I’m flutterin’ around the sublimelight of female vocalists who are not necessarily on the map in this decade – those I find fascinatingly talented and engaging, yet lacking in mass marketing recognition beyond random clusters of loyal satellites.
This week — Ernestine Anderson — who, along with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Heart, and Nirvana comprises a constellation of stars from the land where you can’t tell if it’s cloudy or bright on any given day or night — Seattle (must be something in the coffee). So very “on her mark” — her voice, not the packaging, was the star bucking vehicle that took her to 4 Grammy nominations and a not so lengthy stay at the top of the charts.
Is it a curse to be adaptable, capable, able to bring it home in various genres? The lady does not disturb or perturb. She is simply a superb vocalist — phrasing, timbre, tone – so smooth. Ladies and Gentleman, Ernestine has the checklist and pen to check the boxes — yet – her checking account has probably never reflected her immense professionalism and talent. Too easy to listen to? Is there is such a thing? Or — just too easy to get along with?
After 30 albums…listening to Ernestine makes you understand that there really aren’t categorical styles – it’s the limitation of the voice that solders the rigid confines and constructs of musical categories. Ernestine is blues grit, R & B swang and soul, and the jazz imp with no skimping on class – just classification.
When the players tell you “you’re a jazz singer” –- HEY — you’re a jazz singer – ‘specially given that many musicians aren’t too keen on shreddin’ with a vox – so, that’s their equivalent of “props”. As a 12 year old kid, “Stina” entered a talent contest knowing only two songs and was thrust into every singer’s nightmare…she gave them the old “give me a bouncy “C”– which was, apparently, an erroneously chosen key… unless, of course, one is like she (grammatically jarring – but rhyming, you see – the word – not E!), a natural jazz artist, then there isn’t necessarily a “wrong” key. So what? She sang around the melody and improvised. Beyond hitting the notes, that’s where you test your mettle. Singing the notes that aren’t there… It takes an ear and trusting your own gear and Ernestine had it from the start.
Hired by trumpeter Russell Jacquet, our heroine scores a big band gig at 12. At 18, she joins Johnny Otis’ band. In 1952 she went on tour with Lionel Hampton’s orchestra; hit it at the first Monterey Jazz Festival; was voted “Best New Vocal Star” in Down Beat’s 1959 Critic’s Poll. In the USA of the 60’s, gigs were drying up. Rock rolled over and smothered jazz. “Jazz wasn’t dead, it just smelled funny.” (Thanks, Frank – Zappa) — so —her star burning typically bigger and brighter in Europe, Ernestine followed it to London for a while.
After a crisis in confidence, Stina beat back home to Seattle and retreated to a life of Buddhism and suddenly the rest of the universe was granted their prayer for abundance and she was bounced back onto the scene. In the 80’s she recorded with the Hank Jones Trio, Benny Carter, George Shearing (RIP as of last week), heavy hitters.
In 2002, Ernestine won A Golden Umbrella at the Bumbershoot Seattle Arts festival for her contribution to “the cultural landscape of the region”.
Going on 83 grand years, she is still gracing recording studios and the occasional stage.
Here is a catchy tune she recorded in 1963 – “Keep An Eye On Love” (Sue Records) a poppy-samba-R & B number where everything out of her mouth flows fluently and effortlessly. Impeccable timing. Old fashioned talent is an anachronism in this age of Auto-Tune …but never outmoded.
Some Discography:
Mercury Records – Hot Cargo (1958)
Sue Records – The New Sound of Ernestine Anderson Collectible Jazz Classic (1963)
Concord – (Never Make Your Move Too Soon (1981) and Big City (1983) – nominated for Grammies.
(Quincy Jones’ label) Qwest – Now and Then (1993) and Blues, News & Love News” (1996) -– also nominated for Grammies.
Koch Jazz – “Isn’t It Romantic” (1998)
Find Ernestine in the 1999 book by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
Brian Lanker – I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America