Sarah McLawler

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Sarah McLawler Kimes (* 9. August 1926 in Louisville , Kentucky ; † 12. September 2017 ) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues - pianist , organist and singer .

Live and act

McLawler was shaped in her childhood by church and gospel music and attended the Jordan Conservatory of Music in Indianapolis, where her family lived at the time, on a scholarship. She began her professional career as a singer in 1946 when she performed with the Jean Pope Orchestra at the Sunset Terrace Club . At that time u. a. also Charlie Parker , Billy Eckstine , Gene Ammons and the women's band International Sweethearts of Rhythm . After moving to Chicago, she studied music at Fisk University . Influenced by the music of the big bands of that time, McLawler gained his first experience as a professional musician in the late 1940s in Chicago clubs and on tours with Lucky Millinder's big band. During a guest performance in Nashville in 1948 she met Hetty Smith, with whom she founded the women's band The Syncoettes (with piano, saxophone, bass, drums); their inclusion of the standard " The St. Louis Blues " attracted attention and led to the band's engagement at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem . Another published track by the band was the vocal track "I Can't Stop Loving You" (King 4495). The Syncoettes were a house band at Chicago's Savoy Club for a while.

In the 1940s she married the violinist Richard Otto, whom she met while working at a club in Brooklyn . They went on tour together and also made recordings. In the 1950s she was active in the New York jazz and R&B scene, playing with Georgia Coleman, Akbar DePriest and Sun Ra percussionist Tommy Hunter , among others . During this time she recorded a number of singles for the Premium label with musicians such as Red Saunders , Harold Clark, Big John Greer , Sonny Thompson , Carl Pruitt , Kelly Martin, Tyree Glenn , Georgie Auld , Mundell Lowe and Specs Powell (“My Whole Life Through ”, 1950), from 1952 with King and from 1953 with Brunswick ; well-known tracks were "I Can't Stop Loving You", "Love, Sweet Love" for the King label, as well as "Red Light", "Tipping In", "Let's Get the Party Rocking" and "Blue Room". In June 1953 she performed with her trio in New York's Apollo Theater , which at times consisted of the unusual line-up of organ, violin and drums.

Further recordings were made with her husband for Brunswick and Vee-Jay Records . She also played some jazz standards like " Yesterdays " and " Body and Soul " and performed several times at the Newark Jazz and Newport Jazz Festival . She also had engagements at the Novotel Hotel.

Carol Sudhalter , James Carter, Bertha Hope , Melba Joyce , Annette Aguilar , Kim Clark and Annette St. John performed at the memorial service in her honor . She is buried in Calverton National Cemetery .

Discographic notes

  • Sarah McLawler 1950-1953 ( Classics )
  • Sarah McLawler & Richard Otto: We Bring You Swing (Vee-Jay)
  • Sarah McLawler & Richard Otto: We Bring You Love (Vee-Jay, 1961)
  • Sarah McLawler & Richard Otto: At The Break Of Day (Vee-Jay)
  • Richard Otto & Sarah McLawler: Break of Spring (Vee Jay)
  • Sarah McLawler: Under My Hat (Doodlin Records 2010)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Herb Boyd: A homegoing of music for Sarah McLawler Kimes - Obituary in Amsterdam News
  2. ↑ With Lula Roberts (saxophone), Vi Wilson (bass) and Hetty Roberts (drums).
  3. ↑ JC Marion on Sarah Mclawler's time at King Records
  4. ^ Richard Skelly: Portrait in Allmusic
personal data
SURNAME McLawler, Sarah
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American R&B and jazz pianist and organist
DATE OF BIRTH August 9, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Louisville (Kentucky)
DATE OF DEATH 12th September 2017