Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Gloria Lynne was born Gloria Wilson on November 23, 1931 in New York City and grew up in Harlem. Her professional career began in 1951 after winning first prize at the “Amateur Night” at the Apollo Theater. She shared the stage with contemporary nightclub vocal ensembles as well as with Ella Fitzgerald. During the Fifties she recorded as part of such groups as The Enchanters, The Del Tones and recording as a soloist under her birth name. However, most of her work was released under her stage name on both Everest and Fontana record labels.
Gloria showed much promise early on, especially after TV appearances, including the Harry Belafonte Spectacular, but her development suffered through poor management, some unscrupulous recording executives who profited while she was left virtually penniless, saved only by the fact that she was able to work steadily and earn her money from performance.
Throughout the 1960s she had several hits including “June Night”, “Love I Found You,” and “I Wish You Love” in 1964 that became a big hit and her signature song, “I’m Glad There Is You” and a pop tune “(You don’t have to be a) Tower Of Strength” that proved her versatility. Lynne went on to record such albums as “Soul Serenade”, “Love And A Woman”, “Where It’s At”, and “Here, There And Everywhere” all of which showcased her versatility in jazz, R&B, soul and melodic “pop”.
During her earlier years on-the-road she shared bills with Ray Charles, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Belafonte. As Lynne moved into jazz in her later career she worked with top-flight musicians and arrangers and performed with many of the jazz greats, including Quincy Jones, Bobby Timmons, Philly Joe Jones and Harry “Sweets” Edison. She penned lyrics with Herbie Hancock for his “Watermelon Man” and “All Day Long” with Kenny Burrell.
She has been inducted into the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame, honored with a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, with Gloria Lynne Day in New York City, received the National Heritage Award, the Prestigious Eagle Award and Outstanding Achievement In Jazz at the New York MAC Awards.
Vocalist Gloria Lynne continued to record, perform and write until passing away on October 15, 2013 at age 83 in Newark, New Jersey.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
June Christy, born Shirley Luster on November 20, 1925 in Springfield, Illinois but grew up in Decatur, Illinois from the age of three. She began singing at 13 with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra continuing through high school and adding appearances with the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden’s Band. Graduating she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, sang with the Boyd Raeburn group, then joined Benny Strong’s band and in 1944, with Strong’s band moved to New York.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O’Day had left Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, she auditioned and got the role as a vocalist and her success was on the rise. She actually bore a heavy vocal and physical resemblance to Anita O’Day and it was during this time, she changed her name once again, finally becoming June Christy. I
n 1947 June started working on her own records with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo that produced her debut “Something Cool” in 1954 with husband Bob Cooper and Bud Shank. This album was instrumental in launching the vocal cool movement of the fifties. Throughout the decade she had a string of hits like Something Cool, Midnight Sun and I Should Care as she continued to release records, such as, “The Misty Miss Christy” that would set new standards for the music and influence future jazz vocalists.
During the 50s and 60s, Christy appeared on the top television programs of the day including Eddie Condon’s Floor Show, The Alan Young Show, The Jack Carter Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Tonight Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Steve Allen Show, Playboy’s Penthouse, The Mike Douglas Show and The Joey Bishop Show. She embarked on dozens of concert tours throughout the U.S. and in Europe, South Africa and Japan.
June retired from the music business in 1969, only to take the stage again in financial crisis. In 1972, June sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York and reunited on stage with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. She recorded her final album “Impromptu” in 1977 but continued to perform at a few festivals over the next two decades with her final performance sharing the stage with Chet Baker in 1988. After struggling with illness for many years, vocalist June Christy passed away at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990. She was 64.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ernestine Anderson was born November 11, 1928 in Houston, Texas. By age three she was singing along with the raw tunes of the legendary Bessie Smith and soon moved on to the more refined environs of her local church, singing solos in its gospel choir. She grew up listening to John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and other blues greats while listening to the live performances of the Jimmy Lunceford, Billy Eckstine, Erskine Hawkins and Count Basie big bands. At twelve she entered into a local talent contest and singing around the melody in the wrong key was told she was a jazz singer.
Moving to Seattle with her family when she was sixteen, Ernestine graduated from Garfield High and at eighteen went on the road with the Johnny Otis band. By 1952 she was with Lionel Hampton, then settled in New York working with Gigi Gryce, touring Europe with Rolf Ericson. She recorded her debut album “Hot Cargo” in Sweden and released by Mercury Records. She won Down Beat’s “New Star” award in ’59, continued to record for Mercury to sensational acclaim, splitting her time between the States and Europe.
Anderson stepped out of the limelight as the Sixties ushered in rock and roll but re-emerged in the mid 1970’s with Ray Brown as her manager. Her appearance at the Concord Jazz Festival led to a string of albums for the label working into the ‘90s with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra among others.
In 2008 she fell on hard times and her family home facing foreclosure, was saved by an outpouring of donations by friends and colleagues like Quincy Jones and Dianne Schuur. Ernestine Anderson, a jazz and blues singer has enjoyed a career that has spanned over half a century has recorded over 30 albums, been nominated four times for a Grammy Award, has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Monterey Jazz Festival six times during her prolific career as well as jazz festivals and clubs all over the world.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Kurt Elling was born November 2, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois who first became interested in music through his father and growing up sang in choirs and played various musical instruments. As a child he listened to Tony Bennett, learned counterpoint from the motets of Bach and sang in his high school choir. He played violin, French horn, piano and drums but wasn’t exposed to jazz until he attended college listening to Dave Brubeck, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock and Ella Fitzgerald among others. He went on to pursue a master’s in philosophy of religion but left one credit short to pursue a career as a jazz vocalist.
Kurt began to perform around Chicago in basement clubs and jam sessions, scat singing and improvising his own lyrics while working day jobs to survive. He started listening to the minimalism and emotion of Chet Baker and to Mark Murphy exposing him to the poetry of Jack Kerouac. He recorded a demo in the early 90s that resulted in signing with Blue Note and the subsequent releasing of seven albums with the label.
He has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Vocal Jazz Album for 2009’s Dedicated To You. He often leads the Down Beat critics poll and has been awarded the Prix Billie Holiday from the Académie du Jazz. Elling is a baritone with a four-octave range, a writer, and composer who performs vocalese. Kurt Elling has sung and recorded with Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Orbert Davis, Jon Hendricks and Bob Mintzer to name a few. Since 1995, he has collaborated with pianist, composer, and arranger and musical director Laurence Hobgood, regularly leading a quartet.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Andrew W. Bey was born October 28, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey. Although he received piano and singing lessons later on, he began playing by ear at the age of three. In the early 50s Andy got his initial professional exposure working on a television show “Startime” with Connie Francis and sang for Louis Jordan. He went on to form a trio with sisters Salome and Geraldine called “Andy and The Bey Sisters”. They recorded various sides and released two albums on the Prestige label and one on RCA. The group parted in 1965.
In the Seventies he worked with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, collaborated with musicians like Stanley Clarke and also did notable work with Horace Silver and Gary Bartz. Later he recorded an album titled “Experience And Judgment” which had Indian influences. After that period he returned to hard bop and also recorded covers of music by non-jazz musicians.
In 1994, openly gay, Andy was diagnosed HIV-positive, but as of yet it has not interrupted his career. Colleague Herb Jordan assisted him with a resurgence of his recording career with “Ballads, Blues, & Bey” in 1996, returning him to prominence. Since then he has released five additional albums with his latest 2013 offerings titled “Chillin’ With Andy Bey” and “World According To Andy Bey”. Vocalist and pianist Andy Bey continues to perform, record and tour.