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Annie Ross
Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. Born in the UK, she has been a permanent resident of the USA for many years and a US citizen since 2001. The following are some highlights of what has been a long and illustrious career in jazz:
Annie Ross is one of the pioneers of vocalese and the composer of "Twisted", one of the most well known examples of that art, as well as "Farmers Market", "Jackie" and many others. A founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time, her influence is present in all subsequent practitioners of vocalese. “Twisted“ has been recorded by a host of vocalists, including some not normally associated with jazz, including Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler.
Annie Ross toured in the 50’s with the extraordinary Lionel Hampton band that included Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, and Quincy Jones. Ms. Ross has recorded with James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Harry Sweets Edison, the Count Basie band, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Chet Baker and many more. In this variety of settings, she became known as a great jazz singer, masterful at ballads and up tempos, with the ability to swing hard, improvise and make every lyric meaningful and revealing.
As a child, Annie Ross entered a talent show on the radio accompanied by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which resulted an a six-month contract with MGM. She went to Hollywood at age eight where she appeared in "The Little Rascals" singing a jazz version of "Loch Lomond." At age eleven she appeared as Judy Garland’s sister in "Presenting Lily Mars." At age 14 she composed the song "Let's Fly", which was subsequently recorded by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford.
In Paris in the late 40’s, she met up with musicians involved in modern jazz, including James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Billy Strayhorn, and displayed an unerring ear and savvy sense of harmony, which was much appreciated. At 19, she recorded “Le Vent Vert” with Moody. Back in the U.S. at age 21 she recorded for Savoy, along with Clarke, Milt Jackson and Percy Heath. She worked on 52nd St. with Max Roach, Tommy Potter and George Wallington and subbed for Billie Holiday at the Apollo Theater. The original recordings of “Twisted” and “Farmer’s Market” were done in 1952 with Wallington on piano and Art Blakey on drums.
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Nina Simone In Concert, New Midsummer Releases Plus Birthday Celebrations for Jazz Masters Annie Ross, Joanne Brackeen & More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast includes new releases from Nina Simone, Nadje Noordhuis and James Shipp, Nite Bjuti (a new collaboration featuring Candice Hoyes, Mimi Jones, Val Jeanty), the The Hot Toddies Jazz Band, Chuck Owen & WDR Big Band, Paula Maya, Francesca Bertazzo Hart, with a new single from Aline Homzy, plus birthday shoutouts to Annie Ross, Lisa Maxwell, Nnenna Freelon, Joanne Brackeen, Camille Bertault and Kate Bush, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by seeing ...
Continue ReadingNew Releases, Birthday Shoutouts to Joanne Brackeen, Annie Ross, Kate Bush And More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast presents new releases from vocalists Jesse Garland, Marilyn Scott and trombonist Michael Dease, with birthday shoutouts to Joanne Brackeen, Annie Ross, as well as vocalists Carla Hassett, Nnenna Freelon, saxophonist Tara Davidson, and Kate Bush among others. Congratulations to new NEA Jazz Master Regina Carter . Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of pandemic so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke and inspire.Playlist Carmen ...
Continue ReadingMusic Is Forever - Farewell to Annie Ross
by Mary Foster Conklin
In the first hour, a special tribute to Jazz Master Annie Ross (who sadly passed days before her 90th birthday), plus new releases from Mark Masters, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (a 1959 never released studio recording!), Jimmy Heath, Eva Cortés and Bettye Lavette, with birthday shoutouts to Margaret Whiting, Joanne Brackeen, Lisa Maxwell, Rufus Wainwright, Janis Siegel, Nneena Freelon and Cynthia Scott. Thanks for listening and please continue to support all of these fine musicians, buy their recordings ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Ross: A Handful Of Songs
by Roger Farbey
This release on British label Él Records sells itself short since it's very much more than just A Handful Of Songs. It's actually more like a veritable cornucopia of songs. Covering two CDs, in addition to the title album there's A Gasser! and the original cast of the London Production of the revue Cranks, named after John Cranko, who wrote and devised the show with music composed by John Addison. There's a “taster" selection of tracks from four albums by ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Ross: To Lady with Love
by John Ephland
Her spoken-word introduction is like an incantation. “To Lady" may only be 46 seconds long, but it has a lasting impact on everything that follows. Veteran singer (and actor) Annie Ross' To Lady With Love has the potential to unsettle, calm the nerves, transport you to another time and place. Whatever it does, if you let it affect you, this music will likely alter everything that happens to you the rest of the day, or night. After all, along with ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Ross: To Lady with Love
by Jack Bowers
London-born, Scottish-bred singer Annie Ross, who is perhaps best known (with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks) as part of the hip vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross (LHR) in the 1950s and '60s, was eighty-three years old when this earnest tribute to Billie Holiday, To Lady with Love, was recorded in 2013. At her advanced age, Ross is far more stylist than singer, a fact that is further amplified by the slender backing of only two guitarists, father Bucky and ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Ross: To Lady with Love
by C. Michael Bailey
If you want to hear the best Annie Ross, listen to King Pleasure Sings / Annie Ross Sings (Fantasy, 1952). If you want to hear the most empathic and honest Annie Ross, listen to To Lady with Love. Ross is in her early to mid-80s and her voice is not what it was in the 50s and '60s, but her passion, grace and intelligence surpasses all previous recordings. This is a late autumn--early winter voice, to be sure. This recording ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Ross: 12 Solo Tracks
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Annie Ross's recording career needs to be evaluated in two parts—her solo work and her albums with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Today, my 12 favorite solo recordings from the 1950s: Here's Annie Ross's first recording, Le Vent Vert, in Paris in 1950. The abstract song by James Moody is wordless... Le Vent Vert Here's Ross in 1952 singing The Way You Look Tonight, backed by Milt Jackson (vib), Blossom Dearie (p), Percy Heath (b) and Kenny Clarke (d)... Here's Ross ...
