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!.
Stompin' At the Savoy
Anita O'Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Savoy, it wins you at a glance
Savoy, gives happy feet a chance to dance.
Your form, just like a clingin' vine
Your lips, as warm and sweet as wine
Your cheek, so soft and close to mine, divine.
While the band is swingin'
Never tired of rompin'
An' Stompin' with you at the Savoy
What joy, a perfect holiday
Savoy, where we can glide and sway
There let me stomp away with you
Savoy,
Savoy,
Savoy.
Your form just like a clingin' vine
Your lips, as warm and sweet as wine
Your cheek, so soft and close to mine, divine.
Oh, how my heart is singin'
While the band is swingin'
Never tired of rompin'
An' Stompin' with you at the Savoy
What joy,
Savoy,
Savoy, there let me stomp away
With you.
The song "Stompin' At the Savoy" by Anita O'Day is a tribute to the Savoy Ballroom, a legendary music and dance venue in Harlem, New York during the 1920s and 30s. In the song, the Savoy is described as a place of sweet romance and happy feet, where the singer is enamored by their partner's form, lips, and cheek. The lyrics express the joy and excitement of dancing to swing music with a loved one.
The Savoy Ballroom was a significant cultural landmark during the Jazz Age, known for its exceptional acoustics, large dance floor, and famous performers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald. It served as a haven for African Americans during a time of racial segregation, providing a safe and vibrant space for people to gather and enjoy music and dance.
Anita O'Day's interpretation of the song reflects the themes of joy and celebration that were central to the Savoy's culture. The swinging rhythm of the music and the lively, upbeat lyrics capture the spirit of the place, making it a timeless classic that continues to be celebrated today.
Line by Line Meaning
Savoy, the home of sweet romance
Savoy is the place where love blossoms.
Savoy, it wins you at a glance
Savoy captures your heart with just one look.
Savoy, gives happy feet a chance to dance.
Savoy is a place where you can dance to your heart's content.
Your form, just like a clingin' vine
Your body is as graceful and beautiful as a vine.
Your lips, as warm and sweet as wine
Your kiss is as delicious and intoxicating as wine.
Your cheek, so soft and close to mine, divine.
Feeling your cheek against mine is a heavenly experience.
How my heart is singin'
My heart is filled with happiness and joy.
While the band is swingin'
As the music plays and swings.
Never tired of rompin'
I never tire of dancing and having fun.
An' Stompin' with you at the Savoy
And dancing with you at the Savoy.
What joy, a perfect holiday
How joyful it is to have a perfect vacation.
Savoy, where we can glide and sway
Savoy is where we can dance and move gracefully.
There let me stomp away with you
Let's dance and have fun together at the Savoy.
Savoy,
Savoy,
Savoy.
Savoy.
Lyrics © REGENT MUSIC CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, Chick Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RBS Prods
A sensational performance of "Stompin at the Savoy" by Anita O'Day!
Roland Deschain
Thank you heroin!!!!