Biography
Born on 15 October 1938 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and passing away on 11 September 2001 in New York City, New York, USA, the vocalist launched her career as a youngster and secured her initial paid engagements while still in her mid-teens alongside local dixieland ensembles, among them Ronnie DuPont’s group at the Bistro Club. Appearances at Al Hirt’s venue followed, where Duke Ellington caught her act and offered a touring spot; she turned down the road invitation yet is said to have joined Ellington’s orchestra for a 1972 Carnegie Hall performance.
After relocating to Denver, Colorado, she performed regularly at Garbo’s and The Bombay Club, later establishing her own room, Bryant St. West. Additional engagements took her across the United States to venues and events such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, and festivals in San Diego and Sacramento, where she collaborated with the Bob Craven Summit Ridge Jazz Band. Throughout her Colorado years she partnered frequently with both resident and touring players, including an early-80s appearance in Grand Junction alongside Phil Urso and Swedish drummer Bert Dahlander; that informal club recording survives as one of the few preserved examples of her work.
In 1996 she settled in New York City, accepting a position with Showtime Entertainment while continuing to sing at local clubs. She also began guitar studies and prepared a new program with actor-comedian David Jung. In August 2001 she joined Cantor Fitzgerald as an executive assistant. Three weeks afterward she was at her desk on the 105th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the terrorist attack occurred, one of roughly 700 Cantor Fitzgerald staff members presumed lost.
Colleagues and reviewers consistently highlighted her commanding personality and stage charisma. The Dahlander session reveals a husky contralto, an incisive approach to lyrics, and an attractive, restrained vibrato. By devoting her prime decades to Colorado, however, she remained far less familiar to jazz listeners than her talent warranted.
After relocating to Denver, Colorado, she performed regularly at Garbo’s and The Bombay Club, later establishing her own room, Bryant St. West. Additional engagements took her across the United States to venues and events such as the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, and festivals in San Diego and Sacramento, where she collaborated with the Bob Craven Summit Ridge Jazz Band. Throughout her Colorado years she partnered frequently with both resident and touring players, including an early-80s appearance in Grand Junction alongside Phil Urso and Swedish drummer Bert Dahlander; that informal club recording survives as one of the few preserved examples of her work.
In 1996 she settled in New York City, accepting a position with Showtime Entertainment while continuing to sing at local clubs. She also began guitar studies and prepared a new program with actor-comedian David Jung. In August 2001 she joined Cantor Fitzgerald as an executive assistant. Three weeks afterward she was at her desk on the 105th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the terrorist attack occurred, one of roughly 700 Cantor Fitzgerald staff members presumed lost.
Colleagues and reviewers consistently highlighted her commanding personality and stage charisma. The Dahlander session reveals a husky contralto, an incisive approach to lyrics, and an attractive, restrained vibrato. By devoting her prime decades to Colorado, however, she remained far less familiar to jazz listeners than her talent warranted.
Albums