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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZJEFFERSON, Eddie(b 3 August 1918, Pittsburgh; d 9 May 1979, Detroit) Singer, lyricist. He originated the technique of writing lyrics to jazz solos, later a commercial success for Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. The word 'vocalese' was invented to describe it (see entries for Jackie and Roy, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross). Jefferson recorded for Hi-Lo '51; with James Moody '53 as vocalist/manager, wrote lyrics for Moody's solo on 'I'm In The Mood For Love', but King Pleasure had written his own (b Clarence Beeks, 24 March 1922, Oakdale TN; d 21 March 1982; won amateur night at the Apollo '51, had no. 5 R&B hit with 'Moody's Mood For Love' '52, no. 3 hit 'Red Top' '53). Jefferson was a tap dancer '67-8, rejoined Moody '68-73, formed group Artistic Truth with Roy Brooks '74-5. (He was shotgunned to death in the street outside a club after an opening engagement.) He recorded with Moody; his own albums Body And Soul and Come Along With Me were on Prestige, Charlie Parker Memorial on Chess; Things Are Getting Better, then Still On The Planet with Richie Cole, both on Muse (later CD Godfather Of Vocalese); CD The Jazz Singer (tracks from '59-65) on Evidence. Pleasure aways gave credit to Jefferson for vocalese, saying that he he heard him doing it as early as 1946. Jefferson said he had put words to recorded tenor sax solos in 1939-40 (Lester Young on Count Basie's 'Taxi War Dance', Chu Berry on Cab Calloway's 'Ghost of a Chance'), and that scat singer Leo Watson had urged him to do something with words. Pleasure's hit did not quote the melody of 'I'm In The Mood For Love' (by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields), and on the label of the original single they called it 'Moody Mood For Love', dedicating it to James Moody, but everybody knew it was based on the chords of the standard, so the publisher sued, and won. Prestige was not allowed to issue it again until 1968, on an album where they called it 'I'm In The Mood For Love'. (Thanks to Lewis Porter for some of this information) |