Jazz
Recorded 29,31 Oct and 2 Nov 1990
Dorothy Donegan, piano
Jon Burr, Ray Mosca, drums
Producer: Hank O'Neal And Shelly Shier
Mastered By: Jon Bates/ Audioforce
Cover Design: John DeVries
The remarkable pianist Dorothy Donegan, who has been overlooked by many jazz fans and critics for decades, is heard in a typically exciting and occasionally riotous live session recorded on the SS Norway. Followed by bassist Jon Burr (who has to work hard to keep up with Donegan's many spontaneous changes of direction) and drummer Ray Mosca, Donegan performs a varied set that includes a few eccentric medleys (including one of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Tiger Rag" and another that combines together "Misty" and "Caravan"), an odd tribute to "Lena, Eartha, Pearl & Billie" and her "Blackbird Boogie." Switching between bop, boogie-woogie, stride and classical music, Dorothy Donegan puts on a colorful show.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Dorothy Donegan
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s
Born: Apr 06, 1922 in Chicago, IL
Died: May 19, 1998 in Los Angeles, CA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Boogie-Woogie, Bop, Swing, Stride
A brilliant virtuoso, Dorothy Donegan constantly switched between boogie-woogie, bop, stride, Art Tatum-style swing, and classical music, sometimes in the same chorus. In concert, she often put together spontaneous medleys of unrelated songs and was never shy to dance while she played. She studied at the Chicago Conservatory and Chicago Music College and made her recording debut in 1942. Donegan made a sensational appearance in the film Sensations of 1945 but never caught on that big despite her remarkable technique. She recorded a lot less than one would expect (six obscure albums during 1954-1963 and nothing during 1964-1974) and was not really that well-known in the jazz world until the mid-'80s. A couple of live Chiaroscuro CDs from 1990-1991 found her in peak form, but she had to be seen to be fully appreciated. She died of cancer on May 19, 1998.
--- Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
