Marion Abernathy "The Chronological Marion Abernathy: 1947-1949" (Classics, 2001)
A lively, if little-known, West Coast blues singer, Marion Abernathy wasn't a top-tier artist, but she sure grows on you. By the end of this generously programmed, 20-song set, she emerges as a solid performer, with a good grasp of the hard, funky blues style that came into vogue after World War Two... Unfortunately this album only gathers her work for the King label and doesn't also include the indie-label recordings that bookended her career, before and after these late-'40s sessions. Probably the biggest omission is her first big hit from 1945, "Voo It! Voo It!," which is anthologized elsewhere, but sure would sound nice here, along with her other stuff. On about half the tracks here, she is backed by Hot Lips Page and his band... the performances are pretty workmanlike, but also unpretentious and loose-limbed, a nice slice of the postwar R&B sound.
Annisteen Allen "Fujiyama Mama" (Rev-Ola, 2007)
Annisteen Allen "The Chronological Annisteen Allen: 1945-1953" (Classics, 2004)
Ivie Anderson "Duke Ellington Presents..." (Columbia, 1973)
Duke Ellington's vocalist on pop numbers during the 1930s and early 'Forties, Ivie Anderson was a classy dame with a sassy voice, and a singer who really knew how to swing. Not as flashy as Ella Fitzgerald or as moody as Billy Holiday, Anderson gets short shrift in jazz circles, but those of us who are fans know to treasure the few of her recordings that made it into print after the swing era came to a halt. This double LP is simply fabulous, but it's rather hard to find. If you see it, snap it up, as it has superior sound and song selection to any other collection in print on CD...in all its glorious monophonic splendor! (This just in: looks like Sony finally re-released this collection on CD!!! Yay.)
Ivie Anderson "With Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra" (EPM Jazz Archives, 1991)
In the CD era, this is the disc to aim for... A lot of the same material as the Columbia LP, but not all of it, and with slightly dulled sound quality. Still, if you see it, don't hesitate. It's all pure gold. The tail end of Anderson's story is that she was forced to retire in 1942, due to chronic asthma which made touring and singing in clubs and hotel venues increasingly difficult. And as the big band era gave way to softer pop vocals, Anderson's memory was consigned to the past... Until now, that is!
Ivie Anderson "Cocktail Hour" (Allegro, 2001)
A cheapie budget edition -- no artwork or liner notes to speak of, but two CDs worth of great music, for a very affordable price. Nice option!
The Andrews Sisters "All-Time Greatest Hits" (MCA, 1994)
Highly recommended. I totally dig the Andrews Sisters, and you should too. LaVerne, Patty and Maxine were not the first gals to pioneer this type of tight, perky swing vocals... for that, you can credit others such as the Boswell Sisters and the Barry Sisters (who recorded "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" first, and kept it more Jewish...) But the Andrews gals perfected the style, and parlayed it into a dazzling top-of-the-pops commercial smash during the late '30s and all through the wartime era. This 2-CD set is probably the best Andrews set you can get, pretty much duplicating the content of their (also highly recommended) double-LP sets from the '70s, which gathered the best of their original Decca recordings from the 1930s and '40s. FYI, that's a lot of really, really wonderful music gathered together in one place at one time, classic tunes like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Hold Tight," "Rum And Coca-Cola," and "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar." Really, it's just fabulous. Sure, they were "pop" through and through, but in the magical, irresistible way that the best big band-era artists were: great artists having fun performing slick, catchy, well-crafted songs. This is a nice trip down memory lane, but yummy music as well.
The Andrews Sisters "20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection" (Universal, 2000)
An all-too-brief budget line package, which nonetheless can serve as a handy introduction to this fabulous pop trio.
The Andrews Sisters "The Andrews Sisters" (ASV, 1992)
Another fine overview of their best recordings, concentrating on early stuff from 1937-1940. Like other ASV releases, this features great song selection and good sound quality, and actually has very little overlap with various American-issued "best-of" collections. A perfect compliment to the All-Time Greatest Hits set listed above.
