Lilian Terry (1930–2023) was born in Cairo and raised in Rome. A pioneering jazz singer on Italian television in the 1950s, she recorded actively between 1957 and 1963 with top Italian musicians —Romano Mussolini, Oscar Valdambrini, Gianni Basso, Enrico Intra, Dino Piana, Sergio Fanni— and international artists like George Gruntz, George Joyner, and Buster Smith. She sang jazz standards in English and Italian, always with elegance and emotional depth.
“Lilian Terry sounds the most American of the handful of European singers who have made it in jazz, yet she has the most international background of them all,” said producer George Avakian. Her voice was pretty and expressive, marked by beat, feeling, good intonation, and a flexible, intimate quality that made her unlike anyone else. A tireless jazz promoter, she gradually shifted her focus to organizing events and educational projects aimed at promoting jazz awareness. For all these qualities—and her enduring contributions as a jazz artist—she is rightfully considered Italy’s First Lady of Jazz.
—Jordi Pujol
Tracklist
01. I've Got It Bad and That Ain't Good (Ellington-Webster) 3:12
02. St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy) 3:16
03. He's Funny That Way (Moret-Whiting) 3:55
04. Fever (Cooley-Davenport) 2:56
05. My Heart Belongs To Daddy (Cole Porter) 2:38
06. Don't Worry ‘Bout Me (Bloom-Koehler) 3:12
07. Too Close for Comfort (Bock-Weiss-Holfcener) 2:32
08. The Song Is You (Kern-Hammerstein II) 2:50
09. Lover Man (Davis-Sherman-Ramirez) 5:02
10. That's All (Brand-Haymes) 3:21
11. 'Round Midnight (Monk-Williams-Hanighen) 5:26
12. That Old Black Magic (Arlen-Mercer) 2:31
13. Misty (Garner-Burke) 2:44
14. Se lei verrà da te (La Montaña) (Alguero-Moreu-Wilder-Terry) 3:25
15. Goodbye (Gordon Jenkins) 4:25
16. Beviamo sopra (One for My Baby) (Arlen-Mercer) 3:53
17. Tutto sucede a me (Everything Happens To Me) (Dennis-Adair) 4:02
18. Io non posso amare (When I Fall in Love) (Young-Heyman-Cavallere) 3:50
19. St. Thomas (Rollins-Crossara) 3:59
20. Tune Up (Davis-Crossara) 4:15
Album details
Sources:
Tracks #1-3, from the 12-inch LP Romano Mussolini con Nunzio Rotondo e Lilian Terry
(RCA Italiana LPM10010)
Track #4, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) Liberty G 7017
Tracks #5 & 8, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) CGD N 9260
Tracks #5-8, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) “Lilian Terry – In Swing!” (CGD - E6096)
Tracks #9 & 10, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) “Four of Us” Vol.1 (CGD - N 9333)
Tracks #11 & 12, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) “Four of Us” Vol.2 (CGD - N 9334)
Tracks #13-18, from the 12-inch LP “Lilian Terry Presents Abito Da Sera” (CGD SR-1013)
Tracks #19 & 20, from the 7-inch (45 rpm) “International Jazz Festival Comblain-la-Tour" (Belgadisc BGD 5575)
Personnel:
Tracks #1-3: ROMANO MUSSOLINI Quintetto
Romano Mussolini, piano; Gianni Sanjust, clarinet (#1); Carlo Loffredo (#1 & 2), bass; Franco Pozzi (#3) bass; Roberto Podio, drums.
Recorded in Roma, June 13, 1957
Track #4: ENRICO INTRA Sestetto
Oscar Valdambrini, trumpet; Gianni Basso, tenor sax; Enrico Intra, piano; Alberto Pizzigoni, guitar; Giorgio Azzolini, bass; Gianni Cazzola, drums.
Recorded in Milano, 1958
Tracks #5-8: ENRICO INTRA Quintetto
Oscar Valdambrini, trumpet; Gianni Basso, tenor sax; Enrico Intra, piano; Giorgio Azzolini, bass; Gianni Cazzola, drums; Quartetto Radar, vocals (#6, 8).
Recorded in Milano, 1960
Tracks #9-12: GEORGE GRUNTZ Trio
George Gruntz, piano; George Joyner, bass; Buster Smith, drums.
Recorded in Milano, December, 1961
Tracks #13-18: ENRICO INTRA’s Ensemble
Sergio Fanni, trumpet (#14 & 15); Dino Piana, valve-trombone (#17 & 18); Gianni Basso, tenor sax (#17 & 18); Enrico Intra, piano; Roberto Nicolosi, celeste (#13); Franco Cerri, guitar; Pallino Salonia, bass; Pupo De Luca, drums.
Recorded in Roma, September, 1962
Tracks #19-20: ENRICO INTRA Quintetto
Dino Piana, valve-trombone; Enrico Intra, piano; Franco Cerri, guitar; Pallino Salonia, bass; Pupo De Luca, drums.
Recorded live at Comblain-la-Tour Jazz Festival, August 4, 1963
Original recordings produced by Enzo Micocci (#1-3), Teddy Reno (#4), Ladislao Sugar (#5-18), and Joe Napoli (#19 & 20)
Compiled and produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
Special thanks to Jean-Pol Schroeder
© 2025 by Fresh Sound Records
Mono · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas S.L.
