Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SULLIVAN, Maxine

(b Marietta Williams, 13 May '11, Homestead PA; d 7 April '87, NYC) Singer. Subtle phrasing and swing; strong on lyric interpretation, not given to elaborate display; perennially popular. Sang in Pittsburgh clubs and on radio; Claude Thornhill, mus. dir. of band at Onyx Club NYC, arranged hit disc 'Loch Lomond' '37 which typed her: recorded folkish songs with swing arrangements, sang 'Cockles And Mussels', 'If I Had A Ribbon Bow' on radio with Onyx-based sextet of then-husband John Kirby '37--8, her voice and that band's chamber-jazz style well suited: coast-to-coast on CBS radio Sunday afternoons, Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm was the only black show networked at the time. She appeared in films Goin' Places, St Louis Blues; on stage in Swingin' The Dream '39 (played Titania in flop treatment of Midsummer Night's Dream, with Louis Armstrong as Bottom, Benny Goodman sextet as strolling players, the Eddie Condon gang in a box). Toured with Benny Carter '41; temporarily retired '42; comeback in mid- '40s. To UK '48, '54; on stage again in Take A Giant Step '53; went into nursing, came back to music '58 not only singing but playing brass instruments, esp. valve trombone. Played jazz festivals, dates with World's Greatest Jazz Band '69--71; LPs incl. With Earl Hines At The Overseas Press Club; Maxine '75, with Ike Isaacs Trio '79, The Queen '81, Great Songs From The Cotton Club '84 (written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler for '30--34 productions); on CD: Close As Pages In A Book '69 with Bob Wilber, We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye '78 with Art Hodes, It Was Great Fun '82 with Doc Cheatham, Enjoy Yourself with the Bob Haggart Quintet and Dick Hyman's settings of Shakespeare, all on Audiophile; Live At Vine Street on DRG. Release of Uptown '86 (with Scott Hamilton quartet) on Concord Jazz accompanied by short UK tour, one date recorded by BBC. Together '87 on Atlantic (songs of Jule Styne) was her last studio album. Married '50 to pianist Cliff Jackson until his death (b 19 July '02, Washington DC; d 23 May '70, NYC). She was nom. for a Grammy three times but never won.