I have waxed lyrically on the amazing Jimmy Scott before and more than once. But this weekend I picked up a double CD which contains all the early recordings he made for Savoy, the record label whch eventually put his whole career on hold for ten years because of an unscrupulous producer. It's astonishing to think that Jimmy Scott sat in with Lester Young in 1943 and sang with Charlie Parker at Royal Roost - and is still singing today. These early recordings come from the period between 1950 and 1960, where he is accompanied by musicians such as Terry Gibbs, Louie Bellson, Budd Johnson, Charlie Mingus, and Jerome Richardson. He re-shapes songs almost to the point where they become new melodies - very much in the same way as Billie Holiday, who was one of his earliest supporters and influences. It was she who encouraged him to retain his hallmark style of singing behind the beat. His rendering of After You've Gone injects genuine pathos into a song which is often made palid by indifference. He's very much an adult taste, but if you've not heard him before, click over to Amazon and have a free listen, and prepare to be amazed.
JimmyScott's biography - Faith in Time
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