, or Jazz. She just did it all. So when I found a clip of her singing In A Sentimental Mood, I was near-giddy, and so happy to share it. Enjoy.



Have a swinging Saturday night!