Born Ruth Jones in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in August 1924, Dinah Washington moved to Chicago’s South Side when she was three or four. Her mother played piano at St. Luke’s Baptist Church, passing along her keyboard prowess to her young offspring. Spirituals comprised much of her initial focus; she ho
Legendary musicians create standards, open minds, elevate hearts. Stan Getz did all three over the course of his career, bending the world's ears to debonair sax wails and tropical beats. He could play with romantic passion but always managed to keep things smooth. Until the day he died, Stan Getz wa
Billie Holiday's troubled life colored every phrase she sang, and she brought her listeners to moments of joy that soothed the worst heartache. No matter how lousy a hand life deals you, one song from Billie reminds you that she had it worse and still, somehow, remained beautiful. The woman whose sou