OPEN POST: Manor Music Monday With the Classic Supper Club Crooning Of Ann Williams!

Greetings, music sloots, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday, tonight served with beef stroganoff, a relish tray, a Brandy Old Fashioned, and for your entertainment, a truly classy songstress. When I first heard the term "supper club singer," it conjured up images of a hard-bitten chippy singing slightly off-key at the "Pour Decisions Lounge" in Seaford, Long Island (right next to the abandoned HoJos) (the town's strong odor of sewage is just a bonus!). But back in the day, a "supper club singer" was high praise, denoting a group of gifted jazz birds who could be counted on to deliver the goods - and the crowds - at posh eateries on both coasts and abroad.

One of them was Ann Williams, whom DJ Li'l Scratch will be spinning tonight at the Manor's "FlufferNutter" lounge and dinette. You won't want to miss out. Oh, and just look at her picture. Yes, she's that kind of gal. Big blue eyes, provocative curves and a look that says, "Watch it, bub, I play to win."

But looks can be deceiving, for while Ann had the appearance of a quintessential femme fatale - always a good thing in my book - her vocals are unexpectedly varied, moving from light and breezy to powerful, canon blast-like belts. In other words, her 1961 LP, "First Time Out," is an absolute must. No surprise that it's long been considered a classic by critics and enthusiasts, or a cult item everyone loves. 

Her singing style? It's best defined by her highly polished delivery. With her bell clear voice and precise diction, she was very much in demand for sophisticated audiences both coasts, and scored multiple TV appearances. She also gave birth to a celebrated "free bop" jazz drummer, thankyouverymuch. All in all, it seems, she had a life well lived for a gal who emerged from Ohio in the late 1920s, and from a town known mainly for its oil refinery. Her gorgeous voice took her far, and based on her LP cover, she had a killer death-stare that surely made her son tremble in his toes whenever he misbehaved. 

"First Time Out," recorded on the prestigious Charlie Parker Records label, was, unfortunately, Ann's only LP, but give a listen and you'll understand why she was known as "a singer's singer" whose deceptively simple, unadorned vocals put the focus on the song's lyrics and drama. You can listen to her full album below or RIGHT HERE. 

What are you listening to this week? DJ Li'l Scratch wants to know.
Till next time...purr, bitches, purr! 🐾

Photo Credits: Charlie Parker Records