Mildred Bailey

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Mildred Bailey, New York 1947
Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Mildred Bailey (born February 27, 1907 in the Coeur d'Alene reservation, Idaho near Tekoa , Washington , as Mildred Rinker ; † December 12, 1951 in Poughkeepsie , NY ) was a well -known American jazz singer in the 1930s . As the first band singer in the history of jazz , she was one of the regular soloists of her respective orchestra. She became known to the general public through her version of the hit Rockin 'Chair . Her recordings with Red Norvo , John Kirby , Teddy Wilson , Benny Goodman and Coleman Hawkins are considered significant.

Live and act

Bailey attended school in Spokane ; her brother Al Rinker was one of the rhythm boys in Paul Whiteman's band. She began her career as a teenager, singing accompaniment to silent films and performing songs in music stores. She kept her first husband's last name, Ted Bailey, when she moved to Seattle to work as a singer. With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she was able to establish herself as a blues and jazz singer on the east coast . In 1925 she placed her brother Al Rinker and his friend Bing Crosby in work as musicians. Crosby returned the favor by introducing her to Paul Whiteman in 1929. She made her debut on the popular Whiteman radio show in 1929 with her version of Moaning Low and enjoyed instant success; she was then the first female vocalist in a jazz band.

Since then she has worked with the Whiteman Orchestra (until 1933), but did not take part in recordings until 1931. She left Whiteman with her third husband, Red Norvo, due to disputes over their pay. In November 1931, at her second studio appointment (with Matty Malneck's orchestra ), a version of Georgia on My Mind was created under her own name , which became her first hit in the charts. In 1933 she recorded a number of excellent records with the Eddie Lang Orchestra (What Kind O'Man Is You) and with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey , in 1934 with Benny Goodman's studio band and settled in New York. Between 1936 and 1939 she led a band with Norvo, which over time expanded into a twelve-member formation. A safe intonation as a soprano and excellent phrasing earned her the nickname “Mrs. Swing ". When she later made Hoagy Carmichael's piece Rockin 'Chair (with The Delta Rhythm Boys as accompanist) known, she was also nicknamed "Rockin' Chair Lady". In 1939 she was a guest on Benny Goodman's radio show; there were also recordings with Mary Lou Williams .

In the early 1940s she appeared - despite illness - as a soloist in Cafe Society , Blue Angel and other New York clubs; After the divorce, Bailey continued to work with Norvo (until 1945), but could also be heard on recordings with Teddy Wilson (1943) and Louis Armstrong (1944). In the mid-1940s she had her own radio show on CBS . Due to illness - she suffered from diabetes and had heart problems - she performed until 1949, but made only a few records in the last years of her life (with Eddie Sauter, among others ). In 1950 she made a guest appearance with Joe Marsala in Chicago; the long-playing record A Mildred Bailey Serenade was released . In 1951 she had to cancel a tour and was admitted to the hospital in Poughkeepsie , where she died at the end of the year.

According to Leonard Feather , Mildred Bailey was originally influenced by Bessie Smith , Ethel Waters, and other blues singers . Although she had Indian roots in part, she was considered the first non-black singer to find recognition in jazz, known for her uniquely light soprano voice , her jazz-influenced phrasing , flawless articulation and a sure feeling for swing .

The US Post issued a postage stamp in 1994 to commemorate the singer. The CD series The Complete Columbia Recordings of Mildred Bailey (see under "Collection") was rated by jazz critics internationally as an outstanding historical publication of 2001.

Discographic notes

Mildred Bailey, in the Aquarium Nightclub, New York City, circa August 1946. Photo: Bill Gottlieb

Bailey's record work is documented in the Classics editions from 1929 to 1947; among them stand out:

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personal data
SURNAME Bailey, Mildred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rinker, Mildred
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer
DATE OF BIRTH February 27, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Tekoa , Washington, USA
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1951
Place of death Poughkeepsie , New York