TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Renowned American jazz and blues singer Etta Jones was born on either November 25, 1927, or 1928, in Aiken, South Carolina. She left the South as an infant, settling in New York City. Buddy Johnson discovered her at the legendary Apollo Theatre. She toured with his band but did not record with them. Instead, she made her mark as a solo performer at the Onyx Club, catching the attention of critic Leonard Feather, who arranged her first recording session.
Her breakthrough came with the 1960 album Don’t Go to Strangers, which established her as a masterful interpreter of lyrics with a deep bluesy feel. In the early 1970s, she teamed up with saxophonist Houston Person, a partnership that lasted decades. Recording for Prestige, Muse, and HighNote, Jones left behind a rich legacy before passing in 2001.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.