The Andrews Sisters "Apple Blossom Time" (ASV, 2000)
Plenty of hits on here as well...!!
The Andrews Sisters & Bing Crosby "Their Complete Recordings Together" (Columbia, 1996)
Now, see, you'd think that the way I love both Der Bingle and Der Sisters, that this would be a favorite of mine. Sadly, it's not quite the case. For some reason these two acts don't quite click together the way they should, at least not to my way of listening to things. I think part of the problem is that it was just too much of a show-biz "event"... Both acts were so clearly defined and so keenly accomplished that in order to mesh them together it took an immense amount of calculated professionalism; it just sounds a bit too stiff and self-conscious to me, as well as a bit like the sound of -- ka-ching! a cash register ringing up another sale. I dunno... these recordings aren't necessarily bad, they just seem to lack the soulfulness and spark that made the Sisters and Der Bingle so much fun. Anyway, lots of other folks disagree with me on this one, and this 2-CD set is a boon to those fans, and for the undecided among us, an easy way to settle the issue, one way or another.
The Andrews Sisters & Glenn Miller "The Chesterfield Broadcasts, v.1" (BMG/RCA Victor, 1998)
These live radio broadcasts, made in 1939-40 with the Glenn Miller Orchestra backing them up, document the brief, four-month association between two of the greatest pop acts of the WWII era. The collision between Miller's muscular, monolithic big band music machine and the Andrews's deft vocals is overall a bit brusque and edgy, with a juggernaut-like quality that may be surprising to fans of both acts... Still, what a combo! Big band fans will definitely want to check this out.
The Andrews Sisters "Capitol Collector's Series" (Capitol, 1991)
The thing to keep in mind here is that these are mostly late-'50s re-recordings (on Capitol), of songs that the Sisters originally recorded as hits in the '30s and '40s for Decca Records. A little more formal sounding perhaps, and less peppy than their early years, but still... it's the gals. They still swing! There are also a few tracks on here that were prevously unreleased, so it may be owrth checking out just for those tracks alone...
Lil Hardin Armstrong "The Chronological Lil Hardin Armstrong: 1936-1940" (Classics, 1994)
The one-time wife of Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin Armstrong was a doozy of a musician and entertainer, in her own right... This disc collects two dozen-plus hot swing tracks from the tail end of the Great Depression, with plenty of great musicianship from the likes of Chu Berry, Jonah Jones and Buster Bailey, backing high-energy vocals from Ms. Armstrong. She more that holds her own against the brass section, projecting abundant charisma and radiant good cheer -- her voice is high and thin, but bluesy (much like Ivy Anderson) and her phrasing is great. In a word, this gal swings! Definitely worth tracking this disc down.
Lil Hardin Armstrong "Chicago: The Living Legends " (Riverside, 1961)
Lovie Austin "The Chronological Lovie Austin: 1924-1926" (Classics, 1994)
Paving the path for Marylou Williams and all the female jazz & blues pianists in decades to come, bandleader Lovie Ausin was one of the handful of women pianists in the golden age of the blues. This disc collects all her recordings from the 1920s, with Austin and her bands accompanying obscure vocalists such as Edmonia Henderson, Viola Bartlette, Henry Williams and Priscilla Stewart. Her sidemen include such notables as Kid Ory, Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Bryant and Tommy Ladnier -- a powerful set of early jazz virtuosi, each contributing to the haunting, raunchy blues within. As with other Classics releases, the sound quality of this disc is top-notch, although the old-fashioned, brittle sound of the source material adds to its other-worldly feel. Nice stuff, and an important missing link for anyone studying the history of women in jazz.
Lovie Austin & Alberta Hunter "Chicago -- The Living Legends" (Riverside, 1961)
Mildred Bailey - see artist profile
Blue Lu Barker "The Chronological Blue Lu Barker: 1938-1939" (Classics, 1997)
Blue Lu Barker "The Chronological Blue Lu Barker: 1946-1949" (Classics, 1994)
Blue Lu Barker/Various Artists "Don't You Feel My Leg" (Delmark, 1996)
A risque blues collection, with vintage tracks by Barker, along with similar material by Wee Bea and
Blue Lu Barker "Live At The New Orleans Jazz Festival" (1998)
Performing live with her husband Danny Barker and his Jazz Hounds...
