William Dart pays tribute to a very special jazz singer (and much more), who passed away in July 2020.
Annie Ross, You and Me Baby, cover image Photo: Decca Records
In 1952, Annie Ross introduced her song 'Twisted' to an unsuspecting world. It displayed her impeccable timing and hippest of hip nuancing.
The song became her calling-card and a regular concert item in the decades that followed. It was later covered by Bette Midler and Joni Mitchell.
Here, and later with her vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, she explored the outer limits of virtuosity in much the same way as other jazz musicians of the time were doing.
William Dart presents a personal selection of favourites - solos, LH&R oddities, her collaboration with Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth presenting William Walton's Façade, a riotous take on a defenseless Mozart Rondo, and her crucial contributions to the soundtrack of Robert Altman's film Short Cuts.
- For more from Annie Ross, listen to Nick Tipping's tribute on Inside Out.
Music Details
'Song title' (Composer) – Performers
Album title
(Label)
'Music Is Forever' (Freeman, Ross) – London, Meader, Pramuk & Ross, feat Annie Ross
The Royal Bopsters Project
(Motema)
'Jackie' (Ross, Gray) – Lambert Hendricks and Ross
The Swingers
(Real Gone Jazz)
'Twisted' (Freeman, Ross) – Joni Mitchell
Court and Spark
(Reprise)
'Amor' (Strauss) – Kathleen Battle
At Carnegie Hall
(DG)
'Twisted' (Freeman, Ross) – Annie Ross
King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings
(Real Gone Jazz)
'All Too Soon' (Ellington) – Lambert Hendricks and Ross
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Sing Ellington
(Real Gone Jazz)
'I feel pretty' (Bernstein, Sondhem) – Annie Ross
Sings a Song with Mulligan
(Real Gone Jazz)
'A Lot Of Livin' To Do' (Strouse, Adams) – John Barry, Annie Ross
John Barry and Guests, Vol. 4
(Fat Boy)
'Let's Fly' (Ross) – Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers
Jazz Roots Ultimate Collection
(MGMPD)
'He' (Logue, Myers) – Annie Ross, Tony Kinsey Quintet
Loguerhythms
(Transatlantic)
'Scotch Rhapsody' (Walton, Sitwell) – Annie Ross, Johnny Dankworth
Façade - An Entertainment
(Fontana)
'Rondo a la Turk' (Mozart, Solly) – Annie Ross
You and Me Baby
(Decca)
'Pirate Jenny' (Weill) – Broadway ensemble
The Threepenny Opera Original Cast Recording
(Polydor)
'Conversation on a Barstool' (Bono, The Edge) – Annie Ross
Short Cuts
(Imago)
'Blue' (Hendricks, Mahones) – Annie Ross
Short Cuts
(Imago)
'To Hell with Love' (Pomus, Rebenack) – Annie Ross
Short Cuts
(Imago)
'Evil California' (Adams, Pop) – Iggy Pop, Annie Ross
Short Cuts
(Imago)