Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith ● Sings Fats Waller

Dinah Washington - Sings Bessie Smith ● Sings Fats Waller -  American Jazz Classics

This is a public domain European reissue of two Dinah Washington albums from the late fifties that came out a few years back. I wonder if the inspiration of her tributes to Bessie Smith and Fats Waller might have come from Louis Armstrong's similar albums devoted to the music of W.C. Handy and Waller. In Armstrong's case, inspiration may have come from their compositions, while Ms. Washington focuses on recordings by these giants.

On the Bessie Smith album, she was backed by a band led by her then-husband Eddie Chamblee, while the Fats Waller album had her backed by a big band conducted by Ernie Wilkins. Chamblee was part of that band. Others present on various recordings include, but not limited to, Clark Terry, Johnny Coles, and Reunald Jones on trumpet; Quentin Jackson, Julian Priester, and Melba Liston on trombone; Chamblee, Charles Davis, Frank Wess, and Benny Golson on saxophone; Jack Wilson on piano; Freddie Greene on guitar; Richard Evans on bass; and Charlie Persip on drums.

There is a bit of a trad-swing feel to the Bessie Smith recordings with able renditions of "Backwater Blues," "Careless Love," and "You've Been a Good Old Wagon." There is a surprise in her choice of "Trombone Butter" (renamed Butter from Cholly) with gutbucket tailgating trombone from Quentin 'Butter' Jackson. Nice are renditions of "After You've Gone," "If I Could Be With You" (which Bessie did not record but apparently was close to her), and Dinah's own "Fine Fine Daddy," which is similar in spirit to many of Bessie's recordings. Dinah did not have as heavy a voice as Smith but was in her own way as gripping a performer. It should be noted that four bonus selections include three songs from the sessions that produced the Smith Tribute, including a marvelous "Trouble in Mind." Also, there is a big band recording of "Backwater Blues" that was recorded earlier. Throughout Dinah's musicality, her pitch intonation, diction, and phrasing shine.

The Fats Waller sessions are equally rewarding, backed by a big band. Washington's performances have a different quality from those by Waller. Both were extroverts, although Waller had a dash of outrageous fun in his handling of some lyrics. There are a couple of duets with husband Chamblee on "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Everybody Loves My Baby." She delivers a wonderful rendition of Chu Berry's "Christopher Columbus," which Andy Razaf added after Fletcher Henderson's recording.  She sings an equally marvelous performance of "Jitterbug Waltz," a song that she was first to record as a vocal. Then there is a take on "Black and Blue," which reflected some lyrical changes due to changes in social attitudes from the twenties. Like the Bessie Smith tribute, this was another superb display of Washington's soulful, expressive singing. 

The accompanying booklet includes the original liner notes to both albums, personnel information, and a biography appreciation from Arthur Morton. The CD contains nearly 80 minutes of the Queen singing the blues and so much more.

I purchased this. Here is a television appearance of Dinah singing "Lover, Come Back to Me / Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair."

Take 5 With Dinah Washington

This week's Take 5 playlist is devoted to the great Dinah Washington who was known as the Queen of the Juke Boxes and Queen of the Blues. Influenced by Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and others, the former gospel singer first became a household name as a singer with Lionel Hampton. It was the beginning of a fabled career that we will sample in several playlists. Today's focus will be on some of her early recordings.

We open with "Evil Gal Blues" that was recorded while with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra.

Despite being called a blues singer, Dinah was so much more as can be heard in this early recording (1947) for the Mercury family of labels, "Embraceable You."

Nest up is "You Satisfy" which spent a week on the rhythm and Blues charts. It was written by Danny Baxter and originally recorded by Ruby Smith with Gene (Honeybear) Sedric and His Orchestra. Dinah would record it a couple years later, adding a verse from Billie Holiday's "Billie's Blues" as "Gambler's Blues." B.B. King recorded it as "Gambler's Blues," on his "Blues Is King" live album. Subsequently such blues artists as Otis Rush and Luther Allison recorded it as well.

Of course, Dinah was not averse to a double-entendre lyric. Here is her classic "Long John Blues."

We close this short playlist with a song about the second Petrillo Recording ban, "Record Ban Blues."

I look forward to presenting another playlist of this legend of Jazz and Blues in a week or two.

Trouble In Mind (1926)

One of the most celebrated blues of all time is Richard Jones' "Trouble in Mind." Here is the celebrated original recording that featured Jones piano and the cornet of Louis Armstrong. It was a recording that Armstrong celebrated being part of and redid this for his musical autobiography in 1957 which he introduced.

One of my favorite recordings of this is Dinah Washington's 1952 Mercury recording with Ben Webster taking the tenor sax solo.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of many who put their own stamp on this classic.

