Julia Lee

        

 

Julia Lee

Born: October 31, 1902 Boonville, Missouri

Died: December 8, 1958 San Diego, CA

Blues, Kansas City Blues, Dirty Blues, Jazz, Swing, Piano, Vocals

20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s

George E Lee and His Novelty Orchestra 1920? – 1935?

Julia Lee And Her Boyfriends

Kansas City’s Sweetheart of Song

Discography:

Discografia:

http://hallelujahrnr.hostweb4u.info/index_archivos/JuliaLeeDiscografia.htm

http://hallelujahrnr.hostweb4u.info/index_archivos/JuliaLeeDiscografia2.htm

Honking Duck:

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee_and_her_boyfriends

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee_and_boyfriends

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee_and_mcshann_stomper

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee_tommy_douglas_orch_

http://honkingduck.com/discography/artist/julia_lee_w_jay_mcshann

Discogs:

http://www.discogs.com/artist/317861-Julia-Lee

http://www.discogs.com/artist/506604-Julia-Lee-Her-Boy-Friends

http://www.discogs.com/artist/2770746-George-E-Lee-And-His-Orchestra

Red Hot Jazz:

http://www.redhotjazz.com/julialee.html

http://www.redhotjazz.com/lee.html

Videos:

Opening of Delinquents featuring Julia Lee Live – Porter’s Lovesong to a Chambermaid:

Shelf 3D:

http://shelf3d.com/Search/Julia%20Lee

Anoomi:

http://www.anoomi.com/index.php?action=search&ytq=Julia%20Lee%20and%20Her%20Boyfriends

Music Tonic:

http://musictonic.com/music/Julia+Lee#v=qKiKTJ58Lto

http://musictonic.com/music/George+E+Lee#v=abSPFkzOdXQ

Frequency:

http://www.frequency.com/topic/julia-lee/241050?raw=true

I Like Musik:

http://ilikemusik.com/artist/326

Youzeek:

https://youzeek.com/?Artist=Julia+Lee&page=Biography&lng=EN

http://youzeek.com/?Artist=julia+lee+and+her+boyfriends&lng=EN

Jango:

http://www.jango.com/music/Julia+Lee?l=0

Books:

Julia Section in Going to Kansas City:

http://books.google.com/books?id=H64Xh1PeNZsC&pg=PA149&lpg=PA149&dq=julia+lee+musician&source=bl&ots=FDBaBEfRi9&sig=05F_oMcAMAq_pGPcULD4jcA69Z0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bwB9U-75F879oATqvIHgDg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAjge#v=onepage&q=julia%20lee%20musician&f=false

Julia Section in Black Women in American Bands and Orchestras:

http://books.google.com/books?id=-cJHuaH5M5oC&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=julia+lee+musician&source=bl&ots=b2b2zbvNqm&sig=Xx9TdqSsxydL1ZBS9AkIrR5iDOE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bwB9U-75F879oATqvIHgDg&ved=0CGQQ6AEwCTge#v=onepage&q=julia%20lee%20musician&f=false

Julia in the Blues Encyclopedia:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Hwk3AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA591&lpg=PA591&dq=julia+lee&source=bl&ots=qW3nXWSq7z&sig=OWLgIJ7MEzydz_TsmSLCGiC0gnU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eyd9U4LqG9PGoATnp4GQCA&ved=0CCoQ6AEwATjIAQ#v=onepage&q=julia%20lee&f=false

Women Composers of Ragtime: A Collection of Six Selected Rags by Women Composersby Carolynn A. Lindeman

Review by: Bonny H. Miller

Notes, Second Series, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Mar., 1987), p. 683:

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.sfpl.org/stable/10.2307/898226?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=%22julia%20lee%22&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicResults%3FQuery%3D%2522julia%2Blee%2522%26amp%3Bprq%3Djulia%2Blee%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff%26amp%3Bso%3Dnew%26amp%3Bracc%3Doff%26amp%3Bsi%3D101

Articles in Journals:

