Ethel Waters
Biographer Stephen Bourne joins Alyn Shipton to select highlights from the recordings of singer and actress Ethel Waters, a powerful and influential star in the 1930s and 40s.
Powerful, feisty and influential, Ethel Waters was an excellent jazz singer, mainly remembered now for her screen roles in such pictures as Cabin in the Sky. Popular with both black and white audiences, she was a major star in the 1930s and 1940s. Her biographer Stephen Bourne joins Alyn Shipton to select the highlights from Waters' recordings.
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Ethel Waters & Her Ebony Four
Sweet Georgia Brown
Composer: Bernie / Pinkard / Casey Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; possibly: Joe Smith, c; Don Redman, cl, ss, Pearl Wright or Fletcher Henderson, p. NYC, 13 May 1925.
- Am I Blue?.
- Living Era.
- 5290.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters & Her Plantation Orchestra
Dinah
Composer: Akst / Lewis / Young Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; Harry Tate, dir; Horace Holmes, c; Joe King, tb; unknown reeds; Lester Armstead, p; Maceo Jefferson, bj; Bill Benford, tu; Jesse Baltimore, d. 20 Oct 1925.
- Am I Blue?.
- Living Era.
- 5290.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters
Am I Blue?
Composer: Akst / Clarke Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; with (possible): Manny Klein, crt; Tommy Dorsey, tb; Jimmy Dorsey, cl; Frank Signorelli, p; Joe Tarto, b. 14 May 1929.
- Am I Blue?.
- Living Era.
- 5290.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters With Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Composer: McHugh / Fields Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; Freddie Jenkins, Cootie Williams, Arthur Whetsel, tp; Lawrence Brown, Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, tb; Johnny Hodges, ss, as; Harry Carney, bs; Duke Ellington, p; Fred Guy, bj; Wellman Braud, b; Sonny Greer, d. 22 Dec 1932.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters & The Dorsey's Brother Orchestra - Stormy Weather
Composer: Arlen / Koehler Performers: Sterling Bose, Bunny Berigan, tp; Tommy Dorsey, tb; Jimmy Dorsey, cl; Larry Binyon, ts; Joe Venuti, Harry Hoffman, Waler Edelstein, Lou Kosloff, vn; Fulton McGrath, p; Dick McDonough, g; Artie Bernstein, b; Stan King (or Chauncey Morehouse) d. 3 May 1933.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters
Heat Wave
Composer: Berlin Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; Bunny Berigan, unknown, tp; Benny Goodman, cl; unkown ts, vn, p. 10 Oct 1933.
- Am I Blue?.
- Living Era.
- 5290.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters
Suppertime
Composer: Berlin Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; Reginald Beane, p. 1947.
- Favourite Songs of Ethel Waters.
- Sepia.
- 1079.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters
I Ain't Gonna Sin No More
Composer: Conrad / Magidson Performers: Taft Jordan, tp; Sandy Williams, tb; Edgar Sampson, as. vn; Elmer Williams, ts; vn; Joe Steele, p; John Trueheart, g; John Kirby, b. 5 Sep 1934.
- Ethel Waters, 1931-34.
- Classics.
- 735.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters with The Dorsey Bros Orchestra
Miss Otis Regrets
Composer: Porter Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; unidentified inc. Tommy Dorsey, tb; Jimmy Dorsey, cl, as. 20 Aug 1934.
- Ethel Waters, 1931-34.
- Classics.
- 735.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters with Eddie Mallory & Orchestra
Georgia On My Mind
Composer: Gorrell / Carmichael Performers: Eddie Mallory, tp; Tyree Glenn, tb; Castor McCord, cl; Benny Carter, as; Reg Beane, p; Danny Barker, g; Milt Hinton, b. 15 Aug 1939.
- Ethel Waters, 1935-40.
- Classics.
- 755.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters
Taking a Chance on Love
Composer: Duke / Latouche Performers: Ethel Waters, voc. 1942.
- Cabin in the Sky (Original Soundtrack).
- Premier.
-
![]()
Ethel Waters with Reginald Beane
St Louis Blues
Composer: Handy Performers: Ethel Waters, voc; Reginald Beane, p. 1947.
- The Favourite Songs of Ethel Waters.
- Sepia.
Broadcast
- Sat 12 Feb 2011 16:00麻豆社 Radio 3
Podcast
-
![]()
Jazz Library
Advice and guidance to those interested in building a library of jazz recordings
