Mary Ann McCall
Mary Ann McCall | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1919 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 1994 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
Mary Ann McCall (May 4, 1919 – December 14, 1994)[1] was an American pop and jazz singer. Aside from solo work, she sang for Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton, Artie Shaw, Teddy Powell, and Woody Herman.
Early life
[edit]McCall was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] As a child she had rickets, and used crutches. A doctor recommended dancing classes, which led her to a performing career.[3]
Career
[edit]McCall was described as a rising star in 1939.[4] She sang with jazz bands led by Charlie Barnet,[5] Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton,[6] Artie Shaw, Teddy Powell, and Woody Herman.[3][7][8] In 1949, she won the Down Beat Readers' Poll for "Girl Singer (With Band)".[9]
McCall made several recordings in the 1940s and 1950s.[10][11] Billboard magazine reviewed her 1947 recordings of "Money is Honey" and "On Time", praising her "torchy and scorchy pipes" and "real blues feeling."[12] Woody Herman recalled that "she was truly a great jazz singer."[13] In 1952, Jet magazine included McCall in a feature titled "Do White Singers Imitate Negroes?"[14]
McCall experienced heroin addiction, was found guilty of drug possession in San Francisco in 1953, and spent 23 days in jail.[15][16] In 1954, she toured the United States with Stan Kenton's Festival of Modern American Jazz.[17] In 1960 she and the Barney Kessel Quintet played six nights in San Francisco.[18] In 1973 she sang at an event in Sherman Oaks, sharing the stage with Sam Yorty, William Conrad, and Jerry Scoggins.[19] In 1976 she performed at the Concord Summer Festival, with Jake Hanna's Kansas City Express.[20] As late as 1985 she was still singing occasionally in clubs in Southern California.[21]
Discography
[edit]- Mary McCall Sings (Discovery, 1950)[22]
- An Evening with Charlie Ventura and Mary Ann McCall (Norgran, 1954)[2][23]
- Another Evening with Charlie Ventura and Mary Ann McCall (Norgran, 1954)[24]
- Easy Living (Regent, 1957)[10][25]
- Detour to the Moon (Jubilee, 1958)[2]
- Melancholy Baby (Coral, 1959)[26]
As guest
[edit]- Nat Pierce, 5400 North (Hep, 1979)[2][27]
Personal life
[edit]McCall was briefly married to jazz saxophonist Al Cohn.[2] She died in Los Angeles, California in 1994.[1] Her son Don Siok was a professional golfer.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mary Ann McCall Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1547. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b "Pretty Mary Ann McCall to Grace Local Bandstand". The Bakersfield Californian. 1949-07-27. p. 18. Archived from the original on 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Barron, Mark (1939-09-10). "Orchestra Batons Point the Road to Fame". The Courier-Journal. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "In Spotlight". The Atlanta Constitution. 1943-07-16. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mary Ann McCall to Sing Friday with Stan Kenton". The State. 1954-11-11. p. 27. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mary Ann McCall Began in Night Club". The Baltimore Sun. 1939-09-10. p. 68. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Singer to Give Favorite Ballads at Herman Show". The Birmingham Post. 1948-11-26. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Downbeat Vocalist Presented". Detroit Free Press. 1949-12-16. p. 23. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Mary Ann McCall and The Ernie Wilkins Orchestra (2001), Easy Living With Mary Ann McCall, Internet Archive, Atlantic, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Charlie Ventura; Mary Ann McCall (1955), An Evening With Mary Ann McCall And Charlie Ventura, Internet Archive, Verve Records, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ "Record Reviews" Billboard (1947-09-27): 142.
- ^ Herman, Woody (2004). The Woodchopper's Ball: The Autobiography of Woody Herman. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-0-87910-176-3.
- ^ "Do White Singers Imitate Negroes?". Jet: 63. 1952-03-27.
- ^ "Singer Pleads Guilty to Drug Possession". The Tampa Tribune. 1953-05-07. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Spencer, Frederick J. (2002). Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats. Univ. Press of Mississippi. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-1-57806-453-3.
- ^ "Jazz Music at Best". The Kansas City Star. 1954-09-26. p. 68. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A Week Crowded with Jazz Events". The San Francisco Examiner. 1960-06-12. p. 142. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mayor Will Install Officers of Sherman Oaks Chamber". The Van Nuys News. 1973-02-11. p. 54. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Raddue, Gordon (1976-07-24). "Tony Bennett, Jazz Lines Star". The Independent. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Schwartz, Sonny (1985-11-01). "Son Finds More of Mother's Music". Press of Atlantic City. p. 60. Retrieved 2025-06-19 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mary Ann McCall Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ^ Charlie Ventura; Mary Ann McCall (1955), An Evening With Mary Ann McCall And Charlie Ventura, Internet Archive, Verve Records, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Charlie Ventura; Mary Ann McCall (1954), Another Evening With Charlie Ventura And Mary Ann McCall, Internet Archive, Norgran Records, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Mary Ann McCall (1987), Easy Living, Internet Archive, Savoy Jazz, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Mary Ann McCall (1959), Melancholy Baby, Internet Archive, Coral, retrieved 2025-06-19
- ^ Nat Pierce (1996), 5400 North, Internet Archive, Hep Jazz Productions, retrieved 2025-06-19