S. A. Pease: “30 Years in KC, Julia Lee Nabs National Fame,” DB, xiii/2 (1947), 14

P. Tanner: “Julia Lee,” Jazz Music, iv/2 (1949), 15

C. J. Tate: “Julia Lee: (the Last of the Great Blues Singers),” SL, xi/1–2 (1960), 9

S.-A. Worsfold: “Julia’s Blues,” JJ, xxv/3 (1972), 22

M. Radanac: “King Size Mama: the Julia Lee Story,” Soul Bag, no.125 (1992), 6 [incl. discography]

B. Millar: Liner notes, Julia Lee: Kansas City Star (Bear Family 15770, 1995)

S.-A. Worsfold: “The Forgotten Ones: Julia Lee,” JJI, lii/9 (1999), 10

• Lee, Julia. (January 01, 1999). American National Biography, 13.

Bios:

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Lee_(musician)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Lee

African American Registry:

http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/julia-lee-one-great-female-blues-singers

Jazz.com

http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/lee-julia

All About Jazz:

http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/julialee#.U3z6yK1dXlM

Jazz Music Archive:

http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/julia-lee/?ac=julia%20l

KC History:

http://www.kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Biographies&CISOPTR=228

Oxford Music:

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.sfpl.org/subscriber/article/grove/music/J263300?q=%22julia+Lee%22&search=quick&pos=3&_start=1#firsthit

http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.sfpl.org/subscriber/article/grove/music/J263000?q=%22julia+Lee%22&search=quick&pos=5&_start=1#firsthit

Answers:

http://www.answers.com/topic/julia-lee-musician

Last.fm

http://www.last.fm/music/Julia+Lee

http://www.last.fm/music/George+E.+Lee's+Novelty+Singing+Orchestra?ac=george%20e%20lee

Oldies:

http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Julia-Lee.html

Discover Bit:

http://discoverbit.com/artist/id:78113664/Julia_Lee

http://discoverbit.com/artist/id:78844242/Julia_Lee___Her_Boy_Friends

Artist Direct:

http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/julia-lee/457606

Music Brainz:

http://musicbrainz.org/artist/7bda2ee0-b0bc-4a1e-acb0-154a8e80f747

http://musicbrainz.org/artist/f5ae54fd-a332-4e3a-86a7-cf54254f11be

http://musicbrainz.org/artist/da31abcc-3805-4223-9113-08d41f399d6a

http://musicbrainz.org/artist/fd0e5958-d655-41a9-bf8a-ff04ca590333

BBC Music:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/7bda2ee0-b0bc-4a1e-acb0-154a8e80f747

All Music:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/julia-lee-mn0000255753/biography

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-e-lee-his-novelty-singing-orchestra-mn0001292443/biography

Around the Web:

Black Cat Rockabilly:

http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/julia_lee.htm

Geezer Music Club:

http://geezermusicclub.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/julia-lee-queen-of-the-dirty-blues/

Past Blues:

http://www.pastblues.com/view-action-89.html?en=Julia+Lee

Club Kaycee:

http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/club-kaycee/JAZZFOLK/lee_j_00.htm

Theme Park Radio:

http://themeparkradio.wordpress.com/category/julia-lee-her-boyfriends/

Music to Blow:

http://www.musictoblow.com/artist/Julia+Lee+and+Her+Boyfriends

Boogaloo Time:

http://boogalootime.blogspot.com/2012/09/julia-lee-and-her-boyfriends.html

The Playlist:

http://78records.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/the-playlist-%E2%80%A2-julia-and-george-e-lee-kansas-city-1929/

Tribut:

http://blog.tributapparel.com/music/women-blues-scandal-secret-lives-blues-bellesutm_sourceblogutm_mediumsocialutm_campaignscandalsecretlives/

Blues History:

http://www.blueshistory.cluesandreviews.com/when-a-woman-loves-a-man-julia-lee-kansas-citys-first-lady-of-the-blues.html

Bakeliedjes:

http://bakeliedjesblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/julia-lee-her-boy-friends-king-size.html

TC Swing:

http://www.tcswing.com/CD%20Reviews/julialee.htm

Radiodomy:

http://www.radionomy.com/en/artist/75296/julia-lee

1947 Downbeat Article:

Pease, Sharon A. 30 Years in KC, Julia Nabs National Fame.” Down Beat, January 15, 1947, Vol. 16, no. 2, page 12.

