As a vocalist, Maxine Sullivan was active for half a century, from the mid-1930s to just before her death in 1987. She is best known for her 1937 recording of a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond". Throughout her career, Sullivan also appeared as a performer on film as well as on stage. A precursor to better-known later vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, Maxine Sullivan is considered one of the best jazz vocalists of the 1930s.
Maxine Sullivan was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania in 1911. Sullivan began her music career singing in her uncle's band, The Red Hot Peppers, in her native Pennsylvania, in which she occasionally played the flugelhorn and the valve trombone, in addition to singing. In the mid-1930s she was discovered by Gladys Mosier (then working in Ina Rae Hutton's big band). Mosier introduced her to Claude Thornhill, which led to her first recordings made in June of 1937. Shorty thereafter, Sullivan became a featured vocalist at the Onyx Club in New York. During this period, she began forming a professional and close personal relationship with bassist John Kirby, to whom she was married from 1938 to 1941.
Early sessions with Kirby in 1937 yielded a hit recording of a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond" featuring Sullivan on vocals. This early success "branded" Sullivan's style, leading her to sing similar swing arrangements of traditional folk tunes mostly arranged by pianist Claude Thornhill, such as "Darling Nellie Gray", "I Dream of Jeanie", "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes", and "If I Had a Ribbon Bow". Her early popularity also led to a brief appearance in the movie Going Places opposite Louis Armstrong. In 1940, Sullivan and Kirby were featured on the radio program Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm, making them the first black jazz stars to have their own weekly radio series. From 1940-1942, Sullivan often performed with her husband Kirby's sextet. During the 1940s Sullivan then performed with a wide range of bands, including those of Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter, and Jimmie Lunceford. Sullivan also performed at many of New York's hottest jazz spots such as the Ruban Bleu, the Village Vanguard, the Blue Angel, and the Penthouse.
In 1956, Sullivan shifted away from her earlier style and recorded the album A Tribute to Andy Razaf. Originally on the Period record label, A Tribute to Andy Razaf featured Sullivan's interpretations of a dozen tunes featuring the lyrics of the poet and lyricist Andy Razaf. The album also highlighted the music of Fats Waller, including versions of "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "How Can you Face Me?", "My Fate is in Your Hands", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'", and "Blue Turning Grey Over You". Sullivan was joined by a sextet that was reminiscent of John Kirby's group of 15 years prior, including trumpeter Charlie Shavers and clarinetist Buster Bailey. In 1953 Sullivan starred in the play, Take a Giant Step.
From 1958 to 1966, Sullivan began working as a nurse and raising her children, which largely consumed most of her time. Her music career did not reassert itself until 1966, when she began performing in jazz festivals alongside her new husband, Cliff Jackson, who can be heard on the 1966 live recording of Sullivan's performance at the Manassas Jazz Festival.
Sullivan continued to perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and produced an output of recordings during the 1980s despite being over 70 years old. She was nominated for the 1979 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in My Old Friends. She participated in a documentary film portrait, Maxine Sullivan: Love to Be in Love, shortly before her death.
Maxine Sullivan died in 1987 in New York. She was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.
Song Is You
Maxine Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beautiful theme of every
Dream I ever knew.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel it start, then melt away.
I hear music when I touch your hand;
A beautiful melody
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
Is this the day?
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
Must it be forever inside of me,
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I let you know the song
My heart would sing?
That beautiful rhapsody
Of love and youth and spring,
The music is sweet,
The words are true
The song is you.
The song "Song Is You" by Maxine Sullivan is a beautiful love song that talks about the effect that the person being sung to has on the singer. The lyrics start with "I hear music when I look at you, a beautiful theme of every dream I ever knew". This line indicates that the person being sung to has qualities that inspire the singer's dreams and imagination. The music the singer hears is a representation of everything positive and beautiful that they associate with the person.
The second verse "I hear music when I touch your hand, a beautiful melody from some enchanted land" is a continuation of the theme presented in the first verse. The singer is so entranced by the person that they are singing to that they cannot help but hear music when they are near them or touching them. The music is again a symbol of everything wonderful the person brings into the singer's life.
The third verse is a reflection on the inner feelings of the singer. They alone have heard this beautiful music which fills them with joy and emotion. They cannot help but wonder why they can't share this feeling with the person they are singing to. The words "Why can't I let you know, why can't I let you know the song my heart would sing?" portray the singer's frustration and longing for the person to understand the depth of their feelings.
Overall, this song is a beautiful expression of the overwhelming emotions associated with falling in love, and the joy and wonder that the person being sung to can inspire.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear music when I look at you;
Whenever I see you, a beautiful song fills my head.
A beautiful theme of every
This song is the perfect representation of every dream I ever had.
Dream I ever knew.
It embodies every idea, image, and hope that ever crossed my mind.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
My heart resonates with this music and fills me with joy.
I feel it start, then melt away.
The song fills me up and then slowly fades away.
I hear music when I touch your hand;
When I touch you, a beautiful melody fills my heart.
A beautiful melody
The song that plays in my heart is absolutely beautiful.
From some enchanted land.
It feels as though the music is from a magical and enchanted place.
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
The song speaks to me from a deep place in my heart.
Is this the day?
Could this be the day when my dreams come true?
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
The beauty of this song is something only I have heard.
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
The happy and joyful melody of this song is only known to me.
Must it be forever inside of me,
Why must this song always remain within me?
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I share it with the world?
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I tell you how I feel?
Why can't I let you know the song
Why can't I sing this beautiful song for you?
My heart would sing?
My heart is full of love and joy, and that is what this song represents.
That beautiful rhapsody
The song is a masterful composition of music and poetry.
Of love and youth and spring,
It captures the essence of young love, and the hope and renewal of springtime.
The music is sweet,
The melody is delightful and pleasing to the ear.
The words are true
The lyrics are honest and heartfelt.
The song is you.
This song is a declaration of my love for you β it embodies everything that you are to me.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar II Hammerstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stuart Perry
She is every bit as lovely as her voice. What a gem!
Carolyn Twomey
I have never heard of this woman till today. I am hooked on the way she delivers a tune.
ted wilson
Wonderful:what singer, what a beauty and she had everything and thanks for the posting.
4205lr
Saw her in London in 1975. She still sounded great.
gokinsmen
I'm a huge fan of Maxine Sullvian and have tried to collect every vintage era recording of hers...but I've never seen this before. Many thanks! The racist figurines are pretty unfortunate (sign of the times), but it's still wonderful to watch actual footage of Maxine.
Tony Jurcak
Thanks for posting.. I have this on a dvd and always enjoy watching it. Maxine was so beautiful back in the day!
David Walsh
A lovely lady and a fantastic singer. She is new to me, I will be looking out for more of her music. Maxine is very gifted.
LULUBELLE III
Utterly effortless performance and such a beautiful lady. Born today (May 13, 1911)
quieterrps
Excellent. I haven't seen much posted by Maxine and it seems like there are more than a few now. Anyways, thanks... she was great!
Oscar Grillo
LOOOOOOOVE Maxine and this video is wonderful!!!