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!.
Is You Is Or Is You Ain't
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any time we have a date
But I love her
Yes I love her
I'm gonna walk right up to her gate
And see if I can get it straight
'Cause I want her
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
Way you're acting lately makes me doubt
Youse is still my baby, baby
Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out
A woman is a creature that has always been strange
Just when you're sure of what you'll find
She's gone and made a change
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true
The song Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby is a classic song that was written by Louis Jordan and Billy Austin in 1944. The song has been covered by various artists over the years, but Anita O'Day's 1949 recording of the song stands out as one of the best.
The song starts with Anita O'Day expressing her love for her partner who is always late for their dates, which makes her doubt their relationship. She decides to approach her partner and asks them "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?" indicating her doubts about the authenticity of their love. She wonders if her partner has found someone new or if she is still the same person he fell in love with.
The song is a classic example of swing music, with a bouncy upbeat tempo, and a catchy refrain that is easy to sing along to. O'Day's vocals are smooth and sultry, with a touch of playfulness, which gives the song a light-hearted feel. The song is a quintessential example of the playful and flirtatious nature of swing music which was popular in the 1940s and 50s.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a gal who's always late
I have a girlfriend who is always tardy
Any time we have a date
No matter when we make plans to meet
But I love her
Even with this flaw, I still care for her
Yes I love her
I am completely in love with her
I'm gonna walk right up to her gate
I will physically go to her residence
And see if I can get it straight
To see if we can clear the air
'Cause I want her
Because I am committed to her
I'm gonna ask her
I plan on questioning her honestly
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
Are you still my significant other?
Way you're acting lately makes me doubt
Your recent actions have led me to question us
Youse is still my baby, baby
However, I still feel a connection to you
Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out
But it feels like your feelings have disappeared
A woman is a creature that has always been strange
Females have always been an enigma
Just when you're sure of what you'll find
Just when you think you know what's going on
She's gone and made a change
Something has shifted
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
I need to know if you are still committed to me
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Perhaps you have found someone else
Or is my baby still my baby true
Or are you truly devoted to me?
Is you is or is you ain't my baby
It's important for me to know where we stand
Maybe baby's found somebody new
It's possible that you have moved on
Or is my baby still my baby true
Or are you still committed to me?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY AUSTIN, LOUIS JORDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Nickee_Sonicjinn
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Well, the way you're acting lately, well it makes me doubt
You were still my baby, baby
But it seems like my flame in your heart, well it's just gone out
A man is a creature
That has always been strange
Just when you're sure of one
You'll find that he's gone and made a change
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Well, maybe my baby found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby too?
I was quite curious about the lyrics~~ :)
One of the most attractive jazzy vocals that I've heard from Korean commercials.
요즘 한국광고음악 중 가장 좋아하는 곡 중에 하나네요 :)
@jackd8602
Saw her in Newport when I was a teen. I did not have enough money for the tennis venue. But she showed up later, floppy hat and all, for free, at the beach wall set up. Great artist and fan pleased. Miss her.
@dawnette245
Amazing you got to see her!!!
@johnfletcherpara
2021, Anita O'Day saves my day anytime with this recording...
@waitaminute7257
Love you Anita O'Day 😍 ❤️❤️
@user-yk5ld8tj2h
Jass singing at it's finest
@NatalieStJohn-hn4fw
Thank you, you tube, I listened to this song long ago, it was a long search, but totally worth it!!
@user-ei7lt2my2n
"음악이 멈추었다. 그러자 세상도 멈추어버렸다"
애니타 오데이.
@sucole835
I love Anita.💗
@cloudssquirrel
평생이런 재즈만 듣고싶다...
@Nickee_Sonicjinn
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Well, the way you're acting lately, well it makes me doubt
You were still my baby, baby
But it seems like my flame in your heart, well it's just gone out
A man is a creature
That has always been strange
Just when you're sure of one
You'll find that he's gone and made a change
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Well, maybe my baby found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby too?
I was quite curious about the lyrics~~ :)
One of the most attractive jazzy vocals that I've heard from Korean commercials.
요즘 한국광고음악 중 가장 좋아하는 곡 중에 하나네요 :)