Peckerwood Manor

"What-whaaaaat, my bitches!" cries DJ Li'l Scratch at the Manor's "Tubesteak Lounge." Right now he's spinning Etta Jones. Yes, Jones.   Etta Jones is not Etta James (let's clear that up right away).  Have you heard of her? I hadn't until my bestest galpal introduced me to her years ago, and I've been hooked on her ever since. She's another one of those singers who was popular with the public for a wee bit, then forgotten, then rediscovered to a certain extent through YouTube and blog sites in the early 2000s. But she's never been forgotten by jazz aficionados. They've been devoted all along. Born in the 1920's and coming into her own professionally in the 40's and 50's, Etta endured long, grim years of struggle,  toiling at rough factory jobs during the day, then  performing at night with a 'who's who' of jazz performers. Years later, she partnered with sax legend Houston Person for nearly thirty years on t...

J'adore jazz, don't you? Which brings me to Etta Jones - who is not, it should be noted, Etta James. Have you heard of her? She's another one of those remarkable vocalists who was popular with mass-market audiences for a brief second, then tragically forgotten. She was never forgotten by jazz aficionados, though. They've been devoted all along. Born in the 1920's and coming into her own professionally in the 40's and 50's, Etta endured grim years of struggle, performing at night with a 'who's who' of jazz performers at NYC nightclubs like The Baby Grand and Onyx, then toiling during the day at factory jobs, as an elevator operator and a seamstress. Later in life, she partnered with sax legend Houston Person for nearly thirty years on the road, primarily for appreciative Black audiences, with a non-stop schedule that took her all over the world until a mere two weeks before her death. Never the diva, she was just as devoted to her fans as they w...