Damita Jo Sings

 

It Kills Me

Damita Jo Sings

Cover Design and Photography by George S. Whiteman

Vee-Jay Records VJLP #1137

1965

From the back cover: Damita Jo, a lovely lass already in the forefront of today's rising talent in the girl singer department, first rocked to prominence with some up-tempo hit singles that established her as a singularly swinging star.

But, as this album so effectively reveals, no one can handle a ballad with more soul that Damita Jo. She can swing from a rocking rhythm ballad like "Hurt A Fool" or "It Kills Me" to a hauntingly poignant rendition of "For All We Know" or "Nevertheless" with a virtuosity rare in a music world full of one-dimensional artists.

Lee Young, who produced her album, remembers vividly his first meeting with Damita, a few years ago at a little club in Gardena, just outside of Los Angeles.

"At the time,' says Lee, "I was working in a band that included Marshall and Ernie Royal. The Bal Tavern was one of the few clubs in the area that had a show with chorus girls, comics, dance teams and a male singer. The proprietor decided to add a female vocalist and held auditions for 7 or 8 girls with his other entertainers as the audience. Damita – just a baby at the time – was one of the group. But what a voice!

"If you have ever seen a group of amateurs perform in front of a group of pros, you know that these pros will determine who gets the job, by a glance, a sigh, a something that is in the air when the right one sings. Well, that's just what happened when Damita started to sing. Everyone got very quiet from the first bar. It was no contest. Damita had fractured the pros and the job was hers."

Damita is still fracturing the pros. And the people, too.

On this album, Damita Jo sings four sides arranged by Dave Grusin, two sides by Gil Askew, six by Ernie Freeman. They're uniquely individual styles of arrangement five full rein to the artist's versatility. And with ballad or beat, Damita Jo really sings.

And sings and sings and sings.

It Kills Me (arranged by Dave Gursin)

For All We Known (arranged by Dave Gursin)

Please Don't Use My Name (arranged by Ernie Freeman)

Nevertheless (arranged by Ernie Freeman)

If I Were You (arranged by Ernie Freeman)

Hello Dolly (arranged by Ernie Freeman)

Hurt A Fool (arranged by Dave Gursin)

It's Too Late To Be Sorry (arranged by Dave Gursin)

Molly Malone (arranged by Gil Askey)

This Is The Life (arranged by Ernie Freeman)

I'm Waiting For Ships That Never Come In (arranged by Gil Askey)

Right Here With You (arranged by Ernie Freeman)