Listen here:
"“This is very unusual among collaborators, but I don't think I ever asked her to change a note. Anything she wrote, I could put words to and that doesn't happen very often,”
~Arthur Herzong Jr., lyricist
"Her musical streak came out in composition"
~Helen Oakley Dance, jazz journalist and music historian
Irene Kitchings
& Ethan Philion
b. 1908 Marietta, Ohio
d. 1975
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Born Irene Armstrong.
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Moved to Detroit to live with aunt 1921.
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Moved to Chicago 1926.
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Performed around Chicago as a pianist.
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Married Teddy Wilson 1931.
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Became friends with Billie Holiday and took Carmen McRae under her wing.
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Composed Some Other Spring and Ghosts of Yesterday.
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Divorced Teddy Wilson and moved to Cleveland.
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Suffered from Eale's Disease which took her sight.
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Married Elden Kitchings.
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Died 1975.
""The song Nothing Ever Happens is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life."
~Billie Holiday, jazz vocalist
Torchy!
Carmen McRae
Recorded 1955
Carmen McRae vocals
Arranged by Ralph Burns
and
Jack Pleis
Decca DL-8267
Nat "King" Cole Hittin' the Ramp
Recorded 1936-1943
10 Disc Vinyl Collection
Available on Bandcamp.
Resonance Records 2019
The Swingin's Mututal
Nancy Wilson
recorded 1961
Nancy Wilson vocals
George Shearing piano
Dick Garcia guitar
George Duvivier bass
Walter Bolden drums
Eddie Costa vibraphone
Capitol Records ST 1524
Music featured in episode:
Ethan's album Meditations: The Music of Charles Mingus will be available August 26th.