1960 Second Line Article:

Tate, Carey James. “Julia Lee: The Last of the Great Blues Singers,” Second Line, Jan/Feb, 1960, page 9.

1990 ARSC Journal:

Haddix, Charles J.”Julia Lee: The Empress of Kansas City,” ARSC Journal, Spring 1990, Volume 21, No. 1 (1990).

Jam It Up Issue #45:

http://home.earthlink.net/~v1tiger/julial.html

2005 Pitch Article:

http://www.pitch.com/kansascity/lady-sings-the-cootch/Content?oid=2178006

NYT Obituary:

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.sfpl.org/hnpnewyorktimes/docview/114499398/3D88CB4ED5C647B4PQ/1?accountid=35117

Black Archives Obituary:

http://www.blackarchives.org/collections/obituary-julia-lee

Tumblr:

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/julia-lee

IMBd:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0497614/

Find a Grave:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=68710199

Second Hand Songs:

http://www.secondhandsongs.com/artist/37360

My Space:

https://myspace.com/julialeeherboyfriends/music/songs

https://myspace.com/julialeeherboyfriends

Songs:

8Tracks:

 http://8tracks.com/explore/songs/Julia_Lee

http://8tracks.com/explore/songs/Julia_Lee_And_Her_Boyfriends

Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/JuliaLeeAndHerBoyFriends-01-14

https://archive.org/details/GeorgeE.LeeAndHisNoveltySingingOrch-St.JamesInfirmary1929

Ruff Scufflin 1929:

St. James Infirmary 1929:

Don’t Come Too Soon 1946:

The Spinach Song ( I Didn’t Like it the First Time) 1946:

Show Me Missouri Blues 1946:

My Man Stands Out 1946:

When A Woman Loves A Man 1946:

Mama Don’t Allow It 1946:

Julia’s Blues 1946:

Crazy World 1946:

Sit Down and Drink it Over 1946:

Lies 1946:

It Won’t Be Long 1946:

Breeze 1946:

Do You Want It 1946:

I’ve Got a Crush on the Fuller Brush Man 1946:

Last Call For Alcohol 1946:

You Ain’t Got it No More 1946:

Don’t Save it Too Long 1946:

Goin’ To Chicago 1946:

I Was Wrong 1946:

Gotta Give Me What You Got 1946:

I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles 1946:

Pagan Love Song 1946:

Tonight’s the Night 1946:

Tell Me, Daddy 1946:

Out in the Cold Again 1946:

Snatch and Grab It 1946:

King Size Papa 1946:

That’s What I Like 1947:

Charmaine 1947:

Young Girl’s Blues 1947:

Doubtful Blues 1947:

Scat You Cats 1947:

You Ain’t Got it No More 1947:

Lotus Blossom 1947:

Kansas City Boogie 1952:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jula+lee+kansas+city+boogie

Mary Lou Williams

Jazz Piano, Free Jazz, Hard Bop, Swing, Big Band, Third Stream, Gospel, Classical

20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s. 60’s, 70’s

Born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs  May 8, 1910 Atlanta, GA 

Pittsburgh, PA 1915?-1927?

First Public performance age 6. Known as the little piano girl of East Liberty (Pittsburgh neighborhood). Played with Duke Ellington’s band the Washingtonians at 15. Married saxophonist John Williams in 1927 and moved to Memphis to join his band the Syncopators.

Memphis, TN, Oklahoma City OK, Tulsa, OK 1928-1929?

John Joined Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy. The band eventually accepted a longstanding engagement in Kansas City.

