King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings

Personnel includes: King Pleasure, Annie Ross, Betty Carter, Blossom Dearie, The Three Riffs, The Dave Lambert Singers, Jon Hendricks (vocals); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Danny Bank (baritone saxophone); Eddie Lewis (trumpet); J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombone); Charlie Ferguson, Teacho Wiltshire, John Lewis, George Wallington, Ed Swanston, Jimmy Jones (piano); Ram Ramirez (organ); Peck Morrison, Paul Chambers, Percy Heath (bass); Herbie Lovelle, Art Blakey, Joe Harris, Kenny Clarke (drums).
Recorded in New York, New York between 1952-54. Originally released on Prestige (7128 & 7586). Includes liner notes by Ira Gitler.
Digitally remastered by Joe Tarantino.
Eddie Jefferson may have been the first musician to set and sing lyrics to famous jazz solos, but it was King Pleasure who scored a 1952 hit with "Moody Mood's For Love." This wild burst of bop vocalese was based upon a James Moody tenor solo on "I'm In The Mood For Love." So ideal is Pleasure's conceptual approach that he seems to have been born for his role in the recording.
These Prestige sessions include Pleasure's version of "Moody's Mood." Blossom Dearie also makes her first recorded appearance here, exhorting Pleasure to "please pull yourself together... do it soon!" Throughout, Pleasure is joined by other guests, including Betty Carter (on Gene Ammons' "Red Top"), Jon Hendricks (on Stan Getz's "Don't Get Scared"), and The Dave Lambert Singers (on Lester Young's "Sometimes I'm Happy"). The Annie Ross EP appended to this disc gives Pleasure's cuts strong competition. Her brilliant "Twisted" is based on a Wardell Gray tenor solo. If Annie Ross had recorded nothing else, "Twisted" would still earn her a deserved place in jazz history.