Teddi King - A Girl And Her Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:24

Size: 76.5 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 1957/2010

Art: Front

[2:43] 1. A Sailboat In The Moonlight

[2:42] 2. Nothin' For Nothin'

[3:14] 3. After All It's Spring

[2:43] 4. My Future Just Passed

[3:23] 5. You Don't Know What Love Is

[2:37] 6. Indian Summer

[2:34] 7. Chicken Today And Feathers Tomorrow

[2:35] 8. Porgy

[2:50] 9. Laughing At Life

[3:43] 10. Autumn In New York

[2:02] 11. Why Shouldn't I

[2:12] 12. Alone Together

For whatever reasons Teddi King remains a largely overlooked if not underrated singer. This CD "A Girl and Her Song" finds Teddi at the very peak of her performing powers. In later years she suffered from poor health and her voice in the recordings before her untimely death had lost a lot in terms of timbre. Teddi King had all that a female vocalist could wish for. A beautiful instrument, perfect diction and that vital quality of knowing how to use them in order to convey a range of emotions.

"You Don't Know What Love Is" has been sung probably by all the greats and yet her version is a stand out with its compelling seriousness. Teddi King took her art seriously, excelling in both the dramatic song; listen to her in the almost unknown but marvellous Dorothy Fields version of "Porgy", as well as the the light hearted "A Sailboat in the Moonlight" or Richard Whiting's (Margaret's father) "My Future Just Passed". Those who may already be familiar with Teddi King would certainly do well in having what is in my opinion one one of her best albums while for those who do not know her, this makes a fine introduction to this worthy artist. ~Michael Sharp

A Girl And Her Songs 

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Teddi King - Now In Vogue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:14
Size: 85.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1955/2011
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Why Do You Suppose
[3:39] 2. Over The Rainbow
[2:37] 3. This Is Always
[2:42] 4. Fools Fall In Love
[2:58] 5. I Didn't Know About You
[3:26] 6. I'm In The Market For You
[2:22] 7. You Hit The Spot
[3:17] 8. Something To Live For
[2:40] 9. You Can Depend On Me
[4:07] 10. Old Folks
[2:49] 11. Like A Ship Without A Sail
[3:39] 12. You Turned The Tables On Me

The subtlety and intimacy of the signature Storyville label sound perfectly complement what critic Whitney Balliett once dubbed Teddi King's "peaceful, spacious way of phrasing," and Now in Vogue captures in full the singer's Zen-like serenity, showcasing her uncommonly lyrical phrasing and deep affinity for melody. Recorded with a stellar septet including trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, trumpeter Nick Travis and pianist Billy Taylor, the session boasts a deceptive simplicity that underscores the sheer grace of all its participants. King's contralto is both the focal point and just another instrument in the mix, fusing with the music so seamlessly that it seems as if she's been singing these songs and playing with this band her entire life. ~Jason Ankeny

Now In Vogue

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Teddi King - Lovers And Losers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 96.6 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1978/1994
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. Lovers And Losers
[2:42] 2. A Ghost Of A Chance
[2:48] 3. Can't You Do A Friend A Favor
[2:59] 4. The Wine Of May
[2:29] 5. There's A Man In My Life
[2:53] 6. A Sunday Kind Of Love
[1:51] 7. Ask Yourself Why
[2:09] 8. Nobody's Heart
[3:31] 9. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:16] 10. Bewitched
[3:06] 11. Slightly Less Than Wonderful
[3:20] 12. Blackberry Winter
[2:48] 13. Wait Till You See Her
[3:13] 14. Fools Rush In
[2:31] 15. Be A Child

This session was recorded just about a year before Teddi King's untimely death at the early age of 48 from a breakdown of her immune system, weakened by lupus. Lovers and Losers was the second of three albums King made in the 1970s after a 14-year hiatus from the recording studios, during which she worked in TV and clubs (exclusively in Playboy clubs for a period of eight years). Influenced by the honeyed delivery of Mildred Bailey as well as the heavy vibrato of Sarah Vaughan, King eventually drifted toward a middle ground and this journey to the center is reflected on this CD, although the vibrato is more pronounced than on her earlier recordings. Joined by Audiophile's house trio of Loonis McGlohon, Mel Alexander, and Jim Lackey, King continues to show her immaculate sense of timing and feel for phrasing the lyrics on such tunes as "A Sunday Kind of Love" and a delicately rendered and haunting "Blackberry Winter." King could always swing, and she puts that talent to use on "Honeysuckle Rose," with added verse. Her ability to take tunes that didn't quite catch the public's fancy and make something of them is revisited with her fun styling of "Slightly Less Than Wonderful" and "There's a Man in My Life," both by Fats Waller. Her voice is more mature and deeper than it was in the 1950s, when she made some outstanding albums for RCA. It had also lost some of its vibrancy, probably due to illnesses that seemed to plague King. Nonetheless, King showed that, despite her health trouble, she could still perform with both polish and bounce. ~Dave Nathan

Lovers And Losers

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Teddi King - All The Kings Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:04
Size: 82.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1954/1987
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. April Showers
[2:49] 2. A Cottage For Sale
[3:06] 3. That's For Me
[2:43] 4. Temptation
[2:57] 5. Unforgettable
[2:59] 6. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now
[3:20] 7. Flamingo
[2:33] 8. June In January
[3:49] 9. This Love Of Mine
[2:44] 10. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
[2:50] 11. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
[3:36] 12. Let's Face The Music And Dance

The basic conceit behind All the King's Songs is simple -- recast signature hits by male vocalists including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Billy Eckstine as torch songs for Teddi King, ably supported here by arrangers Lew Douglas and Johnny Richards. To her immense credit, King makes the music here her own -- her rich contralto and serene phrasing reveal rich new meanings in familiar material like "Unforgettable" and "This Love of Mine," quickly evolving the project past novelty status to explore with sincerity and depth the transformation of the popular song as it passes from one gender to the other. ~Jason Ankeny

All The Kings Songs

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Teddi King - The Storyville Sessions 1954-1955

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 60:16

Size: 138.0 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[2:45] 1. I Saw Stars

[2:25] 2. Love Is A Now And Then Thing

[2:53] 3. New Orleans

[3:12] 4. The Talk Of The Town

[2:36] 5. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan

[2:30] 6. It's All In The Mind

[3:33] 7. Our Love Is Here To Stay

[3:13] 8. Spring Won't Be Around This Season

[2:48] 9. Why Do You Suppose

[3:39] 10. Over The Rainbow

[2:37] 11. This Is Always

[2:42] 12. Fools Fall In Love

[2:58] 13. I Didn't Know About You

[4:06] 14. Old Folks

[3:38] 15. You Turned The Tables On Me

[2:49] 16. Like A Ship Without Sail

[3:16] 17. Something To Live For

[3:26] 18. I'm In The Market For You

[2:22] 19. You Hit The Spot

[2:39] 20. You Can Depend On Me

Twofer: Tracks #1-8, from the 10-inch LP “Miss Teddi King” (Storyville LP 314). Teddi King (vcl), Ruby Braff (tp), Jimmy Jones (p), Milt Hinton (b), Jo Jones (d). Recorded in New York City, July 1954. Tracks #9-20, from the 12-inch LP “Now in Vogue” (Storyville LP 903). Teddi King (vcl), Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), Billy Taylor (p), Milt Hinton (b), Osie Johnson (d). On #9,10,11 & 15, Nick Travis (tp), Gene Quill (as) and Sol Schlinger (bs) added. Recorded in New York City, October 1955.

Possibly because of the sheer perfection of her vocal technique, Teddi King (1929-1977) may not have immediately seemed to some to be a jazz singer. But, in a career that included work with such piano luminaries as Nat Pierce, George Shearing and Dave McKenna, she won herself a small but discerning following as one of the best.

Influenced by such outstanding jazz singers as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, whom she did not resemble vocally, and Lee Wiley, Mabel Mercer and Mildred Bailey, whom perhaps to a slight degree she did, she was blessed with near-perfect intonation, impeccable phrasing and a voice of crystalline beauty and freshness. All this is evident on these early Storyville sessions, where she is backed by front-line jazz talent in Ruby Braff, Nick Travis, Bob Brookmeyer, Gene Quill, pianists Jimmy Jones and Billy Taylor and sterling drummers Jo Jones and Osie Johnson. In these intimate, subtly calibrated sessions she sings with a warmth and delicacy no less forceful for being presented with elegance, sophistication and a complete absence of superfluous gesture or vocal sleightof-hand.