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Annie Ross: 1930-2020
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Annie Ross, a pioneering vocalese singer and songwriter, and the last surviving member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross—arguably the best-known and most successful vocal group in jazz—died on July 21. She was 89. Writing lyrics to jazz standards and modern jazz solos and singing them was a mark of subterranean hipness in the late 1940s and early '50s. Her first two vocalese sides in 1952, for which she wrote the lyrics, were Twisted, based on a Wardell Gray solo, and ...
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Celebrating Annie Ross on October 25 at the Metropolitan Room (NYC)
Source:
Roz Nixon
Annie Ross is a master class in how to sing jazz . “Her sense of time and rhythm will fracture you...." ~ Rex Reed. Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. She is a pioneer of vocalese as well as a founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time and on Tuesday October 25, 2011 the Great Women In Music Festival (now in ...
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"Inimitable" Annie Ross!
Source:
All About Jazz
Riverbank State Park, in association with Brownstone Entertainment Complex, LLC, for our fifth consecutive year are pleased to present: “Jammin' On The Hudson." 'Jammin'; The Summer Concert Series for the 'serious' Jazz Lover! What could be more inviting than listening to the sounds of great Jazz Artists, cast out over The Hudson River, at sunset, for Free?! Our Season 'kicks-off' on Sunday July 12th with... a Legendary vocalist who once stood in for the one-and-only “Lady Day" (Ms. Billie Holiday) ...
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International Women in Jazz Festival 2009
Source:
All About Jazz
International Women in Jazz (IWJ) and The Jazz Committee at Saint Peters Church/Midtown Arts Common present the Third Annual Women in Jazz Festival.
Honoring Jazz Vocalist, Annie Ross and remembering Jazz Vocalist, Etta Jones.
The festival includes live music presented by IWJ bands, jazz chorus and a jam session, a Business Panel for musicians, a Legends Panel at which Annie Ross will be interviewed and Etta Jones remembered. There will be a reception with live music.
The Saturday evening concert ...
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Annie Ross at the Metropolitan Room Tuesday, August 28th
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
Jazz legend Annie Ross continues her run of Tuesdays at the Metropolitan Room at Gotham New York's newest and best music room
34 West 22nd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.) New York City Reservations (212)206-0440
Next Appearance August 28th @ 7:00 PM And Continuing Every Tuesday in August and September
With Tardo Hammer - Piano Neal Miner - Bass Tony Jefferson ...
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Annie Ross at the Metropolitan Room Tuesday, 7th at 7PM
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
Jazz legend Annie Ross continues her run of Tuesday's at the Metropolitan Room At Gotham New York's newest and best music room 34 West 22nd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.) New York Reservations (212) 206-0440 Next Appearance August 7th @ 7:00 PM And Continuing Every Tuesday in August Tardo Hammer - Piano Neal Miner - Bass Tony Jefferson - Drums Warren ...
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Annie Ross at the Metropolitan Room Tuesday, July 17th
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
Jazz legend Annie Ross continues her run of Tuesdays at the Metropolitan Room At Gotham New York's newest and best music room 34 West 22nd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.) New York City Reservations (212)206-0440 http://www.metropolitanroom.com/
Next Appearance July 17th @ 7:00 PM And Continuing Every Tuesday in June, July & August
with Tardo Hammer - Piano Neal Miner ...
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Annie Ross at the Metropolitan Room Tuesday June 26th 7PM
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
Jazz legend Annie Ross continues her run of Tuesday's at the Metropolitan Room At Gotham New York's newest and best music room 34 West 22nd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.) New York, NY Reservations (212)206-0440 Next Appearance June 26th @ 7:00 PM And Continuing Every Tuesday in June, July & August Tardo Hammer - Piano Neal Miner - Bass Tony Jefferson ...
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