Ethel Ennis
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Ethel Ennis began performing on the piano in high school, but her natural vocal abilities soon eclipsed those as a pianist. Embarking on a solo career, she recorded a number of sides for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
before the Lp
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
debut, 1955's Lullabies for Losers was released by Jubilee Records
Jubilee Records
Jubilee Records was a record label specializing in rhythm and blues along with novelty records. It was founded in New York City in 1946 by Herb Abramson. Jerry Blaine became Abramson's partner. Blaine bought out Abramson's half of the company in 1947. The company name was Jay-Gee Recording...
. In 1957, Ennis moved to the Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
label for a two-album contract, and A Change of Scenery was released. Soon after the 1958 follow-up Lp Have You Forgotten, Ennis took a six-year hiatus from recording during which she toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
.
Ennis was again invited to the recording studios in 1963, recording four LPs for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. However, disenchanted with the creative direction of the label and artist management, Ennis left RCA and took another hiatus, this time eight years without a recording contract. During this period she sang the title song for the 1967 feature film Mad Monster Party. The BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
Lp 10 Sides of Ethel Ennis emerged in 1973 and later that year Ennis, a Democrat, was invited to sing at the re-inauguration of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. Ethel's unusual a cappella rendition of the national anthem shocked some, but inspired many others.
Earlier on, Ethel had returned to her hometown of Baltimore, and sang outside the area only a handful of times in the next several decades. Then in 1980 to the delight of loyal fans she reappeared, releasing a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, followed in 1994 by a self-titled studio album, and in 1998 once again recording for a major label with If Women Ruled the World on Savoy Jazz. The most recent Ennis recording was a critically praised 2005 live set, captured in performance at Montpelier in her home state of Maryland.
Partial discography
Atlantic - NYC, December 18, 1956- 2299 | A176 | 56C106 A Pair Of Fools - Atco 6086
- 2300 | A177 | 56C108 Since You're Mine - Atlantic unissued
- 2301 | A178 | 56C109 Got It In My Blood (To Love You) - Atco 6086
- 2302 | A179 | 56C110 Half Way To Heaven - Atlantic unissued
Jubilee Lp
- Lullabies For Losers – Jubilee (1955) re-issued
- Ethel Ennis Sings – Jubilee (1963)
Jubilee Singles
- Jubilee:5236 - Off Shore
Capitol Lp
- Change Of Scenery – Capitol (1957) re-issued
- Have You Forgotten – Capitol (1958) re-issued
RCA Lp
- This Is Ethel Ennis – RCA 2786 (1963) re-issued
- Once Again, Ethel Ennis – RCA 2862 (1964) re-issued
- Eyes For You – RCA 2984 (1964)
- My Kind Of Waltztime – RCA 2986 (1965) re-issued
RCA Singles
- RCA:478379 - Boy From Ipanema / When will the hurt be over?
- RCA:478448 - Now I Have Everything / Matchmaker Matchmaker
- RCA:478592 - About Love / I've Got That Feeling
- RCA 478733 - We Could Learn Together / Look At Me
Later Albums
- 10 Sides of Ethel Ennis – – BASF 25121 (1973)
- Live at the Maryland Inn – EnE (1980)
- Ethel Ennis – Hildner (1994)
- If Women Ruled The World – Savoy Jazz (1998)
- Ennis Anyone? Ethel Ennis, Live at Montpelier! – Jazzmount (2005)
Other Singles
- BASF:15126 - I Believe In Love / I Wonder Who My Daddy Is
- SPIRAL:1234 - Call Me Young / Who Is It This Time?
- SPIRAL:1237 - Sing Me A Tune / I Wonder Who My Daddy Is
Other activities
- Ennis provided the speaking and singing voice for the character of Ethel Earphone on the Maryland Public Television children's show Book, Look and Listen during the mid-1970s.
External links
- Ethel Ennis' Biography at Allaboutjazz.com
- Ethel Ennis's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project