Outspokenness and the art of the clever aside are essential components of the African-American performance tradition.
Bessie Smith,
Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon,
Louis Armstrong and
Fats Waller each developed a distinctive manner of talking over the music as if to dispel the sort of pretensions that so often cluttered up conventional mainstream pop music.
Pearl Bailey grew directly from this fine and candid tradition; she brought her own blend of classic African-American verism to the record-buying and theater-attending public during the 1940s, '50s and '60s. With
Takes Two to Tango, Living Era examines the first nine years of
Pearlie Mae's recording career, beginning with "Tess' Torch Song," recorded with
Cootie Williams and his orchestra on January 6, 1944 and subsequently released on the Hit record label. Present in this dynamic ensemble were
Cleanhead Vinson and
Lockjaw Davis, as well as young pianist and musical genius
Bud Powell. Out of her many Columbia recordings made with a band led by
Mitchell Ayres, "Tired" and "I Ain't Talkin' (Though It's All Over Town)" stand out as two of her all-time greatest recorded performances. This invigorating compilation, which also includes
Pearl Bailey's duets with
Frank Sinatra,
Hot Lips Page, and
Moms Mabley, closes with "Vagabond Shoes," a rare example of her work with young
Gil Evans in 1950 and several examples of this singer's magnificent collaborations with the great
Don Redman and his orchestra. Her 1952 Coral recording of "Takes Two to Tango" should really be heard back to back with
Lester Young's bizarre vocal rendition of the same tune.