Etta Jones was one of the greatest jazz vocalists in the truest meaning of the word.  She sang with a strong personal style, digging deep into the lyrics to reveal their inner meaning and invest them with keen emotion.  Etta also swung!  She possessed the great rhythmic and improvisational sensitivities of a jazz soloist, and she delivered the blues and the American popular songbook with unmitigatedly raw power.
Etta was born in South Carolina but raised in Harlem, New York.  She made her first mark as a 15 year old at the Amateur Contest at the Apollo Theater, where she attracted the attention of Buddy Johnson who needed a temporary replacement for his sister Ella.  Following that formative early experience, Etta Jones paid her dues in the music business for many years.  Etta made her breakthrough with Don’t Go To Strangers, her hit record for Prestige in 1960.  After several years of producing more fine records for Prestige, Etta teamed up with tenor saxophonist Houston Person.  For over 30 years they toured the country, and the world, and made many recordings, concerts, and nightclub appearances in their sympathetic, soulful manner.
originally broadcast March 21, 2010
You may also be interested in my published discography of Etta Jones
https://jazzdiscography.com/etta-jones-discography/

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