Anita O'Day
Source: Jazz Labels
Born Anita Belle Colton on 18 October 1919 in Chicago, Anita O'Day began her music career as an endurance dancer at age fourteen, sometimes called upon to sing. She is thought to have changed her surname from Colton to O'Day during that period because it was pig Latin for "dough" (money). She gave up touring with dance marathons in 1936 to become a chorus girl back in Chicago, branching out to nightclubs. She was working at the Off-Beat in Chicago in 1941 when the opportunity arrived to replace Irene Daye in Gene Krupa's orchestra. Tom Lord's sessionography traces her first recordings to a radio broadcast from Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook nightclub in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, on 1 March of 1941 for 'Drum Boogie' and 'Fool Am I'. Those transcriptions eventually saw issue on Masters of Jazz MJCD167 with a couple other early recordings per the 'Fitch Bandwagon' program in New York City on 2 March for 'Alreet' and another rendition of 'Drum Boogie'. O'Day recorded 'Drum Boogie' with Krupa at least seven times that year. (Daye had performed it with Krupa before her.) A session in New York City on 12 March 1941 wrought 'Alreet' / 'Georgia on My Mind' (Okeh 6118) with 'A Fool Am I' (Okeh 6154).
'Alreet' First issued recording by Anita O'Day With Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
12 March 1941 in NYC OKeh 6118
Composition: Hughie Cannon
O'Day first appeared in film with Krupa in 1942 per a couple of Minoco shorts: 'Thanks for the Boogie Ride' and 'Let Me Off Uptown'. O'Day recorded 34 tracks with Krupa until his arrest for marijuana possession in 1943. O'Day then joined Woody Herman's band, then sang with the Nat King Cole Trio. Stan Kenton's orchestra followed in May of 1944, the latter resulting in 21 recordings. She was back with Krupa in 1945.
'Let Me Off Uptown' Anita O'Day w Gene Krupa and His Orchestra Film
12 March 1941 in NYC OKeh 6118
Suggested personnel:
Trumpet: Roy Eldridge / Al Beck / Norman Murphy / Graham Young
Trombone: John Grassi / Jay Kelliher / Babe Wagner
Sax: Walter Bates / Jimmy Miglione / Sam Musiker / Clint Neagly / Mascagni Ruffo
Piano: Milt Raskin Guitar: Ray Biondi
Bass: Ed Mihelich Drums: Krupa
Composition: Earl Bostic / Redd Evans
'And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine' Anita O'Day w Stan Kenton and His Orchestra
20 May 1944 in Hollywood Matrix 249-1A Capitol 166
Suggested personnel:
Trumpet: John Carroll / Buddy Childers / Karl George / Dick Morse
Trombone: Harry Forbes / George Faye / Bill Atkinson / Bart Varsalona (bass)
Alto sax: Eddie Meyers / Chet Ball Tenor sax: Dave Matthews / Stan Getz
Baritone sax: Maury Beeson
Piano: Kenton Guitar: Bob Ahern
Bass: Gene Englund Drums: Jesse Price
Music: Charles Lawrence / Kenton Lyrics: Joe Greene Arrangement Kenton
'Blues' aka 'Singing the Blues' Anita O'Day w Stan Kenton and His Orchestra
December 1944 in Hollywood MacGregor radio transcription MMO-671
See 'The Uncollected Kenton' on Hindsight HSR147 1979
Composition: Kenton Arrangement: Dave Matthews
Anita O'Day w the Nat King Cole Trio
10 Feb 1945 in Los Angeles From MacGregor radio transcription MM0-572
See 'The King Cole Trio: The MacGregor Years: 1941-1945' on Music & Arts CD-911 1995
In 1947 O'Day herself was jailed for marijuana possession. She was arrested a second time for cannabis in 1952, but found not guilty. Between 1952 and 1962 she issued 17 albums for Norman Granz. Her first was 'Anita O'Day Collates' [Discogs] reissued in 1956 as 'Anita O'Day Sings Jazz' and in 1957 as 'The Lady Is a Tramp'). Upon release from jail for heroin possession in 1954 O'Day recorded and released her second album, 'Songs by Anita O'Day' reissued in 1955 as 'An Evening with Anita O'Day').
'Rock 'N Roll Blues' Anita O'Day
22 Jan 1952 in NYC
Issued on 'Anita O'Day Collates' 1952 / 'Anita O'Day Sings Jazz' 1956 / 'The Lady Is a Tramp' 1957
Composition: O'Day
'Anita's Blues' Anita O'Day
Album recorded 15 April/28 June 1954 in Los Angeles
Issued on 'Songs by Anita O'Day' 1954 / 'An Evening with Anita O'Day' 1956
Composition: O'Day
'No Moon At All' Anita O'Day w the Buddy Bregman Orchestra
8 Dec 1955 in Los Angeles
Issued on 'Songs by Anita O'Day' 1954 / 'An Evening with Anita O'Day' 1956
Composition: Redd Evans / David Mann
'Anita Sings The Most' Anita O'Day and Her Rhythm Section
31 Jan 1957 in Chicago
Piano: Oscar Peterson Guitar: Herb Ellis
Bass: Ray Brown Drums: John Poole
Notable in 1958 was O'Day's performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, documented in the film, 'Jazz on a Summer's Day'. The next year she toured Europe with Benny Goodman. Her final studio release was the album, 'Indestructible!', in April of 2006.
