Happy birthday Branford Marsalis, Dori Caymmi & we remember Mr. Five By Five Jimmy Rushing. Jimmy Rushing was a powerful singer who had a range from baritone to tenor. He could project his voice so that it soared over the horn and reed sections in a big-band setting. Basie claimed that Rushing never had an equal as a blues vocalist, though Rushing really thought of himself as a ballad singer. George Frazier, author of Harvard Blues, called Rushings distinctive voice a magnificent gargle. Dave Brubeck defined Rushings status among blues singers as the daddy of them all. Late in his life Rushing said of his singing style, I dont know what kind of blues singer youd call me. I just sing em Among his best known recordings are Going to Chicago with Basie, and Harvard Blues, with a famous saxophone solo by Don Byas. Rushing joined Count Basie in 1935 for what would be a 13-year tenure. Due to his tutelage under his mentor Bennie Moten, Rushing was a proponent of the Kansas City jump blues tradition, well exemplified by his performances of Sent For You Yesterday and Boogie Woogie for the Count Basie Orchestra. After leaving Basie, his recording career soared, as a solo artist and a singer with other bands. When the Basie band broke up in 1950 he briefly retired, then formed his own group. He also made a guest appearance with Duke Ellington for the 1959 album Jazz Party. In 1960, he recorded an album with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, known for their cerebral cool jazz sound, but the album was nonetheless described by critic Scott Yanow as a surprising success. Jimmy Rushing was one of eight jazz and blues legends honored in a set of United States Postal System stamps issued in 1994.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 07:39:15 +0000
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