Songs I Like To Sing! (Remastered 2024) Helen Humes

• 1 If I Could Be With You (Remastered 2024) 03:24
• 2 Don't Worry 'Bout Me (Remastered 2024) 03:00
• 3 Mean To Me (Remastered 2024) 03:29
• 4 Every Now And Then (Remastered 2024) 03:51
• 5 I Want A Roof Over My Head (Remastered 2024) 03:01
• 6 St. Louis Blues (Remastered 2024) 02:45
• 7 You're Driving Me Crazy (Remastered 2024) 03:11
• 8 My Old Flame (Remastered 2024) 03:22
• 9 Million Dollar Secret (Remastered 2024) 04:07
• 10 Love Me Or Leave Me (Remastered 2024) 03:00
• 11 Imagination (Remastered 2024) 03:07
• 12 Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (Remastered 2024) 02:43
• Total Runtime 39:00

Info for Songs I Like To Sing! (Remastered 2024)

American jazz and swing performer Helen Humes hails from Louisville. She was born in 1913, started singing as a teenager in the 1920s, and went on to become one of the most renowned and significant female vocalists of her period. Humes' deep, seductive voice gave the jazz scene an unmatched feeling of emotion and depth.

Her music was distinguished by a strong, heartfelt sound that reflected her own individual experiences. Her lyrics were filled with a sense of genuine passion that connected with listeners, and her songs addressed the human condition and the challenges of daily existence. Her songs celebrated the strength of the human spirit and the perseverance of the soul.

Humes made tremendous contributions to jazz and swing music, and her legacy still motivates musicians today. Her music continues to be a monument to the strength of the human voice and its capacity to arouse emotion and forge enduring connections with listeners.

"One of the high points of Helen Humes' career, this Contemporary set features superior songs, superb backup, and very suitable and swinging arrangements by Marty Paich. Humes' versions of "If I Could Be With You," "You're Driving Me Crazy," and "Million Dollar Secret," in particular, are definitive. On four songs, she is backed by tenor great Ben Webster, a rhythm section, and a string quartet; the other numbers find her joined by a 14-piece band that includes Webster and Teddy Edwards on tenors along with altoist Art Pepper. This classic release is essential and shows just how appealing a singer Helen Humes could be." (Scott Yanow, AMG)

Helen Humes, vocals
Art Pepper, saxophone
Leroy Vinnegar, double bass
Shelly Manne, drums
Barney Kessel, guitar
Andre Previn, piano

Digitally remastered

Helen Humes
was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Emma Johnson and John Henry Humes. She grew up as an only child. Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father was the first black attorney in town.

Humes started as a teenage jazz and blues singer, then a vocalist with Count Basie’s band, and became an R & B diva. Along with other well-known jazz singers of the swing era, Humes helped to shape and define the sound of vocal swing music. Her career began with her first vocal performance in an amateur contest where her talents lead to multiple album recording contracts.

At the age of 14 Humes went to St. Louis and began recording albums singing the blues. She went on to New York, where she performed and became known all over the world. She toured Australia, performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival. She toured Europe with the first American Folk Blues Festival.

Count Basie approached Humes while she was performing at the Cincinnati Cotton Club, an important venue in the Cincinnati music scene. He asked her to join his touring band to replace Billie Holiday. Humes eventually joined Count Basie’s Orchestra and gained acclaim as a singer of ballads and popular songs, while she was also recognized as a talented blues singer.

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