Jazz accordion-master, Van Damme plays much more than cool/accordion mush. In fact, he was an innovator during 60s post-bop. He is an unsung hero. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

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A singer who performed with Duke Ellington in both the '40s and '50s, Betty Roché was famous for her strong, dramatic way of putting across blues material, a talent that not every vocalist with this big band had. Ellington, who was sometimes prone to hire vocalists with stilted, nearly classical delivery, described Roché with typical grace: "She... [+] Read More

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Doris Day has packed four careers into one lifetime, two each in music and movies. The pity is that all most people remember are her movies from Teacher's Pet (1957) onward, as the quintessential all-American girl, the perpetually virginal screen heroine, cast opposite such icons of masculinity as Clark Gable and, rather ironically, Rock Hudson.... [+] Read More

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Helen O'Connell, who had a fairly long career, will always be best remembered for her squeals on "Green Eyes" and her work with Jimmy Dorsey. She originally left her native Toledo with Jimmy Richards' nine-piece group, gigging and touring for a year and a half. O'Connell appeared on a regular radio show in St. Louis until she agreed to tour with... [+] Read More

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A solid jazz singer whose early recordings tended to be forgotten after her ascendancy into the commercial sphere during the mid-'50s, Kay Starr was among the first pop singer to capitalize on the "rock fad" with her 1955 novelty "Rock and Roll Waltz." Her biggest hit came with the era-defining "Wheel of Fortune," a prime slice of '50s adult pop... [+] Read More

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Peggy Lee's alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era, from her breakthrough on the Benny Goodman hit "Why Don't You Do Right" to her many solo successes, singles including "Mañana," "Lover" and "Fever" that showed her... [+] Read More

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Vocalist Rosemary Clooney's rise to fame in the '50s came on the strength of songs that in many instances were without question novelty tunes; she's not a vocal improviser like Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, or Sarah Vaughan. She is an excellent lyric interpreter, has fine timing, phrases skillfully and intelligently, and performs with the dramatic... [+] Read More

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A talented singer whose wide expressive qualities do justice to any lyrics that she chooses to interpret, Ruth Price has made relatively few recordings throughout her career. Originally a dancer, she attended ballet school in 1952. However, by 1954 she was singing with Charlie Ventura and, after freelancing in Philadelphia, she worked as a... [+] Read More

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Vocalist and jazz singer, Sylvia Syms was known as the "world's greatest saloon singer" by Frank Sinatra. She sang everything from cabaret music to light jazz. Her claim to fame is her versatility in singing, making every song original in its style and sound.

Sylvia Syms was born in New York City. Her interest in music developed at... [+] Read More

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