| Back to the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1963 | |||
| Recorded | 1962 | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
| Length | 43:02 | |||
| Label | Roulette | |||
| Dinah Washington chronology | ||||
| ||||
Back to the Blues is a 1963 studio album by Dinah Washington, arranged by Fred Norman. [1]
| Back to the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1963 | |||
| Recorded | 1962 | |||
| Genre | Vocal jazz | |||
| Length | 43:02 | |||
| Label | Roulette | |||
| Dinah Washington chronology | ||||
| ||||
Back to the Blues is a 1963 studio album by Dinah Washington, arranged by Fred Norman. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [2] |
AllMusic's Scott Yanow wrote that "after her unexpected success on the pop charts, most of Washington's sessions for Mercury and Roulette during the last four years of her life were quite commercial, with string arrangements better suited to country singers and Dinah nearly parodying herself with exaggerated gestures ... In general, this is a more successful date than Washington's earlier investigation of Bessie Smith material, since the backup band is more sympathetic and the talented singer is heard in prime form. Dinah Washington clearly had a real feeling for this bluesy material". [1]
Dinah Washington was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music, and gave herself the title of "Queen of the Blues". She was a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Lady in Satin is an album by jazz singer Billie Holiday released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is the penultimate album completed by the singer and last released in her lifetime. The original album was produced by Irving Townsend, and engineered by Fred Plaut.
These are the Blues is a 1963 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald featuring trumpeter Roy Eldridge and organist Wild Bill Davis. Sleeve artwork was painted by David Stone Martin. This is Fitzgerald's only example of recording an entire album of blues songs.
What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! is a 1959 album by Dinah Washington, arranged by Belford Hendricks, featuring her hit single of the same name.
The Genius Sings the Blues is an album by Ray Charles, released in October 1961 on Atlantic Records. The album was his last release for Atlantic, compiling twelve blues songs from various sessions during his tenure for the label. The album showcases Charles's stylistic development with a combination of piano blues, jazz, and southern R&B. The photo for the album cover was taken by renowned photographer Lee Friedlander. The Genius Sings the Blues was reissued in 2003 by Rhino Entertainment with liner notes by Billy Taylor.
Laughing on the Outside is the fourth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 12, 1963, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York and Hollywood. These sessions found a 21-year-old Aretha Franklin recording Jazz and Pop music standards, from Johnny Mercer to Duke Ellington. She is backed by the arrangements of Columbia producer Robert Mersey. One of the most popular songs from the album is Aretha's interpretation of the classic "Skylark". A minute and fifty-eight seconds into the song, Aretha sings the word "Skylark" with power and emotion. This was one of the first times in which Aretha recorded one of her written compositions, "I Wonder ", on an album. Though somewhat overlooked in her Columbia catalogue, this album was jointly re-released with The Electrifying Aretha Franklin in June 2008.
Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington is the fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on February 18, 1964, by Columbia Records, the album is a tribute dedicated to the recently deceased singer Dinah Washington. The sessions were recorded in New York. A few tunes were cut with strings in order to bring out the essential ballad character of the songs ; most of the tracks, though, were made with the assistance of a small and sympathetic accompanying group for which Mersey supplied minimal written guidance.
In the Land of Hi-Fi is an album by the blues, R&B and jazz singer Dinah Washington, released in 1956 on the Emarcy label. The album includes a mix of jazz, popular and blues standards of the period, all selected to emphasize the vocalist's style.
Queen of Soul is the fifth studio album by American Blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in December 1964, featuring the singles James had released during the year. It was arranged by Riley Hampton, Bert Keyes, Cliff Parman, Al Pokonka and Phil Wright.
Together Again, also known as Country and Western Meets Rhythm and Blues, is a studio album by Ray Charles released in 1965 by ABC-Paramount Records.
Ray's Moods is a studio album by Ray Charles released in July 1966.
Drinking Again is an album by singer Dinah Washington that was released in 1962 by Roulette Records. The album was arranged by Don Costa and contains cover versions of jazz, blues, and pop standards.
Blue Gardenia is the twenty-fifth studio album by Etta James, released through the record label Private Music. It was produced by John Snyder, who had worked with James on five of her previous studio albums. Blue Gardenia contains thirteen jazz standards from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. All of the standards were arranged by pianist Cedar Walton, with the exception of "Love Letters", which was arranged by Josh Sklair. Between November 2000 and February 2001, Snyder and Walton assembled musicians to record tracks while James was recovering from a flu; her vocals were added following her recovery. In addition to Walton, artists appearing on the album included Red Holloway on tenor saxophone and Dorothy Hawkins, James' mother, who provided vocals on the title track. Hawkins died in May 2002, less than a year after the album's release.
Dinah! is a 1956 album by blues, R&B and jazz singer Dinah Washington released on the EmArcy label. The album includes a mix of jazz, popular and blues standards of the period, all selected to emphasize the vocalist's style.
Dinah Sings Bessie Smith is a 1958 album by blues, R&B and jazz singer Dinah Washington released on the Emarcy label, and reissued by Verve Records in 1999 as The Bessie Smith Songbook. The album arrangements are headed by Robare Edmondson and Ernie Wilkins, and the songs are associated with American blues singer Bessie Smith. Allmusic details the album in its review as saying: "It was only natural that the "Queen of the Blues" should record songs associated with the "Empress of the Blues." The performances by the septet/octet do not sound like the 1920s and the purposely ricky-tick drumming is insulting, but Dinah Washington sounds quite at home on this music".
Unforgettable is a 1961 LP record by blues, R&B and jazz singer Dinah Washington, released on the Mercury Records label, and reissued as a compilation album in 1991. The record shows the singer mostly in a pop star role instead of her traditional jazz & blues style. Allmusic reviews the compilation album as saying: "This CD finds Washington singing brief versions of standards in hopes of gaining another hit.". The single "Unforgettable", released in 1959, peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1961, and Dinah's recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
How About This is an album by vocalist Kay Starr and pianist and bandleader Count Basie, released in 1969 by the Paramount Records label.
Dinah Sings Some Blues with Red is a studio album by singer Dinah Shore and vibraphonist Red Norvo and his quartet. It was released in 1960.
Mellow Mama is an album by the American jazz vocalist Dinah Washington, compiling her early recordings from 1945 with Lucky Thompson and His All Stars that were originally issued by Apollo Records. It was released by the Delmark label in 1992.
"Big Long Slidin' Thing" is a 1954 rhythm and blues song written by Eddie Kirkland and Mamie Thomas, sung by Dinah Washington, and arranged by Quincy Jones. It has been covered by a number of different artists, and has been rated as one of the best double entendre songs of all time.