Kansas City, KS 1929?- 1941

Though not originally a member of the band she often stood in for their unreliable (read drunk) pianist and also served as arranger and composer of songs Walking and Singing, Twinklin’ and Little Joe From Chicago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCnOgKMRgK0 . Mary Lou joined the band for a recording session in Chicago and improvised two piano solos Drag “em and Nightlife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D28FlIuZhJg . Soon after she was hired as the Twelve Clouds of Joy’s permanent piano player. She also worked as a freelance arranger for the likes of Earl Hines, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Duke described Mary Lou as Soul on Soul. In 1941 Mary Lou Divorced John, quit the band and returned briefly to Pittsburgh, joined Harold “Shorty” Baker’s Band, married Baker. He then joined Duke Ellington’s band and they moved to New York.

New York NY 1942-1952

Mary Lou accepted a regular gig at Cafe Society and started a weekly radio show on WNEW called Mary Lou Williams Piano Workshop. She also began mentoring younger musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Mary Lou’s Harlem apartment became an after after hours hangout for these young musicians and could be called the birthplace of bop. She composed Dizzy’s it In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee. Mary Lou later recalled during a melody maker interview “During this period Monk and the kids would come to my apartment every morning around four or pick me up at the Café after I’d finished my last show, and we’d play and swap ideas until noon or later”. Some of these Cafe society dates were with Billie Holiday, just the two of them on stage, sadly none of these dates were recorded and if i live to see time travel Cafe Society 1944 would be my first destination. In 1945 Mary Lou recorded the Zodiac Suite, writing a song for musicians born under each signhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRlmx36OZXU .

Paris 1952-1954

Accepted an offer to perform in London and stayed in Europe for two years.

New York, NY 1954-1976

After returning Mary Lou took a hiatus from performing and concentrated on her work for the Bel Canto Foundation an effort she started to help musicians cope with their addictions and  return to performing. Encouraged by Dizzy and her future manager Father Peter O’Brien she finally returned to performing herself at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. Later Mary Lou would form her own record label, Mary’s Records,  helped found the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, recorded The History of Jazz, Music for Peace and Mary Lou’s Mass and opened thrift stores in Harlem.

Durham, NC 1977- May 28, 1981

In 1977 Mary Lou accepted a post at Duke University to teach a course on the history of jazz and direct the Duke Jazz ensemble. Mary Lou died of bladder cancer on May 28. 1981. In 1983 Duke University established the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture.

Mary Lou’s Drawing on the history of Jazz

Visuals:

1980 Montreal? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-B9vSFSb4

Little Joe From Chicago – same show? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kUjg5HJABI

1978 – my blue heaven – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X5sVnZvaVQ

On Mister Rodgers – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjM63eZmsao

A Great day in Harlem- 1958 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqu_XC0E2jg&list=PL7991D6F803CE073D

Audios:

Dat Dere – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4OFmS5WNdc

Mary’s Boogie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyxNsJe-JgQ

Tisherome – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVAtUsEKpt8

Froggy Bottom -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fjcIzc9j4

Hesitation Boogie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrLVBFjvwcI

Overhand- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6jYCyx1OP0

gjon mili jam session –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMchad89PlA

D.D.T – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRfFiiy0WpE

solo piano 1944- http://www.tvballa.com/video-gallery/Mary-Lou-Williams

roll em’ – http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xitzum_mary-lou-williams-roll-em-1944_music

1976 interview – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkyKaCQOVq8

syl-o-gism – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_LL0QFkI4E

Nicole – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD_Oj7lyxPQ

Mary Lou Williams on the Web:

Discography: http://www.ratical.org/MaryLouWilliams/MLWdiscography.html

– http://www.ratical.org/MaryLouWilliams/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Lou_Williams

Ephemera press: http://ephemerapress.com/david-mary.html

Archive: http://anningallswrites.com/tag/mary-lou-williams/

My music talk bio: http://piano.mymusictalk.com/forums/topic/235/biography-of-mary-lou-williams

jazz photos: http://www.jazzphotos.com/williams.php

AllMusic: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mary-lou-williams-mn0000859820

