Kitty Brown
Encyclopedia
Kitty Brown was an American
classic female blues
singer. She sometimes used the pseudonym
s of Bessie Williams (although she was not alone in using this name), Jane White, Dixie Gray, Rosa Green and Mazie Leroy. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1923 to the mid 1930s. Her best known tracks were "I Wanna Jazz Some More" and "It's De-Lovely
". Little is known of her life outside of her music.
's Band of Renown. It was a working of Cole Porter
's song, "It's De-Lovely
".
The title of her 1924 track, "I Wanna Jazz Some More", is misleading. The word 'jazz' was used as a euphemism for bodily fluid, and not as a reference to the musical art form. In the manner of the time, several of Brown's songs used sexual innuendo
, but not all her tracks were similarly slanted. It is also probable that contractual agreements with record label
s saw her record elsewhere under a number of assumed names, some of which are difficult to verify.
Her debut session produced the songs "Evil Blues" and "Mean Eyes (Too Late Blues)". The former track had the notation accompanied by Rickett Stars, almost certainly another stage name. Her main musical partner was the songwriter
LeRoy Morton, who also acted as manager for Clara Smith
. On the Okeh
label, Brown and Morton recorded "He's Never Gonna Throw Me Down" and "Keep on Going". One of her later recording pseudonyms, Mazie Leroy, might have connections to the association with him. As was becoming more common then, much of Brown's material came via the music publishing arm of her record label. A later session saw her record "Family Skeleton Blues", one of her more beguiling sides. Amongst her accompanists was James "Bubber" Miley.
The amount of recording she undertook under various other names, probably exceeds output under her own. Verification is made more difficult, as the name of Bessie Williams was used by several singers. However, Brown has been certified as the singer on several songs released on the Domino label, despite them being billed as Williams.
The bulk of her known work was included on the compilation album
, Female Blues Singers, Vol. 3: B/C (1923-1928) made available in 1997 by Document Records
. Her sides included the songs, "Evil Blues", "Mean Eyes (Too Late Blues)", "Deceitful Blues", "I Don't Let No One Man Worry Me", "He's Never Gonna Throw Me Down", "Keep on Going", "Family Skeleton Blues", "I Wanna Jazz Some More", "Keep On Going" and "One Of These Days".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classic female blues
Classic female blues
Classic female blues was an early form of blues music, popular in the 1920s. An amalgam of traditional folk blues and urban theater music, the style is also known as vaudeville blues. Classic blues were performed by female vocalists accompanied by pianists or small jazz ensembles, and were the...
singer. She sometimes used the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s of Bessie Williams (although she was not alone in using this name), Jane White, Dixie Gray, Rosa Green and Mazie Leroy. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1923 to the mid 1930s. Her best known tracks were "I Wanna Jazz Some More" and "It's De-Lovely
It's De-Lovely
"It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, Red Hot and Blue. The song was later used in the musical Anything Goes, first appearing in the 1962 revival. The hit records in late 1936 and early 1937 included versions by Eddy Duchin, Shep Fields, and...
". Little is known of her life outside of her music.
Career
The bulk of Brown's recording work occurred in 1923 and 1924, although in the 1930s she waxed one track, with Les BrownLes Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
's Band of Renown. It was a working of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's song, "It's De-Lovely
It's De-Lovely
"It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, Red Hot and Blue. The song was later used in the musical Anything Goes, first appearing in the 1962 revival. The hit records in late 1936 and early 1937 included versions by Eddy Duchin, Shep Fields, and...
".
The title of her 1924 track, "I Wanna Jazz Some More", is misleading. The word 'jazz' was used as a euphemism for bodily fluid, and not as a reference to the musical art form. In the manner of the time, several of Brown's songs used sexual innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
, but not all her tracks were similarly slanted. It is also probable that contractual agreements with record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s saw her record elsewhere under a number of assumed names, some of which are difficult to verify.
Her debut session produced the songs "Evil Blues" and "Mean Eyes (Too Late Blues)". The former track had the notation accompanied by Rickett Stars, almost certainly another stage name. Her main musical partner was the songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
LeRoy Morton, who also acted as manager for Clara Smith
Clara Smith
Clara Smith was an American classic female blues singer. She was billed as the "Queen of the Moaners", although Smith actually had a lighter and sweeter voice than her contemporaries and main competitors.-Career:...
. On the Okeh
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
label, Brown and Morton recorded "He's Never Gonna Throw Me Down" and "Keep on Going". One of her later recording pseudonyms, Mazie Leroy, might have connections to the association with him. As was becoming more common then, much of Brown's material came via the music publishing arm of her record label. A later session saw her record "Family Skeleton Blues", one of her more beguiling sides. Amongst her accompanists was James "Bubber" Miley.
The amount of recording she undertook under various other names, probably exceeds output under her own. Verification is made more difficult, as the name of Bessie Williams was used by several singers. However, Brown has been certified as the singer on several songs released on the Domino label, despite them being billed as Williams.
The bulk of her known work was included on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Female Blues Singers, Vol. 3: B/C (1923-1928) made available in 1997 by Document Records
Document Records
Document Records is a British record label that specializes in early American blues, bluegrass, gospel, spirituals jazz, and other rural American genres , generally made between 1900 and 1945...
. Her sides included the songs, "Evil Blues", "Mean Eyes (Too Late Blues)", "Deceitful Blues", "I Don't Let No One Man Worry Me", "He's Never Gonna Throw Me Down", "Keep on Going", "Family Skeleton Blues", "I Wanna Jazz Some More", "Keep On Going" and "One Of These Days".