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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 ZLEA, Barbara(b 10 April 1929, Detroit; d 26 Decemnber 2011, Raleigh NC) One of the best singers of the best American songs, whose career should have taken off in the mid-'50s; greater fame was prevented by the rise of pop/rock. Her family name was LeCocq, changed to Leacock; her father was a pro clarinettist who turned lawyer. She began singing in high school (Billie Holiday was her idol), sang with a college band at Harvard and after graduation from Wellesley in clubs in Boston and New Jersey. She was a hit on one of Art Ford's TV shows, shortened her name, sang in NYC and worked in radio and TV, made a single '54, album A Woman In Love '55 on Riverside (quintet with Billy Taylor, later on an Audiophile CD with four new tracks made '78 with Taylor: she was the first singer he'd recorded with) and was voted best new singer in down beat that year. On Barbara Lea and Lea In Love '56-7 on Prestige she was backed by quintets with Dick Cary on alto horn, piano on some tracks, Osie Johnson on drums; trumpeter and leader Johnny Windhurst on the first, Jimmy Raney on most of the second; both later on Fantasy OJC. She split up with her husband/manager and left music, making excuses until she realized the real reason was that nobody was hiring singers. She turned to theatre, made two obscure films, obtained another college degree and taught speech. She resumed singing c.1972 and recorded for Audiophile. Barbara Lea '76 with quartet led by Loonis McGlohon was aka The Devil Is Afraid Of Music, all the songs by Willard Robison (b 18 September 1894, Shelbina MO; d 24 June 1968, Peekskill NY; vocalist, bandleader and prolific writer: 'Old Folks', 'A Cottage For Sale' etc). More '75-6 and '95 tracks were issued '96 as Remembering Remembering Lee Wiley (sic); also Do It Again '83 (septet with piano/arranger Larry Eanet, sidemen Billy Butterfield, Johnny Mince etc). With Dick Sudhalter and pianist/vocalist Bob Dorough she made two vols. of Hoagy's Children; with Sudhalter, Loren Schoenberg and pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman Getting Some Fun Out Of Life as Mr Tram Associates; and Sweet And Slow and You're The Cats with the Lawson/Haggart Jazz Band. All this later work is on Audiophile; sister label Jazzology has Barbara Lea And The Ed Polcer All Stars At The Atlanta Jazz Party '92, with Polcer on cornet featuring Ken Peplowski, and Marty Grosz on guitar. She also sang on Audiophile's re-creation of Duke Ellington's show Pousse-Cafe '92, arranged by Ellis Larkins and with vocalist Marshall Barer. Fine And Dandy '95 on Challenge saw Lea and Keith Ingham's trio 'Celebrate The Women Songwriters', with tunes by Dorothy Fields, Carolyn Leigh, Kay Swift, Dory Langdon Previn, Cynthia Weil etc. |