An impresario in the broadest and most creative sense of the word, Quincy Jones’ career has encompassed the roles of composer, record producer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, television producer, record company executive, magazine founder and multi-media entrepreneur. As a master inventor of musical hybrids, he has shuffled pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, African and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performance, movies and television. Here pictured with Peggy Lee.
Halloween, also known as All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of Western Christianity's feast of All Hallows' Day that blends ancient Celtic roots, Christian traditions, and modern secular celebrations.
Swedish singer and actress Monica Zetterlund's long career lasted for several decades, bringing acclaim for her Swedish jazz singing and worldwide cinematic fame.
Connie Haines was an American singer who gained popularity in the 1940s as a vocalist in big bands and as a solo artist. She was born as Yvonne Marie Antoinette JaMais on January 20, 1921, in Savannah, Georgia. Haines had a remarkable career that spanned over six decades. Her captivating voice, versatility, and engaging stage presence made her a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.
Nan Wynn
Nan Wynn was an American big-band singer, and Broadway and film actress. She sang and recorded throughout the 1930s and 1940s with the Emery Deutsch, Rudy Vallee, Eddie Duchin, Richard Himber, Hal Kemp, Hudson-DeLange, Raymond Scott, Teddy Wilson and Freddie Rich orchestras.
California, a western U.S. state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff-lined beaches, redwood forest, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mojave Desert. The city of Los Angeles is the seat of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hilly San Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and cable cars.
Considered one of the best vocalists of the swing era, Helen Ward is most remembered for her work with Benny Goodman’s orchestra during the mid-1930s. Singing on many of Goodman’s early hits, she helped set the tone for the emergence of swing as a national craze in 1935. Leaving Goodman at the end of 1936 to get married, Ward worked sporadically for the rest of her life, continuing to sing into the 1980s.
In the pre-rock’n’roll era, popular vocalists often flirted with jazz. Many grew up surrounded by the music of the big bands and felt at home with jazz phrasing. Some, like Kay Starr, performed and recorded with jazz musicians before finding wider success with pop songs and novelties.
Cassandra Wilson was an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack who has expanded the playing field" by incorporating blues, country and folk music into her work.
Marian Montgomery was born Maude Runnels, 17 November 1934, Natchez, Mississippi, USA, d. 22 July 2002, Bray, Berkshire, England. Montgomery quit school to sing on television in Atlanta, Georgia. After working in advertising and publishing, performing in plays and singing in strip joints and jazz clubs, she became an established cabaret performer. Montgomery was signed to Capitol Records after Peggy Lee heard her demo tape, and she recorded three albums for the label. She moved to the UK in 1965 to sing at a new London club, the Cool Elephant, with John Dankworth’s band. That same year she married composer and musical director Laurie Holloway and began to establish herself on the London club scene, equally at home at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club as she was on the less demanding cabaret circuit.