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"Divaville Lounge" with Sarah O (archive)

step into the lounge!

Sunday, February 27, 2022 | 14:00 to 16:00 | jazz/pop vocalists

http://www.divavillelounge.org

Artist	Song	Album	Label	Comments
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	The Lady Who Swings the Band	Golden Hits		today's show is a tribute to Mary Lou Williams! Reference for this show: MORNING GLORY by Linda Dahl

Jeanette James & Her Synco Jazzers	Midnight Stomp	The Mary Lou Williams Collection	Fabulous	rec 1927 one of Williams' first recordings. She was only 17. She and her soon to be husband John Williams were in the Synco Jazzers / Syncopaters, a Kansas City band backing dancer Jeannete James
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Mess-a-Stomp	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1929 tis is one of Williams' first compositions. She began her time with the Clouds of Joy as a "band wife" touring with John Williams who was in the band. She was allowed to fill in when their regular piano player missed a key session, and her playing got them a recording contract so she was made the permanent first pianist
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Froggy Bottom	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1929 another important early Williams composition. She impressed her colleagues in the world of jazz by playing "like a man," forcefully, and women pianists were expected to play "light and tinkling." it may sound foolish that music would be seen as so gendered, but it was (and unfortunately still is) a common prejudice
Seven Little Clouds of Joy	Gettin' Off a Mess	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1930 this piece showcases Williams' skill on piano. All songs in this set except "Midnight Stomp" written by Williams
Mary Lou Williams	Night Life	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1930 one of a few solo pieces Williams recorded this early in her career. She would revisit "Nite Life" many times throughout her life

Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Until the Real Thing Comes Along	Jukebox Hits 1936-1949	Acrobat	rec 1936 this very non-jazz song became the Clouds of Joy's first hit and changed the trajectory of the band. They got a better contract because of this song, but with it came pressure to record more pop songs / less jazz. Williams felt stifled by the band's new direction. In particular she hated this song, considered it corny & disavowed her role in writing the arrangement
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Walkin' and Swinging'	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1936 one of William's strongest compositions from this period in my opinion, note the riff on "The Peanut Vendor" near the end
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	A Mellow Bit of Rhythm	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1937 the Clouds of Joy were part of the Kansas City music scene which put Williams in contact with many musicians like Bennie Moten and Count basie, in fact early on Williams and Basie were both music teachers and used to send students to each other
Benny Goodman Orchestra	Roll 'em	Sing, Sing, Sing	Bluebird	rec 1937 Goodman commissioned Williams to write this for him his recording was the first hit of one of her compositions
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Little Joe from Chicago	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1938 note how Williams has adopted boogie woogie in her songwriting. during this era Williams wrote songs and arrangements for Goodman, Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Earl Hines, Cab Calloway and many more. Goodman wa so impressed he offered her a job as exclusive arranger for his band, which she declined
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	What's Your Story Morning Glory	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1938 this song was a hit for Jimmie Lunceford, who Williams knew from the Kansas City jazz scene. All songs in this set except "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" were written by Williams

The Mary Lou Williams Trio	The Pearls	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1938 Williams' first recording as bandleader. This is one of the Jelly Roll Morton compositions she played for him early on, when he criticized her phrasing! Finally she's able to record it her way
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Mary's Idea	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1938 this was first recorded in 1929. The Clouds of Joy rerecorded both this and "Froggy Bottom" at this time
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Big Jim Blues	Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy	ASV Living Era	rec 1939 this composition was derived from a solo played by the Clouds of Joy's trumpeter Big Jim Lawson
Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy	Scratchin' the Gravel	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1940 one of Williams' best compositions from this era. She would revisit & reshape it many times later in her career
Mary Lou Williams and her Kansas City Seven	Baby Dear	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1941 this is one of the only recordings Williams made with her second husband Harold "Shorty" Baker. The marriage officially lasted until his death, but was in name only for almost all that time. Immediately after the ceremony he took a job with Ellington and left to go on tour, their separation became permanent
The Mary Lou Williams Trio	8th Avenue Express (Take 2)	Roll' Em		rec 1944 Williams left the Clouds of Joy in 1942. She was such a prolific composer, she would write in the car / on public transport while traveling to and from gigs. In this piece she incorporates the songs of the train and even a bit of dialogue from the conductor

The Mary Lou Williams Trio	Taurus Mood	Roll 'Em		rec 1944 this would become part of the Zodiac Suite, Williams' most ambitious work to date
The Mary Lou Williams Trio	Aries	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1945 this part of the Zodiac suite was inspired by Billie Holiday and Ben Webster, who was a lifelong friend of Williams. It's a shame that the Zodiac Suite doesn't get nearly the recognition that Ellington's suites ten years later would get
Mary Lou Williams & Her Orchestra	Song in My Soul	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1945 band includes Bill Coleman and Coleman Hawkins
Mary Lou Williams' Girl Stars	Waltz Boogie	RCA Victor 20-2025-B	RCA Victor	rec 1946 by this point you can hear the exploration of bebop in her work. The Girl Stars were an all-female group (sometimes a trio, sometimes a quartet) led by Williams

Duke Ellington Orchestra	Blue Skies (Trumpet No End)	Duke Ellington - The Great Chicago Concerts	Musicmasters	rec live Nov 10 1946. Williams wrote this arrangement of "Blue Skies" for Ellington
Mary Lou Williams and Her Orchestra	Lonely Moments	Greatest Hits		rec 1947 Williams wrote this and "Whistle Stop" for Benny Goodman, and briefly performed with his bebop band in 1948
Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra	In the Land of Oo-Bla-dee	The Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1937-1949	RCA	rec 1949 Williams wrote this for Gillespie
Mary Lou Williams	Bobo	The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59	Fabulous	rec 1951 an example of Williams' experimentation, this piece is a reworking of the earlier "Bobo and Doodles" and incorporates Afro-Cuban chant

chorale performance	Black Christ of the Andes (St. Martin de Porres)	Mary Lou Williams	Smithsonian Folkways	rec 1964 this is her first great work of sacred music. Her conversion to Catholicism in the mid 1950s informed her work for the rest of her life
Mary Lou Williams Trio	It Ain't Necessarily So	Mary Lou Williams	Smithsonian Folkways	rec 1964
Mary Lou Williams	Medi I	Zoning	Smithsonian Folkways	rec 1974
Mary Lou Williams Trio	Dat dere	Free Spirits	Steeplechase	rec 1975 in my opinion this album is Williams' greatest work from the latter era of her career

Mary Lou Williams	Spoken Commentary by Mary Lou Williams	Live at the Keystone Korner	HighNote	rec 1977 spoken introduction to the following piece
Mary Lou Williams	The History of Jazz According to Mary Lou	Live at the Keystone Korner	HighNote	rec 1977 this was one of her final performances. Williams died of cancer in 1981