ANNIE ROSS

'Annie Ross' (born 'Annabelle Short' on July 25 1930 in Mitcham, Surrey, England) is a jazz singer, best known as a member of the trio ''Lambert, Hendricks & Ross''.
Although Ross was born in England (of Scottish parents), she was raised in the United States, living in California with her aunt, Ella Logan. Her brother was the entertainer Jimmy Logan.
Annie Ross is one of the early practitioners of a singing style known as ''vocalese'', which involves the setting of original lyrics to an instrumental jazz solo. Her 1952 treatment of saxophonist Wardell Gray's "Twisted" is a classic example of vocalese. "Twisted" is perhaps her most famous song and has been recorded by Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler and many others.
Her first album, ''Singin' and Swingin' '' (1952) was recorded in New York with members of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Other outings as solo artist include ''Skylark'' (1956), ''Sings A Song With Mulligan'' (1958) with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker on trumpet, ''A Gasser!'' (1959) with Zoot Sims, ''In Hoagland'' (1981) with Georgie Fame and Hoagy Carmichael, and ''Music Is Forever'' (1995) featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano.
She recorded seven albums with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross between 1957 and 1962. Their first, ''Sing A Song Of Basie'' (1957), was to have been performed by a group of singers hired by Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert with Annie brought in only as vocal consultant. When the first two tracks were recorded and deemed unsatisfactory, it was decided that the trio should attempt recording the material and overdub all the additional vocals themselves. The resulting album was a hit and the trio became an international sensation. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross recorded and toured all over the world, releasing such classics as ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!'' (aka ''The Hottest New Group In Jazz'', 1960) and ''The Real Ambassadors'' (1962), written by Dave Brubeck and featuring Louis Armstrong and Carmen McRae. Annie left the group in 1962, returning to London to open her legendary nightclub, Annie's Room, which featured performances by such jazz luminaries as Joe Williams, Stuff Smith, Blossom Dearie, Anita O'Day, Jon Hendricks, and Erroll Garner as well as Annie herself. A compilation of Annie's performances from Annie's Room in 1965 was released on CD in 2006.
Ms. Ross is also an accomplished actress and has appeared in a number of films. As a child, she sang "Loch Lomond" in ''Our Gang Follies of 1938'' and later played Judy Garland's sister in ''Presenting Lily Mars'' (1943). Other notable roles include Vera Webster in ''Superman III'' (1983), Mrs. Hazeltine in ''Throw Mama From The Train'' (1987), Loretta Cresswood in ''Pump Up the Volume'' (1990), and Tess Trainer in Robert Altman's ''Short Cuts'' (1993). She also provided the singing voice for Britt Ekland's part in the cult classic ''The Wicker Man'' (1973).
On the stage, Ross appeared in the critically acclaimed, ''Cranks'' (1955) in both London and New York. She has also appeared in ''The Threepenny Opera'' with Vanessa Redgrave, ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' at The Royal Opera House, ''Kennedy's Children'', ''Side By Side By Sondheim'', and in the Joe Papp production of ''The Pirates Of Penzance'' with Tim Curry.
Annie Ross can currently be seen in a critically acclaimed engagement every Tuesday night at The Metropolitan Room at Gotham (34 W. 22nd St.) in New York City with Tardo Hammer on piano, Neal Miner on bass, Jimmy Wormworth on drums, and Warren Vache on trumpet.

Contents

Discography

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross albums

External link

Discography

★ ''Singin' and Swingin' '' (1952)

★ ''King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings'' (1952)

★ ''Tony Crombie And His Orchestra'' (1954) (Decca DFE6247)

★ ''Cranks (Original London Cast Recording)'' (1955)

★ ''Skylark'' (1956)

★ ''Sings A Song With Mulligan!'' (1958)

★ ''A Gasser!'' (1959)

★ ''Gypsy'' (1959)

★ ''Loguerhythms'' (1962)

★ ''Sings A Handful Of Songs'' (1963)

★ ''Annie Ross & Pony Poindexter'' (1967)

★ ''You And Me Baby'' (1971)

★ ''In Hoagland'' (1981)

★ ''Short Cuts (Soundtrack'') (1993)

★ ''Music Is Forever'' (1995)

★ ''Cool For Kids'' (2001)

★ ''Let Me Sing'' (2005)

★ ''Live In London,1965'' (2006)

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross albums

★ ''Sing A Song of Basie'' (1957)

★ ''Sing Along With Basie'' (1958)

★ ''The Swingers!'' (1958)

★ ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!'' (aka ''"The Hottest New Group In Jazz"'') (1960)

★ ''Sing Ellington'' (1960)

★ ''The Real Ambassadors'' (1962)

★ ''High Flying'' (aka ''"The Way-Out Voices of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross"'') (1962)

External link

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