Dakota Staton R.I.P.

[ghost of miles]

A singer I've liked more & more over the years; Mosaic was going to do a set of her Capitol recordings, but decided not to because of the Collectables reissues. Posted to Songbirds today:

Jazz Vocalist Dakota Staton, 76, Dies

by Nate Guidry

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 12, 2007

Dakota Staton, an iconic Pittsburgh jazz vocalist who achieved international

fame, died Tuesday at Isabella Geriatric Center in New York after a lengthy

illness. Ms. Staton was 76.

Sharynn Harper, a spokesperson for Ms. Staton's brother, Fred Staton, said Ms.

Staton had been in declining health after suffering a triple aneurysm several

years ago.

Ms. Staton's last major performance in Pittsburgh was in 1996 when she performed

at the Hill House Auditorium as part of the Mellon Jazz Festival.

Born and raised in Homewood, Ms. Staton attended Westinghouse High School and

was a member of the famed Kadets, a swing band that played music ranging from

"String of Pearls" to Coleman Hawkins' "Body and Soul."

After cutting her teeth working with the Joe Westry Orchestra at several of the

bigger nightclubs in the Hill District, Ms. Staton moved to Detroit in search of

other musical opportunities.

In 1954, Ms. Staton recorded a single for Capitol Records and began a series of

highly visible concerts on the East Coast. Two years later, she was named "the

most promising jazz vocalist of the year" by the critics at Downbeat Magazine.

When her first album, "Late Late Show," appeared the following year, it was

hailed a classic.

In the mid 1960s, Ms. Staton moved to England.

"From England I ventured all around the world," Ms. Staton told the Post-Gazette

in a 1996 interview. "Most of the venues I played there were for international

audiences that spoke and understood English, like the Intercontinental hotel

chains and other places I worked. Many of those people had never heard the

blues, and I was an oasis for them. I imagine some of them have never heard it

since."

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.

_____

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[garthsj]

Another one of my teenage heroes leaves us. Her album "The Late, Late Show" was a staple item at parties during those years ... although I can't but help feel that she never really achieved the level that that early promise suggested. Ah! the memories ....

Edited April 12, 2007 by garthsj

[Stereojack]

A great singer - one of my favorites. I treasure her Capitol albums.

RIP, Dakota.

[alocispepraluger102]

yesterday i played dakota and shearing and enjoyed her singing immensely. didnt even know she was ill.

[JSngry]

Her Capitol work as a whole has alwyas left me a bit ambivalent (as much or more Capitol's fault as anybody's), but she did an early-70s side for Groove Merchant (w/arrangements by Manny Albam) that was just dandy, and that kicked ass in a way that probably would have made Capitol quite uncomfortable.

Always cause for pause when the warriors pass on, but we all do sooner or later. Leaving your mark is nothing to sneeze at.

R.I.P.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The first Soul Jazz albums I ever bought were Dakota's "Late late show" and "More than the most". I missed her Groove Merchants. I REALLY want "Madame Foo Foo", with Groove Holmes.

She was still singing pretty well on her last album, "A packet of love letters".

RIP

MG

[Tony Pusey]

I am really fond of the Shearing collaboration, and it isgives me cause for considerable regret that Mosaic shelved thier project...C´Mon Mosaic have second thoughts.

RIP...

[762rob]

Dakota was a treasure and she left us a lot of great music, especially the beautifully produced and recorded Capitol Lps of the late 50's early 60's. Benny Carter arranged a number of them -

Her later recordings on Groove merchant are great as well.

Mosaic should reconsider their re-issue project; and include the United Artists recordings from after the Capitol period.

If you can find her CD issue from the Legendary Singers series on Capitol, that is a good place to start listening. There is also an excellent compilation out from EMI in the UK.

[ghost of miles]

she did an early-70s side for Groove Merchant (w/arrangements by Manny Albam) that was just dandy, and that kicked ass in a way that probably would have made Capitol quite uncomfortable.

I think I have that one--with Albam's big band, featuring guys like Jerry Dodgion, Frank Wess, Pepper Adams, Joe Newman, Garnett Brown, Bill Watrous (billed as "Billy")--hell of a band! It's called CONGRATULATIONS TO SOMEONE, and I picked it up for $4.99 in a budget bin. Really strong record (reissued by Lester Recording Catalogue).

[JSngry]

Yeah. there's a shufflebluz on there talking about "the man I love is a country man", right? That shit'll rock you for days!

