Remembering the divas who shaped jazz history

When Hoagy Carmichael composed ‘The Nearness Of You’ in 1937, using lyrics by Ned Washington, he probably never imagined it would be covered by so many musicians. From Frank Sinatra and James Taylor to Norah Jones and violinist Stephane Grappelli, it’s been rendered by many.

It’s also one of those songs that’s been performed separately by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson, whose music will be featured in a tribute show at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, on July 9. All versions are available on streaming platforms, though Holiday’s recording is just a short extract. Interestingly, one would think George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ would be sung by all four of them, but we couldn’t locate a Nancy Wilson rendition.

‘An Ode To Jazz Divas’ is the brainchild of Modcult, short for Modern Music Culture, a group led and founded by bassist Avishek Dey. Besides him, it will feature Shreya Bhattacharya on vocals, Clement Rooney on keyboards, Amandeep Singh on the guitar, Arjun Chakraborty on the drums, Emmanuel Simon on the percussion, Jarryd Rodrigues on the saxophone and guest artiste Shirish Malhotra on the flute and saxophone.

Though Nancy Wilson is much younger, all the divas have played a major role in jazz history, presenting songs that are popular on radio and streaming platforms even today. They continued a tradition started by the likes of vocalists Blanche Calloway, Alberta Hunter, Ethel Waters, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith in the 1920s. Let’s take a look at their immense contribution, in chronological order of their birth year.

Billie Holiday
| Photo Credit:
AP

Billie Holiday (1915-1959)

Known popularly as Lady Day, a name given by saxophonist Lester Young, Billie was one of the foremost figures in jazz in the 1930s. She had a rough childhood, and began singing in night clubs in Harlem, New York. She impressed audiences with her improvisational skills, and producer John Hammond arranged for her to record with bandleader Benny Goodman when she was 18.

In 1935, Billie had a big hit with ‘What a little moonlight can do’ with pianist Teddy Wilson and his orchestra. That was the break she was looking for, and soon she became recognised as an artiste in her own right. She teamed up with Lester Young, pianist Count Basie and clarinettist Artie Shaw. In 1939, she recorded ‘Strange Fruit’, based on an anti-racism poem by Abel Meeropol. The song enhanced her popularity, and many more recordings followed, including the iconic ‘God bless the child’.

By the 1950s, Billie’s health was affected by drug use and alcoholism, though her 1956 album Lady sings the blues received rave reviews. But by early 1959, she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. She died in New York later that year, leaving behind a huge catalogue.

Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald at the Carlton Theatre in London.
| Photo Credit:
BOB DEAR

Described as the ‘First Lady Of Song’, Ella Fitzgerald was known for her amazing range, clear tone, perfect phrasing and ability to scat effortlessly. Born in Newport News, Virginia, she had a tumultuous childhood. Her parents had separated and her mother moved to New York. After her mother died in an accident, Ella stayed with her aunt, and soon began singing in clubs in Harlem. Her biggest inspiration was Connie Boswell of the Boswell Sisters.

Eventually, Ella became part of drummer Chick Webb’s Orchestra. She had huge hits in the songs ‘Love and kisses’, ‘You’ll have to swing it (Mr Paganini) and a reworked version of the nursery rhyme ‘A-tisket, a-tasket’. When bebop became popular in the 1940s, she became hugely influenced by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and included scatting in many of her songs, with ‘Flying home’ achieving huge success. Her other famous partnership was with singer-trumpeter Louis Armstrong, and their collaboration yielded hits like ‘Cheek to cheek’, ‘Moonlight in vermont’, ‘The nearness of you’ and their take on ‘Summertime’.

Despite health issues caused by diabetes, Ella Fitzgerald continued to perform till 1991. She had a fatal stroke five years later.

Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990)

Sarah Vaughan recording the track ‘Lover Man’.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Sarah Vaughan began by singing in the church choir and playing piano. She went on to become one of the most popular jazz vocalists, known by the names of Sassy or the Divine One.

It all began when she participated in an amateur night at New York’s Apollo Theater, eventually winning the competition. Later that year, she opened for Ella Fitzgerald at the Apollo, and was introduced to bandleader and pianist Earl Hines. Thereafter, she met bebop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, recording the track ‘Lover Man’ with them. By the early 1950s, she was a star whose hits included ‘Black coffee’, ‘That lucky old son’, ‘Lullaby of birdland’ and ‘I cried for you’. Her eponymous 1955 album, featuring trumpeter Clifford Brown, became a huge success.

Sarah Vaughan was active through the 1980s, till she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her voice is remembered as one of the most beautiful and versatile in all of jazz, blessed with an enormous range and stunning vibrato.

Nancy Wilson (1937-2018)

Singer Nancy Wilson holds her Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for ‘Turned To Blue’ at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 11, 2007.
| Photo Credit:
MIKE BLAKE

Ever since her career took off in the mid-1950s, Nancy was known for her versatility. Her singing would encompass jazz, the blues, soul, rhythm n’ blues and pop. She was often called ‘the song stylist’.

Like many other female singers of her generation, she began in church choirs, eventually winning a talent contest in Columbus, Ohio. When she met saxophonist Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley, he suggested she move to New York. Her first single ‘Guess who I saw today’ was a smashing hit. Initially, she focused on pop and rhythm n’ blues, but later veered towards jazz and ballads. Her collaboration with Julian produced the hits ‘Save your love for me’ and ‘A sleepin’ bee’.

Nancy Wilson released over 70 albums in her five-decade career, winning three Grammy awards. She died at 81, after prolonged illness. In a way, she carried forward the legacy of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. All four had a great repertoire, and Sunday’s concert should provide a varied collage of their work.