Jazz Kings: Tonight You Belong To Me at John G Shedd Institute for the Arts

In the past few years we have presented shows on early jazz as well as the Swing Era. Over the course of these shows I have repeatedly come across tracks by two artist that always leave me wanting to hear more: Lee Morse and Mildred Bailey. Morse and Bailey each possess such wonderful individual styles and perfection in their singing and musicianship that it is surprising that neither has received more widespread acclaim.
Maybe I am also just a little bit of a sucker for local gals from the Pacific Northwest. Morse hailed from Cove, Oregon about eight miles east of La Grande, and Bailey came out of a little town called Tekoa, Washington, about halfway between Spokane and Pullman. Neither spent too long in their home towns before venturing off to bigger cities to start their careers. Morse headed to San Francisco and was quickly swept into the world of vaudeville. Bailey moved from Spokane, to Seattle, and eventually Los Angeles where she had her big break singing with Paul Whiteman....

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In the past few years we have presented shows on early jazz as well as the Swing Era. Over the course of these shows I have repeatedly come across tracks by two artist that always leave me wanting to hear more: Lee Morse and Mildred Bailey. Morse and Bailey each possess such wonderful individual styles and perfection in their singing and musicianship that it is surprising that neither has received more widespread acclaim.
Maybe I am also just a little bit of a sucker for local gals from the Pacific Northwest. Morse hailed from Cove, Oregon about eight miles east of La Grande, and Bailey came out of a little town called Tekoa, Washington, about halfway between Spokane and Pullman. Neither spent too long in their home towns before venturing off to bigger cities to start their careers. Morse headed to San Francisco and was quickly swept into the world of vaudeville. Bailey moved from Spokane, to Seattle, and eventually Los Angeles where she had her big break singing with Paul Whiteman.
Aside from their points of origin, combining the voices of these two ladies seems like an interesting and worthwhile cause because each has her own unique sound. Morse’s deeper alto voice with its moments of near yodel-like tones, often self-accompanied on guitar, at times seems like a mix of early popular song with hints of what was to come in country music. Bailey’s voice is so clear and warm, and so effortlessly swinging every single time.
So come out and dive into the repertoire of these two local masters with us. You are invited!

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