Billy Eckstine
Billy Eckstine's smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big band, then as the first romantic Black male in popular music. An influence looming large in the cultural development of soul and R&B singers from Sam Cooke to Prince, Eckstine was able to play it straight on his pop hits "Prisoner of Love," "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize." Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Washington, D.C., Eckstine began singing at the age of seven and entered many amateur talent shows. He had also planned on a football career, though after breaking his collar bone, he made music his focus. After working his way west to Chicago during the late '30s, Eckstine was hired by Earl Hines to join his Grand Terrace Orchestra in 1939. Though white bands of the era featured males singing straight-ahead romantic ballads, Black bands were forced to stick to novelty or blues vocal numbers until the advent of Eckstine and Herb Jeffries (from Duke Ellington's Orchestra).
Though several of Eckstine's first hits with Hines were novelties like "Jelly, Jelly" and "The Jitney Man," he also recorded several straight-ahead songs, including the hit "Stormy Monday." By 1943, he gained a trio of stellar bandmates -- Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan. After forming his own big band that year, he hired all three and gradually recruited still more modernist figures and future stars: Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro, and Art Blakey, as well as arrangers Tadd Dameron and Gil Fuller. The Billy Eckstine Orchestra was the first bop big-band group, and its leader reflected bop innovations by stretching his vocal harmonics into his normal ballads. Despite the group's modernist slant, Eckstine hit the charts often during the mid-'40s, with Top Ten entries including "A Cottage for Sale" and "Prisoner of Love." On the group's frequent European and American tours, Eckstine also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar.
Though he was forced to give up the band in 1947 (Gillespie formed his own bop big band that same year), Eckstine made the transition to string-filled balladry with ease. He recorded more than a dozen hits during the late '40s, including "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize." He was also quite popular in Britain, hitting the Top Ten there twice during the '50s -- "No One But You" and "Gigi" -- as well as several duet entries with Sarah Vaughan. Eckstine returned to his jazz roots occasionally as well, recording with Vaughan, Count Basie, and Quincy Jones for separate LPs, and the 1960 live LP No Cover, No Minimum featured him taking a few trumpet solos as well. He recorded several albums for Mercury and Roulette during the early '60s (his son Ed was the president of Mercury), and he appeared on Motown for a few standards albums during the mid-'60s. After recording very sparingly during the '70s, Eckstine made his last recording (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) in 1986. He died of a heart attack in 1993.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Blue Illusion, Vol. 1
Jazz vocal - Editado por Top Tracks el 30 oct. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les idoles américaines du jazz : Billy Eckstine, Vol. 2
Jazz - Editado por Mpm el 23 feb. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Legendary Big Band Vol. 2
Jazz - Editado por Black Sheep Music el 5 sep. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
100% Billy Eckstine, Vol. 3
Jazz - Editado por Top Tracks el 30 oct. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Without a Song
Jazz vocal - Editado por G Point Entertainment System el 26 dic. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prelude to a Kiss
Jazz - Editado por Orange Leisure el 28 mar. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ain't Like That Vol 4
Jazz - Editado por Documents el 2 sep. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Billy Eckstine Collection, Vol. 2
Jazz - Editado por Lumi Entertainment el 1 ene. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Essential Collection
Billy Eckstine, Count Basie Orchestra & Sarah Vaughan
Jazz - Editado por School of Jazz Records el 8 may. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
United Colors of Jazz
Música vocal (profana y sacra) - Editado por Amra Record el 6 jun. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jazz Legends
Jazz - Editado por Grand Hits Records el 17 ene. 2014
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Jazz Collection
Jazz - Editado por President Jazz Records el 12 jul. 2013
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Jazz Pearls
Jazz - Editado por Jazz 2 Jazz Records el 14 jun. 2013
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A Cup of Jazz
Jazz - Editado por President Jazz Records el 16 ago. 2013
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The Stars of Jazz
Jazz - Editado por All Time Records el 23 ago. 2013
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Prisoner of Love
Jazz - Editado por Silver Classics el 12 sep. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Billy and Sarah
Música vocal (profana y sacra) - Editado por Past Classics Jazz el 1 ene. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of Billy Eckstine
Pop - Editado por Past Classics el 9 jul. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo