Etta Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones andHouston Person, 1980 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1928-11-25)November 25, 1928 Aiken, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | October 16, 2001(2001-10-16) (aged 72) Mount Vernon, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1943–2001 |
| Labels | Prestige,Muse,HighNote |
Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer.[1] Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked withBuddy Johnson,Oliver Nelson,Earl Hines,Barney Bigard,Gene Ammons,Kenny Burrell,Milt Jackson,Cedar Walton, andHouston Person.[2]
Jones was born inAiken, South Carolina,[1] where her parents named her after another Etta Jones, a member of theDandridge Sisters.[3] She was raised inHarlem, New York, where she began performing as a teenager. After she impressedBuddy Johnson at an amateur night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, he invited her to join his band as a vocalist while his sister,Ella Johnson, was on maternity leave.[3] Still in her teens, she joined the band for a tour although she was not featured on record. Her first recordings—"Salty Papa Blues", "Evil Gal Blues", "Blow Top Blues", and "Long, Long Journey"—were produced byLeonard Feather in 1944, placing her in the company of clarinetistBarney Bigard and tenor saxophonistGeorgie Auld.[1]
In 1947, she recorded and released an early cover version ofLeon René's "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (previously released by the Basin Street Boys on Rene'sExclusive label) while atRCA Victor Records.[4] She performed with theEarl Hines sextet from 1949 to 1952.[5]
During the 1950s, Jones sought to obtain a recording contract, while working as a seamstress, elevator operator, and album stuffer. In 1956, she released the albumThe Jones Girl...Etta...Sings, Sings, Sings. She obtained a contract in 1960 withPrestige Records after impressing Prestige's preparatory director,Esmond Edwards, with her singing's warmth and phrasing via an unsolicited demo tape. Her first single, "Don't Go to Strangers," hit number five on the Rhythm and Blues chart, and 36 in pop charts, at a time when pop charts were dominated by white men. Over the next three years, she recorded ten albums for Prestige. Her favorite songwriter to cover wasSammy Cahn, and she also favoredHarold Arlen,George andIra Gershwin, andCole Porter.[3]
Following these recordings, on which Jones was featured with high-profile arrangers such asOliver Nelson and jazz stars such asFrank Wess,Roy Haynes, andGene Ammons, she had a musical partnership of more than 30 years with tenor saxophonistHouston Person, who received equal billing with her.[6] He also produced her albums and served as her manager after the pair met in one ofJohnny "Hammond" Smith's bands.
Although Etta Jones is likely to be remembered above all for her recordings on Prestige, she had a very productive musical career in the last two decades of her life. She had a close professional relationship with Person (frequently, but mistakenly, identified as Jones's husband), and they performed together for decades. Starting in 1976, they began recording forMuse, which later changed its name toHighNote. Person became her manager, as well as her record producer and accompanist, in a partnership that lasted until her death in 2001.[7] They performed up to 200 times a year until she had to stop due to her health. Jones had dealt with cancer for more than a decade until the time of her death and had a mastectomy and chemotherapy.[3]
Only one of her recordings—her debut album forPrestige Records (Don't Go to Strangers, 1960)—enjoyed commercial success with sales of more than 1 million copies. However, her remaining seven albums for Prestige, and beginning in 1976, her recordings forMuse Records, and forHighNote Records secured her a devoted following.[1] She had threeGrammy nominations: for theDon't Go to Strangers album in 1960, theSave Your Love for Me album in 1981, andMy Buddy[7] (dedicated to her first employer,Buddy Johnson) in 1998. In 2008, the albumDon't Go to Strangers was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[8] In 1996, she recorded the jazz vocalist tribute album,The Melody Lingers On, for theHighNote label.[9] Her last recording, a tribute toBillie Holiday, was released on the day of Jones's death.[10]
She died inMount Vernon, New York, at the age of 72, from cancer.[2][7] Jones was survived by her husband, John Medlock, and a granddaughter, Lia Greatheart-Mitchell. Pearson arranged her funeral at one of their frequent performance venues, a church in Mount Vernon, New York. Jazz musicians includingMelba Liston played tribute to Jones at the funeral.[3]
Jones earned the Eubie Blake Jazz Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Women in Jazz Foundation.[11]
WithHouston Person
