Sunday, January 29, 2017

Ladies of Jazz 2, by Wiggia

This short compilation shows female artists that emerged during the Ella, Sarah era, some indeed like the first on here started later but was born in 1930 so is a contemporary of the earlier ladies.

Abbey Lincoln (her stage name) was an actress on television and in film and also a civil rights activist. Influenced by Billie Holiday, she also wrote lyrics and composed numbers. Her first album was in ‘56 but for me the first big breakout album was in ‘61 with Straight Ahead on the Candid label. A very beautiful lady; she was married from 61-70 to Max Roach, the drummer and co-conspirator with Charlie Parker in those early days of be bop. She was still recording up until 2007 3 years before her death at 80.

A worthy obituary is here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/15/abbey-lincoln-obituary 
I liked her and so does JD !

And I lied about videos, only from now on this has to be audio only.



This is later in life and very good quality:



Norma Winstone was born in Bow East London in ‘41, so can claim to be a real cockney. Most of her earlier work is what I like but everyone to their own. A lyricist as well as a singer, she started with bands in the Dagenham area and went from there, and has worked with many European and American artists.



Rene Marie: born in the USA in ‘55, she did not start a professional career until she was 42 ! After getting married at 18 she raised two children and when she started singing her husband gave her an ultimatum: stop singing or go; she chose the music path ! There are quite a few videos of Rene but all have dubious sound so once again indulge me:



Diana Krall: in modern times this lady has been hugely successful, often her music wanders into cross over territory and is not jazz as I/we know it, but very accomplished. Born in Canada in ‘64 she had eight albums, more than anybody else at the top of female jazz artists in Billboard; a record.



Anita O’Day: became world famous overnight for her performance in the Newport Jazz Festival film Jazz on a Summers Day. Born in 1919, the year would suggest she should have been in the first list and career-wise yes, but to the likes of us her performance in that film was the start of her public acknowledgment.

Her early unhappy home life meant she left at 14 and did all sorts of strange things to earn a living including dance marathons. She was a capable drummer and married one, so as with so many of that era her background meant she could cope with anything that came up.

In ‘41 Gene Krupa asked her to join his band and that was followed with stints with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. She had a drug problem all her life and admitted she was probably high during that famous Newport ‘58 film. Considering the drug abuse, something she discussed in detail in a documentary, it was a miracle she made 87, but she was someone who never forgot her Jazz roots.

Here at Newport ‘58:



Fairly new to me is Silje Nergaard, born in ‘66 in Norway. It was this album that projected her onto a world stage, with Pat Methany on guitar:



As with all lists nothing is definitive, and sadly some that would have been included were not, either because of nothing of note being available or what there was being obscure numbers, bad sound etc, so forgiveness for not including obvious favourites and jazz greats such as Lena Horne, Betty Carter et al.

_____________________________________
Wiggia's first Ladies of Jazz is here:
http://theylaughedatnoah.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/the-ladies-of-jazz-by-wiggia.html

No comments: