Anita O'Day 1956 - Honeysuckle Rose

[orqsilva]

Having worked hundred's of vocals with bad time, it was a delight to work wih Anita, if only briefly toward the end of her career. Incredible swing and phrasing.

[stuntcat666]

In her scrapbook there's a handwritten letter from Andy Razaf who wrote this song, he's thanking her for doing it.

He says his friends have heard her sing it and told him "they have never heard anyone equal your rendition of it." :)

[UOENG270]

She was a f**kin knockout! Please, please, check out her version of this in Tokyo '63.

It is an absolute STUNNER! ..... in fact the whole DVD of her in Tokyo is just great.

[echo680]

so good

[paul51]

Fabulous!! As noted by waynebrasler, this Lady knew how to dress . . . use facial expressions, etc. Just watched her life story on the Bio Channel three days ago . . . what a talent, what a life, what a vocalist.

[Scalairefr]

Thanks Anita. The perfect Jazz singer. You are missing us.

[amygdala51]

Acapella and time, time time.. That's what I learned from her.

[6153calme]

Can't say she was the best, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn they're all right up there. All had that something special in their voices.

[paul51]

@6153calme ALL the ladies brought something "special / different" to their vocals . . . and what do we have today? Not much.

[Getzwho]

Listen you blokes !! NO one equals O' Day !!

[chops5070]

greenstboy....."Anita was the best!!! " Your a maniac!

[echo680]

she's just so good

[hawkinsforlifelester]

A great version is Sarah Vaughan's in 1957 at live at Mister Kelly's in Chicago.

This one is very good too.

[woodlawn4623]

Haven' heard all of O'Day's albums but the best I ever heard any female jazz vocalist do was her Norgran Vinyl Album mgn-30, most especially her interpretation of Man I Love.  She owns that song.

[geebs46]

Anita was responsible for getting me signed upto youtube - thanks Anita, if that's all I had to do to see more of you it really was a good investment of my time. I'll be back for more great performances!

[xnikilodianx]

dear lord. i love her(:

[greenstboy]

Anita was the best! Sorry Sarah, Ella & Billie. Listen to that perfect rhythm, voice, etc. Check out her TEA for TWO at the 57 Newport Jazz Festival.

Never will be equalled. Case closed.

[JaiFinesse]

Jazz Critic Will Friedwald has said When you think of the great jazz singers, I would think that Anita is the only white woman that belongs in the same breath as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.

[MikeIdy6000]

True!

[Getzwho]

Except---She was better !!

[MRDOOWOP1]

Stylish and just so cool....What a voice!!

[oOitsme9909]

i have no idea why this was recommended for me.............

[01jazzman01]

this is real jazz singing i wish fans of

amy whine house would listen

01jazzman01

[astaire2012]

I agree, although some of Amys songs are great.(iheard love is blind, and her cover of tenderly)

[01jazzman01]

amy with jools holland 2004 was very good 01jazzman01

[tisha812]

She kinda reminds me of Peggy Lee...and even though she didn't do any here...this woman can scat like nobody's business!

[01jazzman01]

nothing like Peggy Lee

01jazzman01

[astaire2012]

music truly does surpass age. im only 17. Does anyone know more spectacular jazz singers???

[erkoles77]

Incomparable!!!!

[MRLeff78]

I'm 48 and just discovered Miss O'Day. What a dame. Growing up Lampoon writer/artist Bruce McCall used to write about "lovely singer Nita O'Lay" but I knew nothing about the real inspiration. Then I saw the clip from Newport Jazz 58 and fell in love. She's so incredible. Like Ella. Rest in peace, Anita.

[nandesneto]

Anita was far better than Ella.

[littlehornywolf]

why dont ya all shut the fuck up and listen to this great music???????????????

;-)

[zenoizen]

She moves so good. Totally fascinating.

[butlerherbert]

Anita O'Day , as great as she sounded then,

she sang even better up near the end .

[DoctorScuba]

Up the REAR End? What did Ja Sayyy?

[scoutie101]

This is shortly after she got hooked on heroin. She covered it fabulously well. What a great, great, great MUSICIAN (she played her voice).

[Chibichana]

Bravo!!!! Greatt, Lovely!!! what a nice swing!

[buginajar]

To me, this exemplifies Anita at her best...great intonation, stage presence, and phrasing. The ultimate be-bop jazz singer!

[Cerigan]

Anita O'Day was wonderful- but wasn't she more like the greatest swing/big band jazz singer (after her own Goddess Billie)? To me the greatest be-bop jazz singer must be Sheila Jordan.

[joomuck]

Last year I had a great night watching and listening to Shelia Jordan when she was appearng in Ottawa. Shades of Alberta Hunter. She has so much sex appeal: wow.

[Cerigan]

Lucky you. I haven't seen her perform since I left the UK. I have to live off her recordings. Wonder if she ever sang with Monk?

[joomuck]

I've seen Shelia Jordan in Ottawa on two occasions: she has quite a following in Ottawa.

As I understand, she was a good friend of Charlie Parker and, at the time of his death, his wife. She was also friends with and played with Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Monk.

She also worked with Lenny Trisano.

The last time I saw her I went up to the bar and sat with her. She gave me a huge hug and a kiss: a very sexy lady and told me that I was ever in New York City to look her up.

[padleynj]

I used to see Anita at Gulliver's (NJ) in the early 80's, and even after her horrible past-life, she still "had-it".

[BrunoVonLimpnoodle]

Das ist einen genumpferleschmankdringler!!

[itsartolie]

Anita is the best jazz singer for my money, she embodied the true essence of it all. Check her circa 1986 at Ronnie Scott's on my videos.

[waynebrasler]

Note the stage presence. She was a great jazz singer of historic proportions but she also knew how to dress, how to walk on a stage and how to exit, how to stand, how to move and to use facial expression. Her wardrobe was always remarkable--she sometime looked like a girl who was reading Vogue and Sartre at the same time. She was basically uneducated but knew all there was to know about life, about music and to how to present herself as a consummate artist and entertainer.

[orsolini09]

You've nailed it. She is one of a kind.

[jimnick1]

You are so right; many performers today could learn from her stage presence...although it was her manager Joe Glaser who reportedly said "she has a million bucks worth of talent but no class"

[snatchhog]

@jimnick1 her TALENT was her CLASS

[DonByas]

More Buddy Defranco......!!!!!!

[djjazziedeb]

The greatest thing about Anita is she could put her own swing version to any tune. She could make any standard her own.

[jimnick1]

Most of her Verve albums, if not all, are available separately.They shouldn't be too hard to find.

[teazle2]

@jimnick1 Amazon buddy theyr'e there and great value as well.

[MoGreensEye]

Love this! And the Newport clips! Good news: Mosaic Records released all of her Verve sides in a supreme box set. Bad news: it's out of print. Check EBay - definitely worth whatever you pay.

[Alino17]

Correct.... I had it nearly ten years ago and it was a GREAT buy. Great unforgettable Anita

[eguirald]

Thanks for this unforgetabble clip and singer!

[YazDawg]

wow she's better than ella fitzgearld

[nocount1]

This clip is fabulous thanks!

[neilbombd]

A real treat to find more Anita up here, thanks so much.

[jazzgranny]

She was the greatest jazz vocalist ever! I had never seen this clip - thank you for sharing it with us.

Even tho' the voice quality failed in her later years, the love of music, wonderful phrasing, improvisation was still there. Imagine...she was still singing at 86! Can't wait until the Documentary of her life is released!

[hollywood3000]

great singer. great legend. long live anita!

[jimnick1]

She will live forever! We have the music!!!

[tassonpa]

Thanks so very much for posting this sensational clip of Anita O'Day. I am such a big fan of this legendary lady! It's a shame that there's not more of her available on video so it's a real treat to be able to see her in her prime singing one of her signature songs. Thanks again.

[jimnick1]

I agree with you on all counts; I have a couple more I'll post.