The Boswell Sisters "Brunswick, Volume 1" (Sony Special Products/Collectables, 1982/2000)
The Boswell Sisters "Brunswick, Volume 2" (Sony Special Products/Collectables, 1982/2000)
While pop fans are far more likely to remember the boodliaksaki of the Andrews Sisters, it was the Boswells -- Connee, Martha and Helvetia -- who pioneered the dazzling group sound of the female swing trio, with a career that began in the 1920s. Jazz fans readily point out that, while the Andrews gals copied the Boswell Sisters harmonies to near-perfection, the Boswells always had a much headier, jazzier sound. These early tracks, made on the Brunswick label in the early 1930s, along with the Dorsey Brothers and their crew, certainly make the case that the Boswell Sisters had a real feel for the blues and could swing with the best of them. Plus, with instrumental assist by the likes of the Dorseys, Bunny Berigan and Eddie Lang, how could they go wrong? Great stuff! If you haven't heard these gals already, then check these albums out. Their later work is great, too -- as time on, they only got better and better!
The Boswell Sisters "It's The Girls!" (ASV Living Era, 1982)
A stellar set of their early recordings, mainly from from 1930-31, when they were signed to the Brunswick label, and two songs that span back to 1925(!), when they took their first, ill-fated stab at cutting a single for Victor Records. The uniqueness and vibrancy of their style is readily apparent in every track on this album. Backing the Boswells on various tracks are Victor Young, an early incarnation of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, and on several tracks made for Okeh Records, sprightly piano accompaniment by Martha Boswell. As with other ASV collections, the song selection and pacing of the disc are quite nice. Recommended!
The Boswell Sisters "Syncopating Harmonists From New Orleans" (Take Two, 1992)
The first nine tracks on this collection are from their 1930 appearances on the California-based Continental Broadcasting radio show, the rest of the disc is taken from various old 78s, and a couple of tunes from a 1935 radio show that was sponsored by Dodge. The often casual sound of their live performances lays bare the sweet, professional style of their music, and gives a glimpse into their creative process. This is a digital-era repackaging of some of Take Two's fine old vinyl LPs.
The Boswell Sisters "The Boswell Sisters Collection, v.1" (Nostalgia Arts, 2000)
The Boswell Sisters "The Boswell Sisters Collection, v.2" (Nostalgia Arts, 2000)
The Boswell Sisters "The Boswell Sisters Collection, v.3" (Nostalgia Arts, 2000)
The Boswell Sisters "The Boswell Sisters Collection, v.4" (Nostalgia Arts, 2000)
The Boswell Sisters "The Boswell Sisters Collection, v.5" (Nostalgia Arts, 2000)
The Boswell Sisters "Airshots And Rarities: 1930-1935" (Challenge, 1997)
Connee Boswell "Deep In A Dream" (Harlequin, 1996)
A nice look at the solo work of Connee Boswell, the driving force behind the fab 1920s/'30s vocal group, The Boswell Sisters. The Boswells were the prototype for the tight harmonies of the Andrew Sisters, and as for Connee herself, no less a jazz goddess than Ella Fitzgerald is quoted here as saying, "Connie Boswell was the only singer who influenced me..." When the band broke up, she went solo and eventually coasted into more sedate pop vocals material. This disc features old singles, V-Discs and radio transcriptions, with backing by the likes of Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby, Bob's big bro, Bing,, The Dorsey Brothers, and others. It's nice material, and still punchier than her later work in the 'Fifties would be. This disc might be hard to track down, but if you're into the Boswell Sisters, then it's a must-have.
Connee Boswell "Heart & Soul" (ASV-Living Era, 1997)
Connee Boswell "They Can't Take These Songs Away From Me" (Jasmine, 2002)
A 2-CD set...
