If you’re a fan of female jazz vocals, you’re going to hit paydirt on this new series from Fresh Sound Records. I don’t know how the label found these obscure ladies from the 50s-60s, but you’re going to be shocked at the number of high quality ladies got passed over during these halcyon days of jazz singing.
There’s an old saying that everyone has a story to tell, and while none of these ladies had long careers, they at least had one strong album in their repertory. Hang on for the ride as we evaluate which ones really jump out.
The Beverly Kelly/Dolores Hawkins disc is a really jazzy feature. Kelly is backed by a trio that includes legendary bassist Scott LaFaro (!) just before his days with Bill Evans, along with pianist Pat Moran and drummer Johnny Whited on this 1957 session. Kelly and LaFaro bop to “The Man I Love” and is richly deep 
with Moran on a dark “Spring Is Here” and peppy for “I Get A Kick Out Of You.” Her voice has a bluesy inflection as well as a soft vibrato, with rich dynamics on “But Not For Me.” Where’s she been hiding?
Dolores Hawkins is accompanied by no less than Hank Jones/p, Barry Galbraith/g, Milt Hinton/b, Osie Johnson/dr and soloist Ruby Braff/tp on a mix of standards and fun novelties. She and Braff have a good time on “No Love, No Nothin” and is cheerful during a clever “I’ve Got My Eyes On You. She does a gorgeous aria with “The Man I Love” and goes int the wee hours on “Goodnight My Love.” Impressive!
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Thelma Grace had a voice that is a shade darker than Anita O’Day, but with the same swing feel on this 1955 
album with big toned tenor Georgie Auld, Quentin Anderson/tb and a bopping rhythm section of Lou Levy/p, Barney Kessel/g, Joe Comfort/b and Sid Bulkin/dr. She is clear and flexible as she snaps on “I’m Yours” and “Just You, Just Me” and has an easy swing on “I’ll Remember April” with Auld’s warm horn in vintage form. A must for bop fans.
Milli Vernon’s 1956 debut release has her also in heavy company with Ruby Braff/tp, Dave McKenna/p, Jimmy Raney/g, Wyatt Rhuter/b, and Basie-ite Jo Jones/dr. She’s got a husky mezzo soprano, carrying a torch on “Blue Raine” and desultory with McKenna during “Weep For The Boy.” She shows her blue side with Braff on “This Year’s Kisses” and a swaying “St. James Infirmary.” Not a hint of imitation; she sounds fresh and vibrant.
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The next album has not only my two favorite names, India Adams and Easy Williams, but two of my favorite albums. India Adams looks like she just stepped out of the street where Leave It To Beaver was filmed, but she sings like she’s starring in Peyton Place. Her voice used to replace the likes of Joan Crawford and Cyd Charisse in various musicals, and you can see why; she’s got some sass! She’s big, bluesy and bold on her material like “Evig Evol” and she even purrs like an untamed kitten on the saucy “Tame Me.” She oozes like just popped out of a cake with Ray Martin’s Orchestra on hot under the collar pieces like “What You Do To Me” and “It’s Silk.” She’s a steaming Latin love on “Sell Me” and romantic by the fire (which is probably her combusting) on “A Man In My Pocket.” Who let her off her leash? YOWZA!
Easy Williams has a sweet wisp of a voice that is West Coast Cool, teamed with Benny Goodman alumnus Allan Reuss/g along with Ted Nash/fl and Frank Flynn/vib-perc. She’s relaxed and loungy on “I’m A Dreamer, Aren’t We All” and cooing for “I Wanna Be Love” with a late night vibe with Flynn for “Easy Come, Easy Go.” She creates a noir mood on “Easy Street” and draws out the lyrics with Reuss on the intriguing “The Whistler on the Bayou.” How’d we miss this Miss?
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Norene Tate specialized in torch songs on this ’57 album with Ellington drummer Sonny Greer, bassist Al Hall and pianist Isaac Royal. She’s got a relentless vibrato, wafting on a near definitive take of “Tenderly” while warbling a bluesy mood on the easy “I Was Doing All Right” and a long shadow’d “One For My Baby” with Hall setting the sepia tone. Her swing is relaxed on “Sometimes I’m Happy” and serenades on “I Cover The Waterfront.” A candle in the wind.
