Teddi King
No matter how impressive any aspect of Teddi King's career might have been, it is still hard not to be overwhelmed by the mystique of her first-ever live performance as a singing mermaid in a production of Peter Pan. It was the Tributary Theatre of Boston with which she branched off into performing following graduation from high school. Crowned the winner of a singing competition held under the auspices of Dinah Shore, King docked into a touring revue whose responsibilities included cheering up the military in the lull between the Second World War and the Korean conflict. According to accounts, the vocalist was studious in this period, working on both classical singing technique and jazz piano playing. She performed with several bands, Nat Pierce providing King with a recording debut in conjunction with the Motif label. Beginning in the summer of 1952, King toured and recorded with pianist George Shearing, matching the latter's exquisite accuracy with a sense of pitch well beyond the realm of the average pop vocalist.
For several decades she sustained a career as a singer, at times rejoining Shearing on tours. Her solo recordings came out on RCA, Victor, and Coral, live sets as well as studio projects. All the King's Songs from 1959 is a title with a double meaning, King decreeing that it was time for her versions of songs made famous by an even dozen of the top male singers, including Nat King Cole. Stylistically, most jazz critics decided to usurp King's throne, whittling on her ties to the genre and then feeling bad about it when she died of lupus a few years prior to her 50th birthday. Benefit concerts mounted in support of lupus research have been held in King's name, usually featuring up-and-coming female singers.
© Eugene Chadbourne /TiVo
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Discography
12 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Teddi King Sings Ira Gershwin…this Is New
Jazz - Released by Inner City Records on Jul 8, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Round Midnight
Vocal Jazz - Released by 1201 MUSIC on Oct 29, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Teddi In Blue
Jazz - Released by Chameleon Archive on Jan 14, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mr. Wonderful: The Complete RCA Singles
Pop/Rock - Released by Legacy Recordings on Sep 24, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Someone to Light up Your Life
Jazz - Released by Audiophile on Dec 19, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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To You From Teddi King
Jazz - Released by RCA - Legacy on Sep 21, 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Is New: Teddi King Sings Ira Gershwin
Jazz - Released by Inner City on Jan 1, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Autumn In New York
Jazz - Released by Chameleon Archive on Feb 23, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Side by Side
Vocal Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on Feb 12, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo