Classics
1999
1944-1947
About This Album
Etta Jones was a strikingly beautiful, authentically soulful woman who sang both blues and jazz for more than half a century without ever receiving the kind of praise and acclaim she so richly deserved. These are her very earliest recordings. First come four variations on the blues composed by producer Leonard Feather, backed by the Barney Bigard band with trumpeter Joe Thomas, tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, and a rhythm section of Feather, Billy Taylor, Chuck Wayne, and Stan Levey. These opening tracks, recorded for the Black & White label on December 29, 1944, are reminiscent of Dinah Washington's 1943 recording debut with Lionel Hampton. While Washington was a knockout from the first note, 16-year-old Etta Jones just sang from her heart as if it were as natural as breathing air. The brassy and sassy "You Ain't Nothin' Daddy" was recorded sometime near the beginning of 1945 for the Chicago label. Backing her on this occasion was a sextet led by that elusive but legendary alto saxophonist Floyd "Horsecollar" Williams, with trumpeter Jesse Drakes and a rhythm section of Duke Jordan, Gene Ramey, and J.C. Heard. Another Black & White session dating from sometime in 1945 found the singer performing alongside sympathetic tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson and the Cyril Haynes Quartet.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,5,7,10,12,18 and 21)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.