Connee Boswell "Singing The Blues With Connee Boswell" (Sepia, 2006)
Precious Bryant "The Truth" (Terminus, 2005)
Precious Bryant "Fool Me Good" (Terminus, 2005)
Precious Bryant "My Name Is Precious" (Music Maker, 2005)
Butterbeans & Susie "Complete Recorded Works, v.1: 1924-1925" (Document, 1997)
Butterbeans & Susie "Complete Recorded Works, v.2: 1926-1927" (Document, 1997)
Butterbeans & Susie "Elevator Papa, Switchboard Mama" (JSP, 2004)
Butterbeans & Susie "Butterbeans & Susie" (GHB, 2006)
Butterbeans & Susie "Butterbeans & Susie" (Classic Jazz, 2008)
Blanche Calloway "The Chronological Blanche Calloway: 1945-1953" (Classics, 1994)
Cab Calloway's older sister, Blanche Calloway started her career in the early years of blues recordings... She was a good blues growler, but it must be admitted that she had serious limitations... When she wanted to swoop up into the falsetto range, or attempted glissandi, her shortcomings as a singer became all too clear. Also, she had some really bizarre pronunciation at times... Still, she recorded with plenty of major talent -- Louis Armstrong, Cozy Cole, Ben Webster and others -- and when she had hold of a good novelty song, she cold be lots of fun. There are plenty of tracks on this disc that you don't need to listen to more than once, but a few that would be nice to keep in your early blues/jazz playlist for years to come. Generously programmed and definitely worth checking out, although maybe you don't need to knock yourself out to track this disc down.
Judy Canova "Ozark Nightingale" (Collector's Choice, 2004)
She wasn't really a country singer, but like many mainstream pop artists such as Dorothy Shay and Arthur Godfrey, Canova played on a broad "hillbilly" stereotype to deliver warped versions of popular songs of the day. These radio performances (from the 1940s perhaps?) capture Canova at her best: playful, corny yet canny, and a powerful performer. Included are several of her signature tunes, such as her rollicking versions of "Just Because" and "The Wabash Cannonball," and omits other songs that play more into the hick schtick... All in all, this is a pretty fun set, although it really should be classed more closely with pop vocals and show tunes than with legitimate country stuff. But does that really matter? Check it out for yourself, and find out.
The Barbara Carroll Trio "Complete 1951-1956 Recordings" (Jazz Connections, 2007)
A 4-CD set...
Mickey Champion "Bam-A-Lam -- The R&B Recordings: 1950-1962" (Ace, 2008)
A Louisiana native who made the Los Angeles R&B scene in the early 1940s, Mickey Champion had about as dramatic a career as anyone could imagine. A deep-voiced shouter who was equally comfortable with wild jump blues or grinding, Dinah Washington-style ballads, Champion exemplified the explosive power of the West Coast blues style. She got an early break in 1950, when bandleader Johnny Otis drafted her as a "double" for the fiery Little Esther Phillips, who -- fourteen years old, and addicted to drugs -- was unable to tour with the Otis band. Champion cut her teeth pretending to be Phillips, but soon emerged as a solo recording artist, fronting bands that included top players such as Red Callendar, Chico Hamilton, Ben Webster, Jimmy Witherspoon, and most notably Roy Milton, who she married in the mid-'50s. This collection covers over a decade of her early career -- not all of the performances are top-flight; at time the workmanlike bands sound weary or indifferent, though on other songs they're on fire, and Champion is too. But there's definitely a spark in all of it, a roughness and vibrancy that captures a bygone era of one of the hottest blues and jazz scenes of the postwar era. Champion might not have been the top gal singer of the time, but she's definitely worth checking out, and this is her prime material. Give it a spin!
