Mabel Scott

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mabel Scott (born April 30, 1915 in Richmond (Virginia) , † July 19, 2000 in Los Angeles ) was an American gospel , jazz and rhythm and blues singer.

Life

Scott first lived in New York City , where she became known with performances in churches and finally through a women's gospel group, The Song Cycles . Around 1932 she sang in the Cotton Club in Cab Calloway's orchestra and with the dancing Nicholas Brothers . In 1936 she moved to Cleveland , Ohio . She then went on tour to Europe with pianist Bob Mosley. In England she recorded with Parlophone . With the onset of World War II , she had to end her tours of Europe, returned to the United States and settled in Los Angeles , where she worked with musicians from the West Coast jazz and R&B scene on Central Avenue, initially in the band of Jack McVea .

After a brief stint in Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra , Scott appeared regularly at Club Alabam in 1943, accompanied by Wynonie Harris and Johnny Otis . She also sang in a group led by Lorenzo Flennoy and recorded for the Hub and Excelsior labels .

In 1948 she was with the songs Elevator Boogie and Boogie Woogie Santa Claus in the Billboard - R & B chart success. From 1949 to 1951 she was married to the pianist of the "Elevator Boogie", Charles Brown . Other successful songs of the time were That Ain't the Way to Love and Right Around the Corner .

In 1950 she went on tour with Bull Moose Jackson and had a longer engagement at the New York Cafe Society , where she was accompanied by Teddy Wilson and his trio. In 1952 she performed in Los Angeles with Pee Wee Crayton . In the early 1950s she recorded for the King label , Coral with Tyree Glenn , Eddie Barefield and Budd Johnson , for Brunswick and - accompanied by the King Kolax Orchestra - for Parrot Records . Her last recordings were made in 1956 for Festival Records as part of a tour of Australia with the band from Les Welch .

Frustrated by the declining success and an unhappy second marriage, Mabel Scott retired from the music business in the late 1950s, returned to her origins in gospel music and only sang in churches for the rest of her life. In 1995 she was honored with the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation .

Discographic notes

  • The Chronological Mabel Scott 1938-1950 ( Classics )
  • The Chronological Mabel Scott 1951–1955 (Classics)

Web links