One of the finest singers to emerge from the swing era, Anita O'Day at her prime was a masterful scat singer and a true improviser whose interpretations of standards uplifted and altered even the most familiar songs. After struggling through dance marathons and discovering that she could sing, O'Day picked up valuable experience performing with Max Miller's group in Chicago. Her big break was hooking with the Gene Krupa Orchestra. During her two years with the drummer's big band (1941-43), O'Day had hits in "Let Me Off Uptown," "Thanks for the Boogie Ride," and "Bolero at the Savoy." She was with Stan Kenton for a year (1944-45), scoring with "And Her Tears Flowed like Wine." When she decided that Kenton's progressive jazz did not suit her, she recommended June Christy as her successor; Christy, Chris Connor and Helen Merrill would all spend the early parts of their careers trying to emulate O'Day. After a period back with Krupa (during which she recorded popular versions of "Opus No. 1" and "Boogie Blues"), O'Day went out on her own. She recorded for Signature in 1947 and London in 1950 but did not appear on records on a regular basis on records until she began her association with Verve in 1952. The singer's finest recordings were for Verve during 1952-63, both with big bands and small groups. Very open to the innovations of bebop, O'Day was one of the top singers of the decade, captured at the peak of her powers at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day during which she performed memorable renditions of "Sweet Georgia Brown" and a scat-filled "Tea for Two." She also appeared briefly in The Gene Krupa Story. However, heroin addiction (which she fully outlined in her 1981 memoirs High Times Hard Times) took its toll and after 1963 O'Day's life was quite erratic. In 1970 she made a strong comeback at the Berlin Jazz Festival and by the mid-'70s was recording regularly for her Emily label. Anita O'Day's voice has gradually deteriorated through the years, particularly after the mid-'80s, but her prime recordings from the 1950s are quite enjoyable and rank with the best of the era. ~ Scott Yanow
All Music Guide