The Rockin' Chair Lady - Mildred Bailey

 

Born To Be Blue

The Rocking (Rockin') Chair Lady

A Mildred Bailey Memorial

Cover Design: Peter S. Verity

Portrait: Caroline Austin

Photography" Peter Ogden

Oriole Records Limited RM 196

1963

Mildred Bailey accompanied by: 

* Eddie Sauter's Orchestra - A big band including Ellis Larkins (pno); Al Hall (bs); Specs Powell (dms). Recorded in New York

** Ellis Larkin's Orchestra - Iriving "Mousie" Randolph (tpt); Henderson Chamgers (ten); Hank D'Amico (clt); Ellis Larkins (pno); Barry Galbraith (gtr): Beverley Peer (bs); Jimmy Crawford (dms). Recorded in New York City, October 18, 1946

*** Ellis Larkin's Trio - Ellis Larkins (pno); Barry Galbraith (gtr); Beverley Peers (bs). Recorded October 18, 1946 or early 1947.

From the back cover: Mildred Bailey was born Mildred Rinker in the town of Tekoa, Washington, in the year 1907. Her brother, Al, was one-third of the original Paul Whiteman Rhythm Boys team with Harry Barris and Bing Crosby. It was as a result of this connection that she left the music publishers where she worked and joined Paul Whiteman in 1929 as one of the first girl band vocalists. She stayed with Whiteman for some years, during which time she married Red Norvo who was at one time part of the Whiteman aggregation. While still with the "King Of Jazz" she became known beyond a jazz audience and accepted by a wide public mainly as a result of her first record hit – Rockin' Chair – made with a contingent from the band in 1932. The tune later became her radio theme, and gave her the nickname "The Rockin' Chair Lady".

Between 1936 and 1939, at the height of the Swing era, she and Red Norvo, both having left Whiteman in 1934, jointly led a band as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing" with Eddie Sauter as their chief arranger. In later years she worked mainly as a solo act, but she remained friendly with Norvo and occasionally worked with him, even after they were divorced in 1947. She died an an untimely death at the age of 44 in 1951. – Chris When.

In Love In Vain *

It's A Woman's Prerogative *

I'll Close My Eyes **

Me And The Blues **

At Sundown ***

Love Come Back To Me ***

Born To Be Blue ***

You Started Something ***

Can't We Be Friends? ***

All That Glitters *