Anita O'Day
'Sweet Georgia Brown' (Maceo Pinkard / Kenneth Casey 1925)
'Tea for Two' (Vincent Youmans / Irving Caesar 1024)
6 July 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island
Piano: Jimmy Jones Bass: Red Mitchell Drums: John Poole
'Come Rain Or Come Shine' Anita O'Day w Benny Goodman
15 Oct 1959 at the Stadthalle in Freiburg, Germany
Trumpet: Jack Sheldon Trombone: Bill Harris
Flute: Jerry Dodgion Clarinet: Goodman Tenor sax: Flip Phillips
Piano: Russ Freeman Vibes: Red Norvo Guitar: Jimmy Wyble
Bass: Red Wootton Drums: John Markham
Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer 1946
'When the World Was Young' Anita O'Day and the Three Sounds
15 Oct 1962 in NYC
From the album 'Anita O'Day & the Three Sounds' on Verve V-8514
Piano: Gene Harris Bass: Andy Simpkins Drums: Bill Dowdy
Composition: Gérard Philipe / Angele Vannier / Johnny Mercer
'That Old Feeling' Anita O'Day w Takeshi Inomata and His West Liners
30 Dec 1963 in Tokyo, Japan
From the album 'Anita O'Day In Tokyo '63' on Polydor 23MJ-3470 aka 'Live in Tokyo '63' 2007
Piano: Bob Corwin
Composition: Gérard Philipe / Angele Vannier / Johnny Mercer
'Sunny' Anita O'Day
7 Nov 1970 at the Berlin Jazz Festival
Piano: Georges Arvanitas Bass: Jacky Samson Drums: Charles Saudrais
Composition: Gérard Philipe / Angele Vannier / Johnny Mercer
'Portrait of a Jazz Singer' Anita O'Day Album
1979 in Sweden
Trumpet: Harry "Sweets" Edison Tenor sax: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
See Artistry 4008
'Honeysuckle Rose' Anita O'Day and Her Trio
18 July 1982 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Netherlands
Piano: Cees Slinger
Bass: Sjoerd van der Hoek aka Sharks Holtz
Drums: John Engels aka John Paul
Composition: Fats Waller / Andy Razaf
'Pennies from Heaven' Anita O'Day
From the album 'Indestructible' recorded Feb 2004/Nov 2005 in NYC
Album personnel:
Trumpet: Joe Wilder (flugelhorn) / Steve Fishwick
Trombone: Roswell Rudd Tenor sax: Tommy Morimoto
Piano: Lafayette Harris Jr. / John Colianni
Bass: Chip Jackson / Sean Smith
Drums: Eddie Locke / Matt Fishwick
Music: Arthur Johnston Lyrics: Johnny Burke 1936
O'Day died in her sleep on 23 November (Thanksgiving Day) 2006 while hospitalized in West Hollywood for pneumonia [obit / obit / obit / obit / obit].
Sources & References for Anita O'Day:
John Bush (All Music)
VF History (notes)
Audio of Anita O'Day: Anita O'Day Info Internet Archive YouTube
Autobiography: High Times Hard Times (1981)
Documentaries:
Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (Robbie Cavolina & Ian McCrudden / 2007):
Anita O'Day Info IMDb Wikipedia
O'Day in Film / Television: IMDb
Interviews:
21 May 1975 (with Studs Terkel)
1987 (with Terry Gross for NPR)
1990 (with Billy Taylor on Sunday Morning)
March 1998 (with Skip Lowe)
1 August 1998 (with Fred Cooper on Backstage)
Unknown (Harvey Brownstone interviews James Gavin)
Recordings: Cats / Discos: 45 Worlds Discogs Music Brainz RYM SHS Wikipedia
Recordings: Compilations: Let Me Off Uptown (1941-45 / Topaz Jazz / 1996)
Recordings: Sessionographies: Tom Lord: leading 101 of 205 sessions 1941-2004
Further Reading:
Dance Marathons:
Paula Becker (Dance Marathons of the 1920s and 1930s)
Richie Goff (The Depraved Dance Marathons of the 1930s You Didn’t Know About)
Andrew Pourciaux (Dancing for your supper during the great depression)
Katie Thornton (The Grim Depression-Era Origins of Dance Marathons)
Brittany Vonow (Dance Til You Drop)
NPR (Jazz Profiles / radio / 2008)
Jonny Whiteside (The Hip Chick Runs Amok / 2022)
Bibliography:
James Gavin (Cool Heat: Anita O’Day and her Dangerous Jazz Life / 2026):
ABC Abe Books All About Jazz Amazon Jazz.FM91 Jazz Journal Jazz Times
Other Profiles: Anita O'Day Info BandChirps Donald Clarke (Music Box) From the Vaults
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