Biography
On Christmas Eve 1952, a New York recording mini-mogul inked deals with two young female vocalists. One agreement proved lucrative and reputation-enhancing for the industry veteran who had hunted talent since the 1920s; the other involved Lizzie Baker. The contract that endured belonged to nine-year-old Leslie Uggams, whose subsequent path brought lasting recognition to Joe Davis. Decades afterward, the Krazy Kat label began reissuing Davis-produced sides, and Baker’s previously overlooked performances drew unexpected attention. “I Got a Letter” appeared on the 1984 anthology Rhythm and Blues From Joe Davis, Vol. 1, followed by “It Was So Good” on the 1988 collection Piano Boogie and the Blues; four years and numerous letters from enthusiasts later, the imprint elected to release an additional unreleased Baker track. More than thirty years after the original dates, Baker thus acquired an audience. Davis himself had shown little excitement during the sessions, so none of her sides reached the public at the time, even with the participation of pianist Harry Van Walls, a standout Atlantic session player, tenor saxophonist Al King, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Panama Francis. The density of skilled New York musicians blending jazz, rhythm and blues, and blues during that period helps explain how so capable a date could remain unissued. Consequently, Baker largely disappeared from view. The split-session format described in Davis’s biographical notes, which paired her with the comedy team Stump and Stumpy, may also have contributed to an absence of distinctive atmosphere.