Ruth Price – My Name Is Ruth Price … I Sing! / The Party’s Over

15,73

SKU: Fresh Sound V130 Categories: ,

Description

The Best Voices Time Forgot - Collectible Albums by Top Female Vocalists
Collector’s Edition - 2 Original LPs on 1 CD - Original Cover Art, Liner Notes

In May 1953, a sprightly 23-year-old girl by the name Ruth Price took the audience at Birdland by surprise when she jumped on stage to sing with the Johnny Smith trio. Ruth, a recent discovery of Charlie ventura’s manager Don Palmer, hailed from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1930.

She was a former ballet dancer and had only switched to singing recently. A month later though, Ruth was back to dancing, mostly because her reputation as a ballerina cast enough of a shadow that no club believed she was serious about singing jazz. Luckily, at Palmer’s suggestion, in the summer of 1954 Ruth found herself singing with the Charlie Ventura quintet for about a week, replacing regular singer Mary Ann McCall who was on sick leave. This was Ruth’s first major job, and even though it was only a sub, it opened the doors to a number of club engagements.

In 1955 she signed for Kapp Records, and her first album for the label was "My Name is Ruth Price… I Sing," an extremely encouraging debut for a young woman who was just turning 25. We hear a Ruth full of fresh swing, with fine control, good range and even better phrasing, capable of delivering sensitive interpretations of the lyrics in a variety of approaches.

A year later a second album for the label followed. It was titled "The Party's Over," and in many ways it confirmed her best qualities, expanding on the many facets of her talents. Her assured delivery of each tune leaves little doubt that, despite the initial concerns of club owners, Ruth Price actually was —by nature— a jazz singer.

Track Listing:
Ruth Price: 1. My Shining Hour - 2:15   2. Ev’ry Time - 4:11   3. Calypso Blues - 3:05   4. I Don’t Want to Walk Without You - 3:18   5. Who Am I? - 3:48   6. Gentleman Friend - 2:48   7. I’m Old Fashioned - 2:18   8. Give Me the Simple Life - 3:10   9. Sleighride in July - 2:14   10. Shadrack - 4:12   11. Someday My Prince Will Come - 3:06   12. Exactly Like You - 2:39   13. By Myself - 2:04   14. Street of Dreams - 2:47   15. If I Love Again - 3:03   16. (I’m Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over - 2:40   17. I Had the Craziest Dream - 3:04   18. Bye and Bye - 2:36   19. You Stepped Out of a Dream - 2:20   20. Take My Love - 2:31   21. I Am the Girl - 3:56   22. Something to Remember You By - 2:08   23. I Guess I’ll Have to Dream the Rest - 2:47   24. The Party’s Over - 2:30

Sources:
Tracks #1-12, from the album “My Name Is Ruth Price... I Sing!” (Kapp KL-1006)
Tracks #13-24, from the album “The Party’s Over” (Kapp KL-1054)

Personnel:
Ruth Price, vocals in all tracks

Personnel on "My Name Is Ruth Price":
Tracks #1-12: Lou Stein, piano & arrangements; Milt Hinton, bass; Ellis Tollin, drums. Featuring Joe Newman, trumpet; Frank Wess, tenor sax; Tony Mottola, guitar; Manny Albam, arrangements (#6 & 11).
Recorded in New York City, June 23 (#1,2,5,8), July 12 (#3,7,9,10), July 14 (#6,11),
July 20 (#4, 12), 1955

Personnel on "The Party's Over":
Tracks #16,18,20: Norman Paris, piano; Frank Cerchia, guitar; Ed Arndt, bass.
Tracks #13,14,17,19,21,23: vibes and drums added.
Tracks #15,24: Norman Paris, piano.
Recorded in New York City, October 16 (#13,14,22,23), October 17 (#16,19,21),
October 18 (#17,18,20), December 7 (#15,24), 1956