It should surprise nobody that she held Sinatra as the epitome of what a popular singer should be and he, with his frank jazz awareness, was as close to perfection in terms of phrasing as any singer could aspire to.

The Storyville Sessions 1954-1955

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Teddi King - Bidin' My Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:53
Size: 73.0 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1956/2004/2011
Art: Front

[2:32] 1. Bidin' My Time
[3:11] 2. Once Too Often
[3:03] 3. That Old Feeling
[2:51] 4. The I'm Not Supposed To Be Blue Blues
[2:07] 5. Careless Love
[2:32] 6. For All We Know
[2:22] 7. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
[2:25] 8. I'm In Love With The Honorable Mr. So And So
[3:03] 9. I Can't Get Started
[2:22] 10. Love Walked In
[3:02] 11. I Poured My Heart Into A Song
[2:17] 12. Taking A Chance On Love

Theodora King came into this world in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18, 1929, and at an early age knew she wanted to be a singer - specifically a jazz vocalist - citing greats like Mildred Bailey, Mabel Mercer and Lee Wiley as her primary influences. As Teddi King she came out on top at a singing competition sponsored by Dinah Shore which was held at the Tributary Theatre in Boston, and this led to her involvement with a touring show specifically designed to entertain military personnel in the late 1940s. In 1949 she linked up with the Boston-based Nat Pierce orchestra and, if you can find them, can be heard on jazz cuts like Crown Pilots, Oh, You Crazy Moon, Indian Summer, Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, You Don't Know What Love Is, Goodbye Mr. Chops, Seersucker Blues and It Might As Well Be Spring.

Part way through 1952 she joined the George Shearing aggregation (be sure to check out the CD The George Shearing Quintet: Live At Birdland With Teddi King), and in 1954 cut three albums for Storyville, including one with the Beryl Booker Trio, before spending some time performing in Las Vegas prior to inking a deal with RCA Victor. In addition to registering three hit singles with RCA in 1956/57 (see the excellent CD Teddi King - Mr. Wonderful:The Complete RCA Singles (1956-1958) which contains both sides of those hits), she cut three fine albums there, including this one, Bidin' My Time (RCA Victor LPM 1146) with Al Cohn & His Orchestra, which first came out in 1956. ~AvidOldiesCollector

Bidin' My Time

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Teddi King - Pocketful Of Rainbows

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 74:30

Size: 170.6 MB

Styles: jazz-pop vocals

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[2:29] 1. When Did You Leave Heaven

[2:57] 2. Unforgettable

[2:54] 3. You Go To My Head

[2:49] 4. A Cottage For Sale

[3:39] 5. Love Is Here To Stay

[3:14] 6. After All It's Spring

[2:36] 7. Porgy

[2:40] 8. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan

[3:49] 9. This Love Of Mine

[3:10] 10. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight

[2:48] 11. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

[3:56] 12. To You

[3:24] 13. You Don't Know What Love Is

[2:23] 14. When I Grow Too Old To Dream

[2:33] 15. June In January

[2:30] 16. Love Is A Now And Then Thing

[2:23] 17. Love Walked In

[3:44] 18. Autumn In New York

[2:34] 19. Chicken Today And Feathers Tomorrow

[2:48] 20. The Very Thought Of You

[2:54] 21. The Way You Look Tonight

[3:05] 22. I Can't Get Started

[3:12] 23. Once Too Often

[3:04] 24. That Old Feeling

[2:43] 25. Nothin' For Nothin'

Teddi King (September 18, 1929 - November 18, 1977) was an American jazz and pop vocalist. Born Theodora King in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18, 1929, she won a singing competition hosted by Dinah Shore at Boston's Tributary Theatre, later beginning work in a touring revue involved with "cheering up the military in the lull between the Second World War and the Korean conflict." Improving her vocal and piano technique during this time, she first recorded with Nat Pierce in 1949, later recording with the Beryl Booker trio and with several other small groups from 1954-1955 (recordings which were available on three albums for Storyville). She then toured with George Shearing for two years beginning in the summer of 1952, and for a time was managed by the famed George Wein. King later began performing for a time in Las Vegas. Ultimately signing with RCA, she recorded three albums for the label, beginning with 1956's Bidin' My Time.

Pocketful Of Rainbows

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