The Clooney Sisters & Tony Pastor "The Complete" (Collector's Choice, 2000)
Saxophonist Tony Pastor was an alumnus and former star performer of Artie Shaw's swing orchestra... During one of Shaw's periodic creative regroupings, Pastor hit out on his own, and scored a major coup in 1946 by signing up the Clooney Sisters -- Rosemary and Betty -- as featured vocalists in his already-thriving big band. Somewhat unfairly, Pastor is mainly remembered as a footnote in the early career of George Clooney's older auntie, but he was a compelling performer in his own right. This CD concentrates on his more comedic side -- with plenty of bouncy Louis Prima-flavored novelty tunes (for his more serious ballads and instrumental numbers, you'll have to look for the radio transcription discs reissued several years ago on the Circle label...) Inevitably, Rosemary Clooney became the real star of the show, although this collection is particularly cool for bringing sister Betty back into the limelight. (And whatever happened to Betty, you might ask? Well, apparently in the '50s she pulled a Lucy and married latin dance bandleader Pupi Campo, then dropped out of the public eye...) For some perky, fun old big band pop, this just can't be beat.
Thelma Cooper/Daisy Mae & Her Hepcats "Swingin' Tunes From Two Blues Divas" (Collectables, 1981)
Martha Copeland "Complete Recorded Works, v.1: 1923-1927" (Document, 1995)
Martha Copeland "Complete Recorded Works, v.2: 1927-1928" (Document, 1995)
This disc is split with lesser-known blues singer Irene Scruggs, whose work fills out the last dozen or so tracks...
Elizabeth Cotten "Freight Train..." (Smithsonian Folkways)
One of the sweetest, most lulling old-timey country blues performers ever. Elizabeth Cotten was a self-taught guitarist who wrote several songs which became standards in the jug ban/folk music revival of the late 1950s and '60s, including "Freight Train" and "Oh, Babe It Ain't No Lie." These Smithsonian recordings are the foundation of her legacy, and are, quite simply, pure gold. (Note: Arhoolie Records have recently reissued some of Cotten's live recordings, which are also wonderful.
Elizabeth Cotten "Live" (Arhoolie, 1984)
Equally charming are these concert recordings taken from various live performances in the early 1980s, a few years before Cotten passed away in 1987. The warmth with which her audiences greeted her, and the good humor she projected come through loud and clear, although she herself is almost quiet as a mouse. Some of the most enchanting acoustic music you're ever likely to hear.
Ida Cox "Complete Recorded Works, v.1: 1923" (Document, 2001)
Ida Cox "Complete Recorded Works, v.2: 1924-1925" (Document, 1995)
Ida Cox "Complete Recorded Works, v.3: 1925-1927" (Document, 1995)
Ida Cox "Complete Recorded Works, v.4: 1927-1938" (Document, 1995)
Ida Cox "Complete Recorded Works, v.5: 1939-1940" (Document, 2000)
Ida Cox "Blues For Rampart Street" (OJC/Riverside, 1961)
With the Coleman Hawkins Quintet...
Ida Cox "The Essential Ida Cox" (Classic Blues, 2001)
A 2-CD set...
Dolly Dawn "You're A Sweetheart" (Collector's Choice, 2001)
Not a major star, but an appealling pop singer of the swing era, Dolly Dawn was one of the hundreds of "girl" singers running about about in the late 1930s, as the big bands really started to take off. She had the good fortune to wind up fronting George Hall's Taft Hotel Orchestra, a rather bland band which nonetheless landed a daily noontime radio broadcast on the CBS network. Because Hall rarely used innovative arrangements, the musical end of these recordings tends to be rather flat, although Dawn's vocals are usually perky and fun -- appropriately, she benefited from Hall's lack of oomph in a rather unusual way: Hall was one of the first vocalists to really become the sole focus of a band, back at a time when bands and musicians were supposed to be the real draw in the dance halls. In many ways, the rinky-dink nature of these recordings is a big part of their charm: we're so used to hearing the great singers and great bands of the era (Ellington, Fitzgerald, etc.) that its the lesser lights that really bring out the charm of the material. At any rate, this is cute stuff, really fun in small doses, and well worth checking out!
