Sippie Wallace "Complete Recorded Works, v.1: 1923-1925" (Document, 1995)

Sippie Wallace "Complete Recorded Works, v.2: 1925-1945" (Document, 1995)

Sippie Wallace "Women Be Wise" (Alligator, 1992)

Sippie Wallace "Sippie" (Collectables, 1982)

Helen Ward "The Complete Helen Ward On Columbia" (Collector's Choice, 2000)
During Benny Goodman's early years as a king of swing, New York native Helen Ward was his featured female vocalist. Ward brought a peculiarly All-American girl-next-door charm to her performances, as well as a fairly choppy, undisciplined style that's almost unimaginable in our modern era of computer-perfected pop. Her career was choppy as well: as Goodman's star really began to rise, Ward retired from show biz in 1939, apparently at the insistence of her first husband. She recorded sporadically thereafter, mainly for the Columbia label, which is where she and Goodman first met... This 2-CD set collects all of her Columbia recordings, from a handful of 1935 78s cut with Benny Goodman (before the band moved to the Victor label...) to the '50s reunion of Goodman's big band, and several appealling one-off appearances made in the early years of WWII. Ward's singing style changed subtly in the late 1930s, and jazz diva Billie Holiday seems to have been a clear influence, bringing a broader, more languid approach to the melody. Ward returned to this relaxed, melodic approach later on, as heard on the long out-of-print Percy Faith LP from 1953 that closes out this collection. Arguably, Ward was better suited to this crooning style than to the bouncy, rhythm-oriented numbers that fill these discs, but throughout she has an undeniable charm, as she cruises through the hits of the day. Nice stuff.

Helen Ward "With A Little Bit Of Swing" (RCA Victor, 1957)
Reissue of an album recorded with bandleader "Peanuts" Hucko.

Dinah Washington "A Slick Chick On The Mellow Side: The Rhythm & Blues Years" (Polygram, 1983) (LP)
Best known as a swanky pop singer, Dinah Washington was sort of an old-school R&B equivalent to Patsy Cline's as a honkytonker... pretty slick, but completely compelling. There are multi-CD retrospectives which trace her progress from a bluesy jazz singer to a pop diva, and those collections have their charms. This double LP set is pure gold, though -- Washington's best R&B material from the '40s and early '50s, playing with hotshot bands led by Lionel Hampton, Cootie Williams and Tab Hunter, as well as swinging jazzcats such as Wynton Kelly, Ben Webster and Wardell Gray. Hard to go wrong here! Dinah gets down and dirty, yet also proves herself a classy dame. Highly recommended!

Dinah Washington "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection" (Universal/Hip-O, 2002)
Kind of a no-nonsense, bare-bones hits package, including her biggest hit, "What A Difference A Day Makes," along with similarly swank, pop-oriented material such as "Unforgettable," "Baby, You've Got What It Takes" and "Baby, Get Lost." Sure, there's plenty more Dinah Washington worth checking out, but for a quick, inexpensive look at her best known stuff, this overview of her later years is pretty darn efficient.

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.1: 1946-1949" (Mercury, 1987)

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.2: 1950-1952" (Mercury, 1987)
A 3-CD set...

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.3: 1952-1954" (Mercury, 1988)

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.4: 1954-1956" (Mercury, 1988)

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.5: 1956-1958" (Mercury, 1990)

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.6: 1958-1960" (Mercury, 1991)

Dinah Washington "The Complete Dinah Washington, v.7: 1961" (Mercury, 1991)

Ethel Waters "The Incomparable Ethel Waters" (Sony Legacy, 2003)
This volume, gathering music from the years of Water's greatest commercial success, features her working with some of the top talent of the day, from Duke Ellington and Bunny Berigan to up-and-coming white swingsters like Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers (who were still working mainly as session players...) Although she hits some sweet grooves on several songs, for the most part Waters sounds mannered and intentionally camp on most tracks, with plenty of odd vocal swoops and exaggerated, haughty-taughty enunciation. She covers a lot of great songs of the day, such as "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Stormy Weather" and an early version of "Heat Wave." But generally speaking, she doesn't exactly cut loose on the material the way other singers would. Humorous classy/crude contrasts were her schtick, but sound pretty dated now. Unless you're in the mood for kitschy, antiquated performances and old-fashioned Gramophone ambience, this disc may be slightly harder to get into. Her jibes at Mae West in the break of "Come Up And See Me Sometime" are pretty funny, though.

