Welcome reader,
Pull up a chair, relax and let's get started!
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Hello, hello! I hope everyone had a safe and fun filled 4th of July!
I have been hard at work culling together information on the history of Jazz in Chicago and there is still so more information out there that it will take me awhile to put it together. I am getting a wonderful education!
For example did you know that Cab Calloway had a famous sister?
Blanche Calloway, it was said that she was responsible for Cab's famous "Hi De, Hi De, Hi De, Ho" riff!
There will be more on the famous Blanche Calloway next time.
I have an old soul, I love the music and the musical "mood" of the era between the late 1920's through mid to late 50's. I feel the sounds were rich with feeling and could create a cool, chilled mood with very little effort!
Here's an artist who could do just that, Arthur Prysock.
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Arthur Prysock
January 2, 1929-June 21, 1997
 Although Arthur Prysock did not get his start in Chicago there is a connection. In 1944 Prysock signed on to perform as a vocalist with Buddy Johnson, in 1950 he recorded "Because" on the Mercury label. The Mercury Record Corporation was established in Chicago in 1945!
Even though he may not exactly fall in the category of a jazz singer his deep, rich, velvety sound is reminiscent of Billy Eckstine, smoke filled jazz clubs and dancing nice and easy.
Arthur was perfectly at home singing jazz, blues, or R&B, but his smooth-as-silk baritone made him a superbly effective (and under-appreciated) pop crooner. Arthur went solo in 1952 to tour the chitlin circuit (sometimes with his brother, Red Prysock a noted tenor sax player). He quickly landed an R&B hit with "I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night," and subsequently made his name among black audiences as an emotive balladeer.
During the '50s, Prysock recorded for several smaller labels, but his popularity in concert gradually gained him more exposure. He began a long relationship with the Old Town label, scoring R&B hits with "I Worry 'Bout You" in 1958, Ray Noble's old ballad "The Very Thought of You" in 1960, and "It's Too Late Baby, It's Too Late" in 1965. That year, he fulfilled a dream by recording an album with Count Basie on Verve, the label he remained with for most of the '60s. Prysock performed at Carnegie Hall in 1966, and hosted his own TV show for a short time. By the end of the '60s, He had returned to Old Town Records, where he recorded several albums while touring the club circuit. He had an unexpected disco hit in 1976 with "When Love Is New," but otherwise remained largely out of sight. He returned to active recording in 1985 with the well-received "A Rockin' Good Way" album on Milestone, and also sang a well-known jingle for Lowenbrau beer. Two more albums for Milestone followed, 1986's "This Guy's In Love With You" and 1987's "Today's Love Songs, Tomorrow's Blues" before he receded from the limelight again. He died in Hamilton, Bermuda in 1997.
Information gathered from;
All About Jazz
All Music
MSN Entertainment
Wikipedia
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More smooth, cool sounds!
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Featured Recipe
Do you have a quick and easy recipe you'd like to share? OK, maybe it might not be so easy or quick but try to keep prep time under 30 mins. and ready for eating time less than a day! I mean if it's really good no one will want to wait long to dive in! Drop your palate, pleasing recipe in an email to me and lets get the cooks out there working!
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