Here is Lightnin' Hopkins putting his distinctive touch to this.

It is a song that has become a staple of American music. Here is Merle Haggard doing a Western Swing based rendition. Bob Wills, a major influence on Merle, recorded this years before.

Here is Big Bill Broonzy.

Here is B.B. King performing it. Sounds like one of his many recordings for the Bihari Brothers in the 1950s or early 1960s with probably a Maxwell Davis arrangement.

Here is the legendary Sam Cooke's take on this classic.

Finally the greatly neglected Georgia White

Hope you enjoyed this look at a blues classic and some of its interpretations.

Clifford Brown With The Great jazz Singers.

Hip-O-Select, the reissue label associated with the Universal Music Group that includes the classic Mercury, Emarcy and Verve catalogs has issued a second volume in its Emarcy Master Takes reissues of Clifford Brown’s music, The Singer Sessions. This deluxe reissue comes packaged in a profusely illustrated hardback booklet with annotation from DownBeat associate editor Aaron Cohen, with three stick back pockets that the compact discs are housed in. The booklet contains wonderful photographs of the various performers on these sessions as well as the covers of the original releases of these recordings which included not only LPs but extended play EPs as well. This packaging is marvelous.

The first two of the three CDs reissue the sessions that produced (among other releases) Dinah Jams and  Jam Session. The material is presented as it was originally recorded with Cohen providing the details how this session came about. Max Roach and Clifford Brown had already recorded extensively in the days before this session. Junior Mance notes that while labelled a jam session, this was actually a party in the studio with such an impressive cast of musicians that included Brown, Roach, Harold Land, Richie Powell and George Morrow along with pianist Mance, trumpeters Clark Terry and Maynard Ferguson, bassist Keter Betts, guitarist Herb Geller, and drummer Buddy Rich.

I am more familiar with the selections on which Dinah sings (including my favorite recording of Lover Come Back to Me, and the superb I’ve Got You Under My Skin). Listening to the hot bop of Denzil Best’s Move and the rousing rendition What Is This Thing Called Love, is wonderful as it sounds what one might have heard if they were on a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour. Brownie’s mix of sweetness and hot fire always impresses and one must not lose sight of just how good a saxophonist Harold Land was as can be heard in his terrific solo on You Go To My Head. And one should not forget the shorter performances such as Dinah’s wonderful vocal on No More. 

The third CD combines two later sessions on which Brown played, one with Sarah Vaughan and the other with Helen Merrill. The first session featuring Vaughan was originally from an album titled after the singer and with a session that also included Paul Quinichette on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Jimmy Jones on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass and Roy Haynes on drums with Ernie Wilkins handling the arrangements. The playing is a bit tighter here with the focus on Sarah Vaughan’s vocals. There are still plenty of moments such as Brown exchanging fours with Vaughan’s scatting on Lullaby of Birdland. April in Paris, opens without the horns, before Quinichette has a lovely solo and Brown adds some muted trumpet accompanying Vaughan as she resumes singing. On He’s My Guy there are nice choruses for Quinichette and Brown before Jones takes the spotlight. The combination of Sarah Vaughan’s divine singing, Wilkins’ terrific arrangements and the superb playing by the studio band this date, not simply Brown, results in a classic recording. 

Helen Merrill’s eponymously titled debut recording had Brown, flutist Danny Banks (also on baritone) as featured horns accompanist on a Quincy Jones supervised date that included Milt Hinton or Oscar Pettiford on bass, Jimmy Jones on piano and Barry Galbraith on guitar in the studio. Brown’s bright open playing during his solo contrasts with Merrill’s soft vocals (almost like a whisper) on Don’t Explain as she sings “you’re my joy and pain.” You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To swings lightly and Brown takes some spirited choruses after Jones takes a solo. Listening to her on What’s New, I can understand why Dexter Gordon also took to this ballad, while on Yesterdays, the longing she expresses is complemented by Brown’s featured choruses. This was a recording full of charm and heart, It had an impact on Merrill such that she would revisit it four decades later with a homage to Brown employing a brass ensemble to evoke his spirit.

The Singers Sessions is a welcome companion to the previously issued 4 CD set, “The Emarcy Master Takes” which compiled the recordings Brown and Max Roach made together, this will be welcome to those who do not have the initial recordings. The music sounds good and the backing is attractive. This music is to quote Merrill singing a Gershwin classic, “it’s wonderful, it’s marvelous,” and recommended although those having prior reissues of some or all of this material might pass on this. Certainly this would make a welcome holiday present.

The recording company sent me a review copy. Here is what I believe is the only video of Clifford Brown performing that exists and originated from a fifties local late night show that Soupy Sales hosted.