I did a search and couldn't find her already discussed.
I picked up "The Incomparable Mildred Bailey" (Columbia - Legacy 2003) over the weeked. The blurb lists her as a influence on Ella. Anyone used her stuff for dancing. Any comments on the Proper set?
So far like "Wham (Re Bop Boom Bam)" on first listen.
Mildred Bailey
Moderators: Mr Awesomer, JesseMiner, CafeSavoy
Personally, I like the recordings I have with Midred singing. i have the incomparable disc, and she's all over the Red Norvo "best of the big bands" disc I have.
This is from a DownBeat article that mentions her influence (on white crooners...):
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While Bailey never became an icon like Billie Holiday (who she helped discover), such singers as Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby have enthused about her influence. The set is loaded with examples of why Bailey was so pivotal in the history of vocal jazz. Her inventive lifts, tonal shifts and stretching of key words brought out the sublime in the pop tune "A Thousand Dreams Of You." On "If You Should Ever Leave," her nuances didn't give away obvious syncopation, but she delivered an artful and strong challenge to the rhythm section, no less than Count Basie's bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones were on that date.
Most of Bailey's Columbia recordings featured her work with her husband, vibraphonist/xylophonist Red Norvo, and his groups. In the comprehensive liner notes, Friedwald speculates that the rigors of their tours (the couple were billed as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing") contributed to her early death in 1951 at the age of 48. Whether or not she tied her fate to a working band, her records showed how much she benefited from her close associations with certain musicians and such arrangers as Eddie Sauter. Norvo's own soft instrument blended in with Bailey's usually light timbre. Pianist Teddy Wilson radiated as much with Bailey as he did with Holiday. After hearing Roy Eldridge respond to Bailey on "My Last Affair" and "Where Are You," it's not surprising that the trumpeter felt that these were among his favorite sessions. Mary Lou Williams' piano on "There'll Be Some Changes Made" propels Bailey's lunge into unbelievably deep blues.
Found: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m108 ... icle.jhtml
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This is from a DownBeat article that mentions her influence (on white crooners...):
*****
While Bailey never became an icon like Billie Holiday (who she helped discover), such singers as Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby have enthused about her influence. The set is loaded with examples of why Bailey was so pivotal in the history of vocal jazz. Her inventive lifts, tonal shifts and stretching of key words brought out the sublime in the pop tune "A Thousand Dreams Of You." On "If You Should Ever Leave," her nuances didn't give away obvious syncopation, but she delivered an artful and strong challenge to the rhythm section, no less than Count Basie's bassist Walter Page and drummer Jo Jones were on that date.
Most of Bailey's Columbia recordings featured her work with her husband, vibraphonist/xylophonist Red Norvo, and his groups. In the comprehensive liner notes, Friedwald speculates that the rigors of their tours (the couple were billed as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing") contributed to her early death in 1951 at the age of 48. Whether or not she tied her fate to a working band, her records showed how much she benefited from her close associations with certain musicians and such arrangers as Eddie Sauter. Norvo's own soft instrument blended in with Bailey's usually light timbre. Pianist Teddy Wilson radiated as much with Bailey as he did with Holiday. After hearing Roy Eldridge respond to Bailey on "My Last Affair" and "Where Are You," it's not surprising that the trumpeter felt that these were among his favorite sessions. Mary Lou Williams' piano on "There'll Be Some Changes Made" propels Bailey's lunge into unbelievably deep blues.
Found: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m108 ... icle.jhtml
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Gary