Ethel Waters "1921-1923" (Classics, 1994)
These antique, ancient recordings date back to the dawn of recorded jazz and blues, and show how far back Ethel Waters' pedigree reaches. Four of her earliest recordings were with none other than sax legend Fletcher Henderson, who backs her on bluesy romps such as "Oh Daddy" and "Down Home Blues," which were hits, back in 1921, and helped establish both her and Henderson as major stars. This disc is packed with further collaborations with Henderson, and many other early jazz players. The sound is a mix of blues and jazz, stylistically close to Dixieland and New Orleans-style, and decidedly primeval and foundational. Unfortunately, the sound quality is equally primitive, and though these are spirited, spunky performances, modern listeners will have to work hard to appreciate them. But despite the singing-through-a-tin-can sonic quality, they offer a wealth of old-school blues pleasure. If you dig those old Bessie Smith discs, you'll want to check this out as well.

Ethel Waters "1923-1925" (Classics, 1994)

Ethel Waters "1925-1926" (Classics, 1994)

Ethel Waters "1926-1929" (Classics, 1996)
Waters on the edge of widespread stardom. She takes odd chances on a few songs -- her phrasing on "One Sweet Letter From You" and a couple of other tunes is simply distracting and bizarre, although you get the sense that she was trying to push at the boundaries of her craft, and have to admire her for the attempt. Other songs are closer to her blues roots, and a series of smutty blues sessions recorded with the likes of James P. Johnson and Clarence Williams yields up several gems. Her version of "My Handy Man" is a triumph of the genre, while "Get Up Off Your Knees" is positively scandalous. A few other milder hokum tunes are more reserved, but similarly enjoyable. Recommended!

Ethel Waters "1929-1931" (Classics, 1996)

Ethel Waters "1931-1934" (Classics, 1996)
This volume, gathering music from the years of Water's greatest commercial success, features her working with some of the top talent of the day, from Duke Ellington and Bunny Berigan to up-and-coming white swingsters like Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers (who were still working mainly as session players...) Although she hits some sweet grooves on several songs, for the most part Waters sounds mannered and intentionally camp on most tracks, with plenty of odd vocal swoops and exaggerated, haughty-taughty enunciation. She covers a lot of great songs of the day, such as "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Stormy Weather" and an early version of "Heat Wave." But generally speaking, she doesn't exactly cut loose on the material the way other singers would. Humorous classy/crude contrasts were her schtick, but sound pretty dated now. Unless you're in the mood for kitschy, antiquated performances and old-fashioned Gramophone ambience, this disc may be slightly harder to get into. Her jibes at Mae West in the break of "Come Up And See Me Sometime" are pretty funny, though.

Ethel Waters "1935-1940" (Classics, 1998)

Ethel Waters "1946-1947" (Classics, 2002)

Ethel Waters "The Very Best Of Ethel Waters: 1921-1947" (Master Classics, 2009)
A download-only digital release... Grumble, mutter... grumble. Kids these days!

Ethel Waters "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" (Word, 1960) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Mickelson)
An iffy postscript to a great career... This syrupy gospel album features arty vocals by an aged Waters, backed by florid, poppy string arrangements courtesy of arranger-producer Paul Mickelson. Nothing much to write home about, although the liner notes are kind of fun, particularly when they allude to Waters' blues-jazz past and her "lusty humor," and when they try and make the album seem like a great work of folkoric song-gathering, with Waters demonstrating gospel songs from the "negro" tradition that supposedly had never been transcribed before, giving the white folks in Waco, Texas the opportunity to provide them with wimpy orchestrations. I'm an Ethel Waters fan, so I wanted to check this one out, but I'm not sure I'd recommend that anyone else have to as well.

Paula Watson "The Chronological Paula Watson: 1948-1953" (Classics, 2004)
An outstanding collection of late-1940s/early-1950s blues and pop from West Coast pianist Paula Watson, who had a big indie hit in '48 with the song "A Little Bird Told Me," and went on to record for Decca and MGM before calling it quits in the early '60s. She plays and sings in a variety of styles, ranging from the familiar, bouncy hepcat swing of Nellie Lutcher to ballads and blues that bring Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington to mind. She even tried her hand at lightweigh, uptempo pop in the goofball style favored by Decca's producers, and although it ain't as cool as the blues stuff, even this is pretty enjoyable. A remarkably versatile, well-rounded performer who faded away too soon, Watson is a real treat for folks to discover, lo, these decades later. Highly recommended.

