Classic blues singer
Ida Cox had not recorded since 1940 nor performed regularly since the mid-'40s when she was coaxed out of retirement to record a date for Riverside in 1961. At 65 years old (some books list her as being 72),
Cox's voice was a bit rusty and past its prime, but she still had the feeling, phrasing, and enough tricks to perform a strong program. With assistance from trumpeter
Roy Eldridge, tenor saxophonist
Coleman Hawkins, pianist
Sammy Price, bassist
Milt Hinton, and drummer
Jo Jones (swing-era veterans who came up after
Cox was already a major name), the singer does her best on such numbers as "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues," "Blues for Rampart Street," "St. Louis Blues," and "Death Letter Blues." Since she passed away in 1967, this final effort (reissued on CD) was made just in time and is well worth acquiring by 1920s jazz and blues collectors. ~ Scott Yanow