Mae Barnes has a sandied voice, and she knows how to swing with gents from Count Basie’s band like Buck Clayton/tp, Jo Jones/dr along with Aaron Bell/b and Ray Bryant-Ray Tunia. She bops with delight on “Umbrella Man” and grooves delightfully for “Up On A Mountain” and the boogie-ing “They Raided The Joint.” Clayton is glowing on “Summertime” and Jones is hip on “Foggy Day.” This 1958 album is a toe tapper!
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Orchestra sounds dominate the albums by Jennie Smith and Diana Trask. Ray Ellis arranges and conducts the band for Smith’s 1958 lush album, and the sweet strings work well with her tasty voice on “Love Among The Young” and the fun brassy “Cross Your Heart.” She swings with easy on “There Will Never Be Another You” and has a soft vibrato on the wanderlust “While We’re Young” and reflective “Young And Foolish.” Lovely pastels
Diana Trask teams with Glenn Osser’s Orchestra on this sophisticatedly swinging album from 1960. She cries out and really shows some chops on a dramatic “Temptation” and is bold in declaration for By Myself.” Muted horns create a rich atmosphere on “It Might As Well Be Spring” with her clean voice sifting through the flutes on “Let’s Fall In Love.” Her voice is clear and bright, steady on the lilting “Hello Young Lovers.” This Aussie somehow never caught on, but this album is a beaut.
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Peggy King is Chris Connor vo-cool as she’s backed by orchestras conducted and arranged by Henri Rene’, Pete King and Jack Marshall. Gurgling bass clarinets drape her vocals on “Rain” and the flutes teamed with brushes create hazy atmospheres for “Lazy Afternoon” and “You’ll Never Know.” She wisps out “Imagination” not unlike June Christy and the oboes hover with her like a morning fog for “Imagination.” 1959 was the time to be in Hollywood with the best of the studio studs.
Pam Garner focuses on lonely moods with an orchestra conducted by the famed Johnny Richards that includes Jack Sheldon/tp, Jimmy Rowles/p, Red Mitchell/b and Larry Bunker/dr on this 1960 Hollywood date. With her delicate vibrato, she does a definitive “Lush Life” with Rowles that precedes the famed Hartman-Coltrane version, and is a perfect female perspective. Her range is gloriously agonizing on “Solitude” and she takes a trip down Desolation Boulevard on “Lost In A Fog” and Sheldon’s own “Lilac Wine.” Sheldon’s trumpet is lonely on “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” and she takes you down a harrowing alley for “Angel Eyes.” A one-off grand slam!
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Jane Harvey sounds a bit like Patti Page with a sweet yet big voice on this fun 1959 Los Angeles session. She fingersnaps her way through a gospel blues on “Sent For You Yesterday” and is lonesome on “The Man That Got Away.” She is tender with strings on “Misty” and is cute on the obscure “Telephonez-Moi.” She shows depth of passion on a lush “A Lover In The House” and sassy for “Blue Again.” Versatile and clever.
Anne Phillips hires some boppers in Doc Severinsen/tp, Barry Galbraith-Mundell Lowe/g, George Duvivier-Milt Hinton/b, Osie Johnson/dr, Walt Levinsky/as Bernie Leighton/p and a string section conducted by Kermit Leslie on this 1959 recording from NYC. She does a rich aria with Leighton on a relaxed “It Could Happen To You” and creates long shadows for the haunted “Lonelyville.” Levinsky’s alto sax takes to B-Movie land on the nourish “When Sunny Gets Blue” she gets inviting on “Easy Street.” A take of Mel Torme’s “A Stranger In Town” with Lowe is starry eyed and she’s lovely on the celestial “Born To Be Blue.”
All of these discs have informative booklets with lists of musicians, original liner notes and brief histories of these ladies. It’s a reflection of the time period that there was such a surfeit of vocal talent that some singers got overlooked at the time. Don’t let it happen the second time around half a century later!