She's that kind of woman. Big blue eyes, provocative curves and a look that says, "I'm gonna cut you up."
But looks can be deceiving, for while Ann Williams had the appearance of a quintessential, hard-nosed femme fatale - always a good thing in my book - her vocals are unexpectedly varied, moving from light and breezy to powerful, canon-like belts. In other words, her 1961 LP, "First Time Out" - a Wonderful Williams Cheerful Exclusive! for you and yours - is an absolute must for your collection. No surprise that it's long been considered a jazz vocal classic.
This was, unfortunately, her only LP, but she was quite active as a performer at clubs in NYC and the West Coast and made multiple TV appearances. She also gave birth to a superb jazz drummer, thankyouverymuch. All in all, it seems, she had a life well lived, a gorgeous voice, and based on her LP cover, a killer death-stare that surely made her son tremble in his toes whenever he misbehaved ("I see you," her glare surely told him, "and you will pay dearly for that vase you just knocked over. When you least expect it").
Are you "Social Distancing?" Are you and yours going bonkers? Have you binged your last Netflix series? Have you eaten all of your night cheese? Then try something else. Read a book, or listen to music, or read a book and listen to music. Far warning, though, when you're listening to the lovely lady below, you won't be able to read anything. She'll command your full attention, which...
...sounds ominous, I know, but it this case, it's delightful. Why? Because Rose "Chee-Chee" Murphy's happy, trilling voice is irresistible. If you've only heard her sing a few numbers, you might think her vocals are gimmicky and maybe not worth a full compilation.
But think again. No, really. However she did the voodoo she done do, she found incredible variety in her high, birdlike voice, complete with chirps, percussive sounds and itsy-bitsy giggles. She was well known in the 1940s as "The Girl With The Pale Pink Voice," which is cute, for sure, but doesn't really capture the skill and warmth she brings to each individual song. When I first played this compilation, I was stunned; I couldn't believe I'd listened to all 29 tracks straight through. That's a lot of Chee-Chee! And I wanted more.
Meanwhile did you hear the news about Cab Calloway? He was listed as Ja'net Dubois' biological father on her death certificate!
Hi-dee-ho, hi-dee-whoa! And the cherry on top of this delightful news? Cab's first wife was named "Wenonah." Insert face-slap emoji. Can you see the resemblance? I can, especially in the jawline.
For those of you who don't know who Cab was (or think Fleetwood Mac is a dollar menu item at McDonald's), let me happily introduce him as a trailblazing jazz and Big Band performer who scored multiple Billboard hits over the course of five consecutive decades and became the very first black superstar, or the first to sell over a million records from a single song. Phew! That's a lot.
Though really, I'm just scratching the surface of this singular artist. He was everywhere: movies, radio, TV, stage shows, touring concerts. Practically everything can be traced back to this vanguard. And that includes his buoyant performance style, which you'll find echoed in everyone from James Brown to Prince to modern rap and R&B singers. This fantastic compilation has all of his signature tunes, like "Minnie the Moocher" (of course), but even if you're familiar with Cab, you'll want to give this collection a listen. You can never have enough Cab, I think, plus, these tracks have been gorgeously restored.
Speaking of gorgeous, at their height of their fame, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John dripped with movie star glamour.
Yet Hollywood had no idea what to do with them. Post "Grease," Olivia made do with klunkers like the eventual-camp-classic "Xanadu," while John was relegated to embarrassing entries like "Moment by Moment" and "Perfect" (neither of which become camp classics) (for good reason).
They were paired again in "Two of a Kind," a throwaway 1983 fantasy/romance which is notable for only two reasons: John and Olivia never again looked so blindingly beautiful, together or separately; and the soundtrack is a zippy 80s time capsule. Are you an 80s Lady? Then this soundtrack is for you (and me!). There's Olivia doing her whiplash-disco best, plus tunes from Boz Scaggs, Journey and more. So pull out your banana hair clips, Frances, and put on your leg warmers! Livvy Neutron Bomb wants to take you there!
The Secret Song File has always dripped with Hollywood glamor (obvi), no matter the decade. And she has a fondness for a certain glamorous lady who rocketed to mass-market fame in the 1980s with a tune that was originally recorded by Prince, who wrote the song, and The Pointer Sisters. But only hers has stood the test of time.
Who is she? I feel for you if you don't know (*cough*hint*). Why should you care about her during 2020? Because her spanking new live CD is the jam, yo. She's still got it. And despite Whitney's good try, she'll always be every woman to me.
Please wash your hands, stay inside, and don't do stupid things like this or I'll give you such a slap!
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