Paula Watson "The Very Best Of Paula Watson" (Master Classics, 2009)

Elisabeth Welch "Harlem In My Heart" (ASV-Living Era, 2001)
Fine swing vocals and cabaret jazz from this New York native, who sang and acted in revues on both sides of the Atlantic. Welch's long career started in 1923 with her introduction of a new dance -- the Charleston (!) -- in the Runnin' Wild revue, an entrance into showbiz that led to roles in several of the most notable shows of the next decade. In the early '30s, Welch emigrated to England, and though she recorded infrequently, she worked constantly. This disc recaps the best of her studio work, featuring collaborations with Ted Lewis, Paul Robeson, Ivor Novello and swing saxophonist Benny Carter. It's nice stuff, showing Welch as a capable jazz singer -- maybe not as soulful as Ivie Anderson or as genteel as Ethel Waters, but definitely pitching in the same league. Worth checking out!

Lee Wiley "Night In Manhattan" (Collector's Choice, 2001)
This disc reissues three separate 10" LPs recorded for Columbia in 1951-52: Night In Manhattan, Lee Wiley Sings Victor Youmans, and Lee Wiley Sings Irving Berlin. Wiley is a superior torch singer, although these recordings may strike modern-day fans as a bit stark or severe... They certainly are a wisp of a much older style of presentation, arch and even austere, the arch delivery of a seasoned performer momentarily dislodged from her nightly cabaret gig and transplanted into a studio sound booth... Yet Wiley has a great knack for bringing out the lyrics, even when her presentation is not as melodic or lush as we are used to in our singers. Sadly, although the booklet faithfully reproduces the original cover art from all three albums, there are no accompanying liner notes to describe Wiley's importance to jazz vocals, or the high regard with which she is held by her fans -- Night In Manhattan, which features arrangements by Bobby Hackett, was actually a huge hit in the early '50s, going gold and garnering many cover versions of the lyrics Wiley composed. (Here's a link to a rather critical profile on the Songbirds website that may help put her career in context...) If you like standards, particularly for the interpretation of lyrics, then these are great recordings to check out.

Mary Lou Williams & Andy Kirk "Mary's Idea" (MCA/GRP, 1993)
In 1931, when bandleader Andy Kirk found himself stuck in Kansas City with one of his key musicians unable to perform, he lucked out by finding pianist Mary Lou Williams available to fill the slot. Williams, one of the most gifted musicians of her time, soon joined Kirk's Twelve Clouds Of Joy as a full-time composer, arranger and soloist. Williams had a deft, fluid touch, and swiftly established herself as one of the most unique voices in modern jazz. These recordings, made for the Brunswick and Decca labels, are from 1936-41, all several years after Williams had joined the ensemble. As the title implies, these all bear the soft but solid stamp of her artistry -- like many swing albums, it does get a bit repetitive taken as a whole, but song by song, it's all sublime. This disc is predominantly instrumental, although there are several lovely vocal numbers, featuring Harry Mills, Pha Terrell, and one by drummer Ben Thigpen. Sweet stuff! This particular CD seems to be out of print, but it's worth searching for, as are any other Kirk/Williams collaborations of similar vintage.

Mary Lou Williams "The Chronological Mary Lou Williams: 1953-1954" (French Classics, 2006)
This is the seventh volume in the French Classics series of the solo work of jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams, documenting her tenure in Europe, beginning with a few recordings made in England, with the remainder of the tracks recorded in France, where Williams worked for a few years before her (temporary) mid-1950s retirement. In Paris she recorded extensively with bassist Buddy Banks and a revolving cast of musicians in various small groups. This disc includes an eight-song session with saxophonist Don Byas, some of the strongest material on this collection. Williams left show business after this period, returning in the late '50s, with a more expansive compositional vocabulary... But this is solid 'Fifties small-combo jazz, certainly worth checking out, particularly if you are a Williams aficionado.

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Main Jazz Index

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