''Mellow Mama'' is an album by the American jazz vocalist

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

, compiling her early recordings from 1945 with

Lucky Thompson Eli "Lucky" Thompson (June 16, 1924 – July 30, 2005) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist whose playing combined elements of swing music, swing and bebop. Although John Coltrane usually receives the most credit for bringing th ...

and His All Stars that were originally issued by Apollo Records. It was released by the Delmark label in 1992.Jazzlists: Delmark Records discography: 400/500 series
accessed October 25, 2019Jazzdisco: Milt Jackson catalogs
accessed October 25, 2019

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Scott Yanow stated: "Recorded in Los Angeles during a three-day period, the 12 selections feature the singer with a swinging jazz combo that has tenor-saxophonist Lucky Thompson, trumpeter Karl George, vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Charles Mingus among its eight members. The 21-year-old Washington was already quite distinctive at this early stage and easily handles the blues and jive material with color and humor. Recommended".

Track listing

All compositions by John Henry except where noted # "Mellow Mama Blues" (

Jessie Mae Robinson Jessie Mae Robinson (née Booker, October 1, 1918 – October 26, 1966) was an American musician and songwriter, whose compositions included many R&B and pop hits of the 1940s and 1950s, including "Black Night", "I Went To Your Wedding", an ...

) – 3:05 # "All or Nothing Blues" – 2:49 # "Rich Man's Blues" (Thelma Lowe) – 2:51 # "Chewin' Mama Blues" – 2:54 # "Blues for a Day" – 2:49 # "Wise Woman Blues" – 2:46 # "My Voot Is Really Vout" – 3:07 # "Pacific Coast Blues" (Robinson) – 2:37 # "Beggin' Mama Blues" (Wilbert Barranco, Charles Mingus) – 2:49 # "Walking Blues" (Lowe) – 2:38 # "No Voot, No Boot" (

Duke Henderson Sylvester C. Henderson (April 5, 1925 – April 9, 1973), known as Duke Henderson, was an American blues shouter and jazz singer in the West Coast blues and jump blues styles in the mid-1940s. In the late 1940s he renounced his past and began ...

) – 3:00 # "My Lovin' Papa" (Henderson) – 3:02

Personnel

– vocals * Karl George – trumpet *Jewel Grant – alto saxophone *

– tenor saxophone *

Gene Porter Eugene Porter (June 7, 1910 – February 24, 1993) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Early life Porter was born in Pocahontas, Mississippi on June 7, 1910. He began on cornet, but when his instrument was stolen he picked up saxop ...

– baritone saxophone, clarinet *

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

– vibraphone (tracks 1, 3-7 & 9-12) *

Wilbert Baranco Wilbert Baranco (15 April 1909 – October 1983) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. Baranco played with Curtis Mosby in the early 1930s and then put together his own bands in the 1930s and 1940s, including several military bands during W ...

– piano *

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...

– bass *

Lee Young Leonidas Raymond Young (March 7, 1914 – July 31, 2008) was an American jazz drummer and singer. His musical family included his father Willis Young and his older brother, saxophonist Lester Young. In 1944 he played with Norman Granz's firs ...

– drums Recorded in Los Angeles on December 10, 1945 (tracks 4, 6, 10 & 11), December 12, 1945 (tracks 2, 3, 9 & 12) and December 13, 1945 (tracks 1, 5, 7 & 8)

References

{{Authority control Delmark Records albums 1992 albums Dinah Washington albums Albums produced by Bob Koester