A Palace of Nostalgia with Forgotten Names. For example, pianist Evalyn Tyner, the quirkiness incarnate, who hated sheet music and therefore improvised freely. Tess Gardena, who sang the showstopper of “Showboat” (her only record) with “Can’t help lovin’ that man” as Aunt Jemima. Big names like Bob Manning (wiped out by the similar-sounding Dick Haymes), the exotic Lorez Alexandria, the cool Chris Conner, Dodo Greene (who became the first female vocalist to make an album for Blue Note, with her bulldozer voice) and Sue Raney, who rose to fame in the wrong time with her voice. Furthermore, Emmet Miller, “the yodelling blues singer” aka “trick singer”, Rose Murphy, the chirpy singing dark pianist with the long, white gloves, Guy Lombardo’s forgotten orchestra, and substitute singer for Xavier Cugat’s band Bobby Capo (who would have probably gotten a contract if he was white). Lastly, “black Marilyn Monroe” Dorothy Dandridge, the “British Sinatra” and singing chimney Matt Monroe and the delicately voiced blues vocalist Lil Green. In short, a treasure hunt in the Kingdom of Oblivion.
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