Reference: FSRCD1115
ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD
Linda Keene the Dixie Songbird’s · Complete Recordings
2-CD Box Set · 52-Pages Booklet including comprehensive essay,
complete sessionography, full recording details, rare photos & memorabilia
How is it that a popular singer who recorded with the likes of Jack Teagarden, Tony Pastor, Lennie Hayton and toured extensively with bands led by Red Norvo and Muggsy Spanier, is all but forgotten today?
Such is the unfortunate story of Linda Keene. Linda laid down more than 20 recordings during her career, appeared on a nationally syndicated radio program with Henry Levine, and even appeared in three early film “Soundies,” the precursors to today’s music videos.
Ultimate, lasting fame eluded her however and all of her recordings have languished on obscure 78 rpm records for eighty years. There have been a couple of scholarly articles over the years but the information in both is sparse and, at times, incorrect. The first was “Linda Keene - Leonard Feather’s Fave” published in The IAJRC Journal (International Association Of Jazz Record Collectors) in August of 2007 by Eves L. Raja. The second was four years later in 2011 in Doctor Jazz Magazine out of Holland by Opal L. Nations titled “Unlucky Woman – The Story of Linda Keene.” Unfortunately, Linda Keene never penned an autobiography so her story is only what can be pieced together from her various media notices, reviews of her recordings, and advertisements for her public appearances.
Scouring through articles from her early days in Mississippi and her first marriage in 1931 and through her ever-changing career up to her obituary in 1981, a more complete picture begins to appear. Most of these liner notes are compiled from countless newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. It’s an interesting story that brings to life this brilliant songstress and traces the highs and lows of her career.
"Just when you think you’ve heard every canary from the big band era like Helen Ward, Helen Forrest or Martha Tilton, Fresh Sound Records digs up the virtually unknown Linda Keene, who was the vocalist for bands including Jack Teagarden, Tony Pastor, Bobby Hackett and Lennie Hayton before teaming up with Henry Levine’s Strictly From Dixie Jazz Band.
As you can tell, for the most part Keene was associated with “traditional” sounding bands, aka “Chicago” or “New Orleans”, but, hey, this was the Big Band Era, so everything recorded had a swing feel to it. Keene has a tone in the warm school of Forrest and Tilton, easy on the ears for “Blue and Disillusioned” with Hackett (along with Pee Wee Russell/cl and Eddie Condon/g) and sounding comfy with Teagarden’s band on a fun “Yankee Doodle” and “Tears From My Inkwell”. Hayton’s Orchestra, including guitarist Dave Barbour, has Keene in uptown swing form on “At The Starlight Hour” and the Ellingtonian “I Love You Much Too Much”. In 1941 she fronts Tony Pastor’s band, sharing the vocals with Dorsey Anderson on cozy “For Whom The Bell Tolls.”
She spent a couple of years with Levine’s Dixie Jazz Band, giving an impressive read of “Georgia On My Mind” and sounding believable on “Someone to Watch Over Me”. A bluesy meeting with Joe Marsala’s Orchestra, which included Leonard Feather/p, Joe Thomas/tp and Chuck Wayne/g along with the clarinet leader, having Keene tap into her inner Peggy Lee on “Unlucky Woman” and “Blues in the Storm”. Most fun and modern is her stint with trumpeter Charlie Shavers in a smaller unit, and Keene sounding delightful on “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You” and a drenched “Blues On My Weary Mind”. A spartan early 50s session with guitar and piano has her in a rowdy mood for “Muddy Water” and out Sinatra-ing on “One For My Baby”. Included are all of the session notes, and a great 52-page booklet giving you some background on this lady. How did we miss this?"
—George W. Harris (June 16, 2022)
https://www.jazzweekly.com