Mary Lou Williams Foundation: http://marylouwilliams.org/marylou.htm

Institute of Jazz Studies: http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS/MLWilliams_collection_new.html

Linda Dahl Section at Duke: http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/dahllinda/

Jazz Police : http://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/6010/79/

Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture: http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/mlw

PBS biography: http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_williams_mary_lou.htm

Children’s Concert Vancouver 1978: http://vancouverjazz.com/2011/05/mary-lou-williams-childrens-concert-1977.html

On piano jazz: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126537497

Published Arrangements: http://www.ejazzlines.com/Jazz-Big-Band-Arrangements-by-Mary-Lou-Williams-c1394.html

Zodiac Suite Score: http://www.ejazzlines.com/c1394/Composed-and-Arranged-by-Mary-Lou-Williams-Edited-by-Jeffrey-Sultanof-ZODIAC-SUITE-SCORE-AND-PARTS-p107036.html

On NPR: http://www.npr.org/artists/15394732/mary-lou-williams

Women in History Bio: http://www.wcsufm.org/post/women-history-mary-lou-williams

Bio at Rutgers: http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/ijs/mlw/intro2.html

Bio Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/womeninjazz/1stlady.html

Bio at Carnegie library: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/music/pittsburgh/marylouwilliams.html

Bio at Harlem.org: http://www.harlem.org/people/williams.html

Bio at Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/644372/Mary-Lou-Williams

Bio at Jazz.com: http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/williams-mary-lou-mary-alfrieda-scruggs

African American Registry bio: http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/mary-lou-williams-played-piano-spiritual-style

Women in Jazz bio: http://wijsf.com/jazzwomen/marylouwilliams.htm

Pittsburgh Music History Bio : https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/pittsburgh-music-story/jazz/jazz—early-years/mary-lou-williams

The Root Bio: http://www.theroot.com/views/mary-lou-williams-first-lady-jazz

Facts on File Bio: http://www.fofweb.com/History/MainPrintPage.asp?iPin=AAPA0183&DataType=AFHC&WinType=Free

ITVS documentary: http://www.itvs.org/films/mary-lou-williams

Women Make Movies : http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c304.shtml

Internet Archive: http://archive.org/details/MaryLouWilliams-01-08

Ebony article: http://www.ebony.com/black-history/unsung-heroes-mary-lou-williams-045#axzz2cYtHCeu1

Brainy Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mary_lou_williams.html

imbd: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931278/

– though the piano player in Boy what a Girl is actually Beryl Booker

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/search?q=mary+lou+williams&type=all

Last.fm – http://www.last.fm/music/Mary+Lou+Williams?ac=mary%20lou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Lou-Williams/69380695729

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mary-lou-williams/id79120

Tumbler: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/mary-lou-williams

Grooveshark: http://grooveshark.com/#!/marylouwilliams

Deanna’s Blog: http://blog.deannawitkowski.com/2013/02/mary-lou-williams-a-celebration/

Groove Addict: http://www.grooveaddict.org/2013/06/mary-lou-williams-trio-free-spirits.html

Find a Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=19938&page=gr

In her own words:

1954 Melody Maker – http://www.ratical.org/MaryLouWilliams/MMiview1954.html

1976 Bop & Beyond – http://bopandbeyond.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/an-interview-with-mary-lou-williams-1976/

1978 San Francisco – http://www.ratical.org/MaryLouWilliams/ItsAllGreat.html

In Print

Dahl, Linda
Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams

Kernodle, Tammy L.
Soul on Soul: the Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Girl-Novel-Williams-Early/dp/0615353762/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306677964&sr=1-1

A historical novel based on the early life of jazz legend Mary Lou Williams.

Set in 1920s Pittsburgh, 13-year-old Mary was marked from birth by the “sign of the caul,” a powerful signifier in African-American culture. The caul indicates rare powers, especially a tendency toward “second sight.” Mary’s special gift of seeing manifests itself in visions of ghosts and spirits and culminates in an uncanny musical ability.