When I was a mere teen, the local East Texas soul station (690 KZEY-AM, aka Soul 69) had a Sunday afternoon jazz show (as does the local AM oldskool soul station - 730 KKDA-AM aka Soul 73 - today, amybe there's a thing about Sunday afternoon jazz shows on AM R&B stations?) hosted by a lady named Teddi (forget her last name, but I have a reel to reel tape of one of her shows in the closet somewhere, and I met her a few years later after she moved to FW, she was a friend of the mom of the singer of the R&B band I was in at the time, but I forgot to ask her what that song was). It was a good show, and especially welcome in KraKKerland, but Miss Teddi damn near never backannounced. And she played that song almost every Sunday.

So there's this groovy blues that I'm hearing weekly and I don't have even half a clue as to what it is. But I had heard some og the Jones/Lewis Solid State sides, and I knew that they had done an album w/Ruth Brown, and Alnam's arrangement on this cut sounded like it could ahve been a Thad chart, so I just assumed that that was what it was, and set about looking for the Jones/Lewis/Brown side. When I finally found it, hey, guess what, that song wasn't on there. So what to do about that...

Fast-forward 10 or so years, and I'n browsing a cutout bin somewhere and see a Dakota Staton side on Il Gigante de Jazz (the white covered series) and there's a tune on there that has a title that makes ne believe that this, at last, is the one that Miss Teddi used to jam on Sundays. Well, for $1.99 I figgured whatthehell, picked it up & took it home. Lo and behold, this was it. Another quest completed.

Moral of the story - backannounciong saves time!

[Man with the Golden Arm]

she did an early-70s side for Groove Merchant (w/arrangements by Manny Albam) that was just dandy, and that kicked ass in a way that probably would have made Capitol quite uncomfortable.

I think I have that one--with Albam's big band, featuring guys like Jerry Dodgion, Frank Wess, Pepper Adams, Joe Newman, Garnett Brown, Bill Watrous (billed as "Billy")--hell of a band! It's called CONGRATULATIONS TO SOMEONE, and I picked it up for $4.99 in a budget bin. Really strong record (reissued by Lester Recording Catalogue).

Just pulled out my Europa Jazz italian issue of this date and WOW ... been a while and probably played this a couple times is all. Truly rockin as Jim sez. What an pure and effortless voice she has ... no over-singing here. Love how Pepper Adams and Garnett Brown growl "Cry Me A River" into some missing John Barry/Bond title sequence.

So, who is the piano player here? This gatefold is missing quite a bit of info. Need to dig out 'The Late Late Show' next.

and what's that groovy blues Jim??

[JSngry]

Yeah, Europa Jazz, that's the label!

"Country Man" is the tune in question. Side 1, Track 1. Can't miss it. Unless you're on Side 2...

Bought a beat-up copy of the GM original a few years ago. It might have complete personnel. But it's buried in one of the mountainstacks.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

oh yeah, thought you meant a different tune ... that's the side i was playing.

I remember buying this a ways back as she reminded me of a 80's singer from the west coast named Barbara Morrison.

would never have even thought of "Cry Me a River" as a "spy" tune.

[Stereojack]

So, who is the piano player here? This gatefold is missing quite a bit of info. Need to dig out 'The Late Late Show' next.

Inexplicably, the original LP names all of the brass & reed players, but fails to identify the rhythm section!

I agree, this is album is a bitch!

[alocispepraluger102]

dakota is now being shown at abyssinian and her funeral is tonight at 7pm.

may she rest in peace.

[ghost of miles]

Been listening this morning to the EMI UK twofer of SOFTLY/ROUND MIDNIGHT--Benny Carter did the arrangements for both LPs. Dakota in laidback, late-night form... fans & those into torch-jazz would like these albums.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Been listening this morning to the EMI UK twofer of SOFTLY/ROUND MIDNIGHT--Benny Carter did the arrangements for both LPs. Dakota in laidback, late-night form... fans & those into torch-jazz would like these albums.

Good grief! I didn't know those had been issued here! Thanks Ghost!

MG

[alocispepraluger102]

Been listening this morning to the EMI UK twofer of SOFTLY/ROUND MIDNIGHT--Benny Carter did the arrangements for both LPs. Dakota in laidback, late-night form... fans & those into torch-jazz would like these albums.

Good grief! I didn't know those had been issued here! Thanks Ghost!

MG

.........ah, a show is fforthcoming.