Thrush Hour: A Study of the Great Ladies of Jazz is Stephanie Nakasian

Stephanie Nakasian

Stephanie Nakasian is an American jazz vocalist and voice teacher.-Early life:Born in Washington, D.C., Stephanie grew up in Bronxville, NY. She studied classical piano, violin, sang in choirs, and studied voice. She majored in economics at Northwestern University, where she received her BA and...

's sixth album as leader. It was released in 2006.

The album features Nakasian paying tribute to twenty of jazz's great female singers. Nakasian's intention, as stated in the liner notes, is to emulate and mimic their styles and inflections in order to bring a sense of authenticity back to vocal jazz.

The extensive liner notes include a short biography of each singer as well as Nakasian's description of how she endeavors to achieve their unique sound.

All of the arrangements were taken from the originals and prepared by Nakasian and Hod O'Brien.

Track listing

#	Title	Emulating	Writers	Time
1.	"A Good Man is Hard to Find"	Bessie Smith Bessie Smith Bessie Smith was an American blues singer.Sometimes referred to as The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s...	Eddie Green	3:43
2.	"Guess Who's In Town"	Ethel Waters Ethel Waters Ethel Waters was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Birmingham Bertha",...	James P. Johnson James P. Johnson James P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer... , Andy Razaf	2:48
3.	"Rockin' Chair"	Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey Mildred Bailey was a popular and influential American jazz singer during the 1930s, known as "The Rockin' Chair Lady" and "Mrs. Swing"...	Hoagy Carmichael Hoagy Carmichael Howard Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for writing "Stardust", "Georgia On My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.Alec Wilder, in his study of the...	3:32
4.	"A Hundred Years from Today A Hundred Years from Today "A Hundred Years from Today" is a popular song.The music was written by Victor Young, the lyrics by Ned Washington and Joe Young. The song was published in 1933.This song is about how we should enjoy life because what we do won't matter in a hundred years... "	Lee Wiley Lee Wiley Lee Wiley was an American jazz singer popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens, she left home to pursue a singing career with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horseback riding...	Victor Young Victor Young Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:... , Ned Washington Ned Washington Ned Washington was an American lyricist.-Biography:Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962... , Joe Young	3:46
5.	"It Don't Mean A Thing It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) "It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for... "	Ivie Anderson Ivie Anderson Ivie Anderson was an American jazz singer. She was best-known for her performances with Duke Ellington's orchestra between 1931 and 1942....	Duke Ellington Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions... , Irving Mills Irving Mills Irving Mills was a jazz music publisher, also known by the name of "Joe Primrose."Mills was born to Jewish parents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. He founded Mills Music with his brother Jack in 1919...	3:06
6.	"Lullaby of the Leaves"	Connee Boswell Connee Boswell Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell was an American female vocalist born in Kansas City but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With her sisters, Martha and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell, she performed in the 1930s as The Boswell Sisters and became a highly influential singing group during this period via...	Bernice Petkere Bernice Petkere Bernice Petkere was an American songwriter. She was dubbed the "Queen of Tin Pan Alley" by Irving Berlin.Born in Chicago, Illinois, she began performing in vaudeville as a child. "Starlight " , her first published song, was recorded by Bing Crosby. She also wrote radio themes for CBS... , Joe Young	3:35
7.	"Goody Goody Goody Goody "Goody Goody" is a 1936 popular song composed by Matty Malneck, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.Benny Goodman and his Orchestra recorded this song. Frankie Lymon performed this song live on television on several occasions, including in 1957 on The Ted Steele Show... "	Helen Ward Helen Ward (jazz singer) Helen Ward was an American singer. Her father had taught her piano, and she appeared on radio broadcasts with WOR and WNYC...	Matty Malneck Matty Malneck Matty Malneck was an American jazz violinist, violist and songwriter.Malneck's first professional gigs as a violinist began when he was age 16. He worked with Paul Whiteman from 1926 to 1937, and also recorded in the same period with Frank Signorelli, Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, and... , Johnny Mercer Johnny Mercer John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...	2:24
8.	"All of Me All of Me (song) "All of Me" is a popular song and jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931.First performed by Belle Baker over the radio and recorded in December 1931 by Ruth Etting, it has become one of the most recorded songs of its era, with notable versions by Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby,... "	Billie Holiday Billie Holiday Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...	Gerald Marks Gerald Marks Gerald Marks , was an American composer best known for the song "All of Me" which he co-wrote with Seymour Simons and has been recorded about 2,000 times... , Seymour Simons Seymour Simons Seymour Simons, was an American Pianist, Composer, Orchestra Leader, and Radio Producer.Simons returned to Detroit after service in World War I and built a reputation as a pianist and songwriter, providing material for stage stars Nora Bayes and Elsie Janis...	2:44
9.	"What is This Thing Called Love? What is This Thing Called Love? What is This Thing Called Love? is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. The story was requested by Cele Goldsmith Lalli, editor of Amazing Stories, as a satire of a story in Playboy magazine called "Girls for the Slime God", which proposed - not too seriously - that all science fiction... "	Anita O'Day Anita O'Day Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...	Cole Porter Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...	2:40
10.	"Moments Like This"	Peggy Lee Peggy Lee Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...	Frank Loesser Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for... , Burton Lane Burton Lane Burton Lane was an American composer and lyricist. His most popular and successful work is the musical Finian's Rainbow, "the score for which Lane will always be most remembered."-Biography:...	3:35
11.	"Take the 'A' Train"	Betty Roche Betty Roché Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Roché was an American blues singer, who became most famous with her cover of the song "Take the "A" Train". She recorded with the Savoy Sultans, Hot Lips Page, Duke Ellington, Charles Brown and Clark Terry.Roché was born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States...	Billy Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...	2:40
12.	"Million Dollar Secret"	Helen Humes Helen Humes Helen Humes was an American jazz and blues singer.Humes was successively a teenaged blues singer, band vocalist with Count Basie, saucy R&B diva and a mature interpreter of the classy popular song.-Career:...	Helen Humes, Jules Taub	3:52
13.	"Day Dream Day Dream "Day Dream" is a 1941 song composed by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, with lyrics by John La Touche.Saxophonist Johnny Hodges first recorded this tune with Strayhorn on piano in 1941.-Notable recordings:... "	Sarah Vaughan Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...	Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, John Latouche	4:42
14.	"I Cried For You I Cried for You "I Cried for You" is a song by Georgian born songstress Katie Melua, and was the second single from her second album, Piece by Piece. The single is a double A-side consisting of "I Cried for You", which is one of Melua's own compositions, and a cover of The Cure's song "Just like Heaven", the... "	Carmen McRae Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...	Arthur Freed Arthur Freed Arthur Freed was born Arthur Grossman in Charleston, South Carolina. He was a Jewish American lyricist and a Hollywood film producer.- Biography :Freed began his career as a song-plugger and pianist in Chicago... , Gus Arnheim Gus Arnheim Gus Arnheim was an early popular band leader. He is noted for writing several songs with his first hit being "I Cried for You" from 1923. He was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s... , Abe Lyman Abe Lyman Abe Lyman was a popular bandleader from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including Your Hit Parade....	2:20
15.	"Maybe"	Lena Horne Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...	Billy Strayhorn	2:50
16.	"Too Late Now"	Shirley Horn Shirley Horn Shirley Valerie Horn was an American jazz singer and pianist.-Biography:Encouraged by her grandmother, who was an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four. At twelve, Horn studied piano and composition at Howard University and later majored from there in classical music...	Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film... , Burton Lane	4:28
17.	"Peel Me A Grape"	Blossom Dearie Blossom Dearie Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist, often performing in the bebop genre and remembered for her girlish voice.-Early career:...	Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg Dave Frishberg is an American jazz pianist, vocalist and composer born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Frishberg resisted learning classical piano as a boy, developing an interest in blues and boogie-woogie by listening to recordings by Pete Johnson and Jay McShann. As a teenager he played in the house...	2:38
18.	"Blue Gardenia"	Dinah Washington Dinah Washington Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...	Bob Russell Bob Russell (songwriter) Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category... , Lester Lee	4:41
19.	"Street of Dreams"	Abbey Lincoln Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge , better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was one of many...	Sam M. Lewis Sam M. Lewis Sam M. Lewis was a Jewish-American singer and lyricist, born in New York City, New York as Samuel Levine-Biography:... , Victor Young Victor Young Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...	3:58
20.	"All That Jazz"	Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...	Benny Carter Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King... , Al Stillman Al Stillman Al Stillman was an American lyricist.-Biography:Stillman was born in New York City. His name was originally Albert Silverman, but changed it to that of a well-known New York banking family. He was Jewish. He attended New York University. After graduation, he contributed to Franklin P...	3:22