Dolly Dawn "Smooth As Silk" (Audiophile, 1999)
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Down In The Basement" (MCA/Chess, 1988)
Oakland, California's #1 soul sister, Sugar Pie DeSanto blew the roof off many a local club, as these sizzling '60s tracks suggest. Sugar Pie paired up with the similarly spunky Etta James on a couple of tracks -- the irresistible "In The Basement" and explosive "Do I Make Myself Clear?" -- with this collection's title track standing as one of the all-time great evocations of urban teen culture: a record hop in the basement! What could be more innocent? And who could be any cuter, or any gnarlier, than this perky-but-tough post-teen queen? A dazzling collection of old Chess singles that form a perfect bridge between inner-city R&B and chirpy girl-group pop. HIGHLY recommended!!
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Go Go Power -- The Complete Chess Singles: 1961-1966" (Ace, 2009)
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Sugar Is Salty" (Jasman, 1999)
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Classic Sugar Pie" (Jasman, 1999)
Sugar Pie DeSanto "A Slice Of Pie" (Jasman, 2000)
Sugar Pie DeSanto "Refined Sugar" (Jasman, 2005)
The Dinning Sisters "Best Of The Dinning Sisters" (Collector's Choice, 1998)
Wildly popular in the 1940s, the Dinning Sisters, fellow Midwesterners and followers of the better-known Andrews Sisters, followed the same perky vocal trio formula laid down by the Boswells, although with a notably smoother style. Although they did do some swinging material, the Dinnings seem to have dampened down the jazzier edges of the Boswell/Andrews sound, rounding out the notes, softening the rhythms, sweetening the melodies. This CD collects over two dozen of their best-known recordings made for Capitol Records between 1943-47. It's good stuff, and nice for the devoted nostalgia buff, but it didn't quite capture my imagination the same way those other gals did. Still, it's totally worth checking out.
The Dinning Sisters "Back In Country Style" (Jasmine, 2002)
A famly act that had its roots in Oklahoma's Depression-era country music scene, the Dinnings took western swing and added the sleek, jazzy harmony vocals of the Boswell and Andrews Sisters, a cosmopolitan style which they excelled at. They became a national act and for many years were major competitors of the Andrews Sisters... It might be easy to dismiss them as mere imitators, but as this disc demonstrates, their country roots set them apart and made them distinctive... It's nice stuff, maybe a little too jazzy for some twangfans, but still quite fun. Guitarist George Barnes, whose own career also spanned country, pop and jazz, backs the Dinnings on about two-thirds of the tracks of this generously programmed set... Recommended!
Ruth Etting "Ten Cents A Dance" (ASV, 1994)
Ruth Etting "America's Sweetheart Of Song" (ASV, 2001)
Ya gotta love Ruth Etting. Possibly the greatest torch singer of the 1920s, and certainly one of the biggest stars in American show biz during the pre-Depression "Jazz Age," Etting combined a lightness of touch with a heaviness of heart, half-chirping, half-crooning her way through morose, bluesy, romance tunes, along with simple, elegant accompaniment from the likes of pianist Rube Bloom, the Dorsey Brothers, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang, and a host of other top-flight players. The snobbier end of the jazz intelligensia sometimes downplays Etting's skills as an interpretive vocalist, but I find her moving and effective, and on a tune like "If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)," she proves herself quite an evocative and erotic singer, surprisingly so, given the era she was recording in. That song should be all it takes to get yourself onto her wavelength: after that, go on to listen to the rest of her catalog, and you'll find it rich and rewarding... I've been a fan of Etting's work for many, many years, having glommed onto the old Columbia LP that used to be the standard collection of her work... These two fine CDs gather all that material and then some... A real treasure trove for the retro-riffically minded among us... Highly recommended!
Ruth Etting "Love Me Or Leave Me" (Flapper, 1996)
More Swingin' Gals!
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Links
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It's A Girl Thang! - Lea Gilmore's website is pretty classy, full of artist profiles, essays, and well-chosen links... and now she's announced plans to branch out into gospel music as well. Nice site -- check it out!
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Songbirds is a pop/jazz vocals treasure trove, collecting articles written by a wide-ranging list-serve group. Includes sappy pop singers and jazz musicians alike... Lotsa great info here, although it looks like the site went on hiatus sometime in 2000... So I'd recommend you check the site out now... while you can!
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