Few female jazz singers matched the hard-swinging and equally hard-living Anita O'Day for sheer exuberance and talent in all areas of jazz vocals. Her improvising, wide dynamic tone, and innate sense of rhythm made her more than just another big-band canary. At a time when most female vocals tended to emphasize the sweet timbres of their voice, she chose to emphasize a path blazed by the one major jazz singer who emphasized message over medium - Billie Holiday. Like Holiday, O'Day combined the soaring freedom of jazz instrumentalist with the storytelling lyricism of a poet.
After making her solo debut in the mid-'40s she incorporated bop modernism into her vocals and recorded over a dozen of the best vocal LPs of the era.
During the late Forties, she recorded two dozen sides, mostly for small labels. The quality of these singles varies: O'Day was trying to achieve popular success without sacrificing her identity as a jazz singer. Among the more notable recordings from this period are "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip", "Key Largo", "How High the Moon", and "Malaguena". O'Day's drug problems began to surface late in 1947, when she and husband Carl Hoff were arrested for possession of marijuana and sentenced to 90 days in jail. Her career was back on the upswing in September of 1948, when she sang with Count Basie at the Royal Roost in New York City, resulting in five airchecks. What secured O'Day's place in the jazz pantheon, however, are the seventeen albums she recorded for Verve between 1956 and 1962.
Her first album, Anita O'Day Sings Jazz (reissued as The Lady Is a Tramp), was recorded in 1956 for the newly established Verve Records (it was also the label's first LP). The album was a critical success and further boosted her popularity. In October of 1952 O'Day was again arrested for possession of marijuana, but found not guilty. The following March, she was arrested for possession of heroin. The case dragged on for most of 1953; O'Day was finally sentenced to six months in jail. Not long after her release from jail on February 25, 1954, she began work on her second album, Songs by Anita O'Day (reissued as An Evening with Anita O'Day). She recorded steadily throughout the Fifties, accompanied by small combos and big bands. In person, O'Day was generally backed by a trio which included the drummer with whom she would work for the next 40 years, John Poole.
As a live performer O'Day also began performing in festivals and concerts with such musicians as Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Dinah Washington, George Shearing, Cal Tjader, and Thelonious Monk. She appeared in the documentary Jazz on a Summer's Day, filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival which increased her popularity. The following year O'Day made a cameo appearance in The Gene Krupa Story , singing "Memories of You". Late in 1959 she toured Europe with Benny Goodman; according to her autobiography, when Goodman's attempts to upstage her failed to diminish the audience's enthusiasm, he cut all but two of her numbers from the show.
After the Goodman fiasco, O'Day went back to touring as a solo artist. She recorded infrequently after the expiration of her Verve contract in 1962 and her career seemed over when she nearly died of a heroin overdose in 1968. After kicking the habit, she made a comeback at the 1970 Berlin Jazz Festival. She also appeared in the films Zig Zag (1970) and The Outfit (1974). She resumed making live and studio albums, many recorded in Japan, and several were released on her own label, Emily Records.
O'Day spoke candidly about her drug addiction in her 1981 memoir, High Times, Hard Times.
Her version of the standard, "Sing, Sing, Sing" was remixed by RSL and was included in the compilation album Verve Remixed 3 in 2005.
2006 saw her first album release in 13 years, entitled Indestructible!.
Bolero at the Savoy
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the Savoy;
It's a killer with a new kind o' joy,
It's takin' the town!
Night after night,
While the ickies wonder what it's about,
All the jitterbugs are beating it out,
And swingin' on down.
My my!
Oh how that band can play!
You can see couples sway
To tom tom rhythm.
Take it from me,
That's a New Bolero at the Savoy,
It's a killer with a new kind o' joy,
It's takin' the town!
The lyrics of Anita O'Day's song "Bolero at the Savoy" describe a new dance craze that has taken over the town. The dance is called the New Bolero and it's happening at the Savoy, a famous ballroom in New York City during the swing era. The song is a celebration of the music and dancing that was so popular at this time.
The lyrics describe how the jitterbugs, who are the best dancers, are beating out the rhythm of the New Bolero night after night. The beats of the tom toms, played by a killer band, drive the couples into a frenzy of movement. The ickies, or those who are less cool, are left behind, wondering what it's all about. The song captures the energy and excitement of the dance and the people who are swept up in the craze.
Overall, Bolero at the Savoy is a tribute to the vitality and creativity of the swing era. The lyrics and the music evoke a sense of joy and passion that is infectious and uplifting. It's easy to imagine the dancers on the floor, lost in the rhythms and melodies of a bygone era.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a new dance called the New Bolero,
A fresh dance form named New Bolero has become popular lately
At the Savoy;
It is played and danced at the Savoy, a music venue
It's a killer with a new kind o' joy,
The dance is thrilling and brings in a unique kind of happiness
It's takin' the town!
The dance craze is spreading and becoming the talk of the town
Night after night,
Every night the dance floor is packed with people trying it out
While the ickies wonder what it's about,
Those who are not familiar with the dance are confused about its popularity
All the jitterbugs are beating it out,
The jitterbugs, expert dancers, are killing it on the dance floor
And swingin' on down.
The dance involves a lot of swinging, and people love it
My my!
The artist is amazed by the experience
Oh how that band can play!
The music is fantastic
You can see couples sway
The dance is elegant, and couples are enjoying it
To tom tom rhythm.
The rhythm of the drums adds to the excitement of the dance
Take it from me,
The singer is emphasizing that this is a good thing
That's a New Bolero at the Savoy,
The dance everyone is enjoying is New Bolero, and it is happening at the Savoy
It's a killer with a new kind o' joy,
The dance brings a lot of happiness and is a thrilling experience
It's takin' the town!
The dance is quickly spreading, and everyone is talking about it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES CARPENTER, GENE KRUPA, JAMES R. MUNDY, RAY BIONDI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PhillySouth
You might have mentioned that the fine band work is supplied by none other than The Gene Krupa Orchestra. Thanks for posting nonetheless