Personnel

Performers

• Stephanie Nakasian - vocals
• Hod O'Brien - piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• Randy Sandke
  Randy Sandke
  Randy Sandke is a jazz trumpeter and guitarist.In an interview with Larry Kart he said: "I got into jazz kind of chronologically, beginning with Bix and Louis, then Dizzy, Clifford Brown, Miles, and Freddie Hubbard. I also studied at Roosevelt University with Renold Schilke, a legendary teacher...
  
   - trumpet
  Trumpet
  The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
  
  
• Tom Hamilton - tenor saxophone
  Tenor saxophone
  The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
  
  
• John Jensen - trombone
  Trombone
  The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
  
  
• Howie Collins - rhythm guitar
  Rhythm guitar
  Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
  
  
• Steve Gillmore - bass
  Double bass
  The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
  
  
• Bill Goodwin
  Bill Goodwin (jazz drummer)
  F. Bill Goodwin is an American jazz drummer. Bill has been a professional drummer since 1959, and has performed with many jazz instrumentalists such as: Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Jim Hall, George Shearing and Bobby Hutcherson, and singers such as June Christy, Joe Williams, Tony...
  
   - drums

Other Personnel

• Session Producer - Stephanie Nakasian
• Engineer - Kent Heckman
• Editing and Mastering - Bill Goodwin
• Liner Notes - Scott Yanow
  Scott Yanow
  Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
  
  , Stephanie Nakasian
• Photos - Stephen Poffenberger, The Wayne Knight Collection, Cynthia Sesso
• Booklet Design - Mario Levesque