Dinah Washington was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. 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.
King Pleasure was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo.
Quentin "Butter" Jackson was an American jazz trombonist.
From Spirituals to Swing was the title of two concerts presented by John Hammond in Carnegie Hall on 23 December 1938 and 24 December 1939. The concerts included performances by Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, Helen Humes, Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, Mitchell's Christian Singers, the Golden Gate Quartet, James P. Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and Sonny Terry.
On the Moon is a 2004 album by jazz pianist, singer, and composer Peter Cincotti. It was released on the Concord label and produced by Phil Ramone.
Lavay Smith is an American singer specializing in swing and blues. She tours with her eight-piece "little big band", Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.
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.
"Gin House Blues" is the title of two different blues songs, which have become confused over the years. Both songs were first recorded by Bessie Smith.
Cootie Williams and His Orchestra 1941–1944 is a compilation album of recordings by jazz trumpeter Cootie Williams from 1941, 1942, and 1944. It was released by Classics in 1995.
Dinah! is a fourth studio 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 Washington Sings Fats Waller is a seventh studio album by blues, R&B and jazz singer Dinah Washington released on the Emarcy label, and reissued by Verve Records in 1990 as The Fats Waller Songbook. In the album Washington covers 12 songs that have been penned or performed by jazz pianist, organist, singer and songwriter Fats Waller. Allmusic details the album in its review as saying: "Dinah Washington Sings Fats Waller appropriately brings together Waller's vivacious songs and Washington's demonstrative vocal talents. The jazz diva effortlessly handles Waller classics while turning in particularly emotive renditions. Adding nice variety to the already strong set, Washington's husband at the time, saxophonist Eddie Chamblee, joins the singer for playful duets on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Everybody Loves My Baby".
Newport '58 is a first live album by vocalist Dinah Washington. It was recorded on July 6, 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, and arranged by Melba Liston.
Hot Fives & Sevens is a 2000 box set collection of recordings made by American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong with his Hot Five, Hot Seven, and other groups between 1925 and 1930. First released on JSP Records on 22 August 2000, the set was subsequently reissued on Definitive in 2001. A four-disc compilation, the set has received a "crown" as an author's pick in The Penguin Guide to Jazz and is also included in the book's "core collection" recommended for jazz fans. Allmusic concurs that it is "beyond indispensable", suggesting that "you can't have a Louis Armstrong collection without this historic set" or "any kind of respectable jazz collection" Alternatively, Ben Ratliff, writing in 2002, preferred Columbia's release The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings.
The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz is a six-LP box set released in 1973 by the Smithsonian Institution. Compiled by jazz critic, scholar, and historian Martin Williams, the album included tracks from over a dozen record labels spanning several decades and genres of American jazz, from ragtime and big band to post-bop and free jazz.
Chet Baker Big Band is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1956 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.
Basie's Beat is a 1967 album by Count Basie and his orchestra.
Les McCann Sings is an album by pianist and vocalist Les McCann recorded in 1961 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.
"Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" is a late-1920s blues song written by composer George Brooks and made famous by Bessie Smith. In the song, a female narrator confesses the murder of a deceitful lover and expresses her willingness to accept her punishment. The song is notable for being among the selections officially banned from being played on radio by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith is the third studio album from American rhythm and blues singer LaVern Baker, released by Atlantic Records in 1958 and featuring cover versions of Bessie Smith songs. After her sophomre release LaVern Baker collected mostly previously-released singles, this album included only new tracks. The album was initially released in monaural sound and sold well enough that Atlantic re-released it in stereo sound in November for the holiday season.
