User:Madwort/Irene Kitchings

Irene Kitchings was a jazz pianist and composer

Life and career

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Irene worked as a jazz pianist and band leader in Chicago in the 1920s/30s[1], including at the Vogue - "Al Capone loved her..so she worked there all the time"[2]. She moved to New York in 1934 after marrying Teddy Wilson and retired from being a musician, but when their marriage ended Benny Carter encouraged her to start working as a composer[2]. She collaborated on many of her songs with Arthur Herzog Jr., including "Some Other Spring", "Ghost of Yesterday" and "I'm Pulling Through"[2]. Kitchings would compose the music, bring it to Herzog and he would write the lyrics without touching the music - Herzog stated "I don't think I ever asked her to change a note"[2].

Her songs have been performed by many famous musicians including Tony_Bennett Tony_Bennett_on_Holiday, Marianne Faithfull Faithfull_Forever,Ella Fitzgerald A_Perfect_Match_(Ella_Fitzgerald_album), Anita O'Day Trav'lin'_Light_(Anita_O'Day_album), Carmen McRaeTwo_for_the_Road_(Carmen_McRae_and_George_Shearing_album) and many others.

References

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  1. ^ Handy, D. Antoinette (1995). Black Conductors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810829305.
  2. ^ a b c d Placksin, Sally (1982). Jazzwomen. The Guernsey Press Co Ltd. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-7453-0089-4.
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