Mildred Bailey
An early jazz singer with a sweet voice, Mildred Bailey balanced a good deal of popular success with a hot jazz-slanted career that saw her billed as Mrs. Swing (her husband, Red Norvo, was Mr. Swing). Born Mildred Rinker in Washington state in 1907, Bailey began performing at an early age, playing piano and singing in movie theaters during the early '20s. By 1925, she was the headlining act at a club in Hollywood, doing a mixture of pop, early jazz tunes, and vaudeville standards. Influenced by Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, and Connie Boswell, she developed a soft, swinging delivery that pleased all kinds of nightclub audiences in the area. After sending a demonstration disc in to Paul Whiteman in 1929, she gained a spot with one of the most popular dance orchestras of the day.
The added exposure with Whiteman soon gave Bailey her own radio program. She had already debuted on a recording date with guitarist Eddie Lang in 1929, but in 1932 she gained fame by recording what became her signature song, "Rockin' Chair" -- written especially for her by Hoagie Carmichael -- with a Whiteman small group. While recording for Vocalion during the 1930s, Bailey often utilized her husband, xylophonist/vibraphonist Red Norvo. She also appeared on his recordings of the late '30s, and the arrangements of Eddie Sauter proved a perfect accompaniment to her vocals.
Though she and Norvo later divorced, Bailey continued to perform and record during the 1940s. She appeared on Benny Goodman's Camel Caravan radio program, and gained her own series again during the mid-'40s. Hampered by health problems during the late '40s, she spent time in the hospital suffering from diabetes and died of a heart attack in 1951.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Sunday Monday or Always, Vol. 4
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 2 Dec 2013
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All-Star Groups Vol. 1 (1933-37)
Jazz - Released by Documents on 1 Sep 2009
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Complete Jazz Series 1932 - 1936
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 15 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You're the Moment in My Life
Jazz - Released by Jazztastic on 1 May 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sings... Me And The Blues (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by RevOla on 30 Jul 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1940 - 1942
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 15 Oct 2008
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Squeeze Me! - Big Hits from a Great Lady
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Jasmine Records on 8 Jan 2012
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55 Favorite Tunes By Mildred Bailey
Jazz - Released by Ubiquitous on 4 Mar 2013
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Sunday, Monday or Always, Vol. 3
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 30 Oct 2013
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Complete Jazz Series 1939
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 15 Oct 2008
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Complete Jazz Series 1929 - 1932
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 15 Oct 2008
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The Great Mildred Bailey
Jazz - Released by Digital Matters on 28 Jul 2019
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Rockin' Chair
Pop - Released by American Popsongs on 17 Nov 2016
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I Think of You
Vocal Jazz - Released by Evergreen on 27 Feb 2023
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Complete Jazz Series 1939 - 1940
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on 15 Oct 2008
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Mildred Bailey Selected Favorites, Vol. 2
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 21 Mar 2011
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Mildred Bailey Selected Favorites, Vol. 7
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on 21 Mar 2011
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