Her voice! Gritty, salty, marked by absolute clarity of diction with that clipped, bluesy phrasing. Dinah Washington, born this day, August 29, 1924.

Dinah made her recording debut for the Keynote label, December 1944, with "Evil Gal Blues", written by jazz musicologist Leonard Feather and backed by Lionel Hampton (who gave her her first big break) and musicians from his band, including Joe Morris (trumpet) and Milt Buckner (piano). It made Billboard's "Harlem Hit Parade" that year.

Like all of the greats - Louis Armstrong, Billie, Sarah Vaughan, Ella,  Sinatra - when you hear her powerful voice, you know who it is right away! 

Also like many of the great African-American singers, she found and honed her talent in the gospel choirs of the Black Church. Dinah was still in elementary school when she began singing and playing the piano at St. Luke's Baptist Church, Chicago. In her teens she directed the church choir.

Dinah Washington was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

As a teen-ager Dinah won an amateur contest at Chicago's Regal Theater where she sang "I Can't Face the Music".

Dinah's first top ten pop hit came in 1959 with "What a Difference a Day Makes." Her band at that time included Kenny Burrell (guitar) and Joe Zawinul  (piano).

"15 Minutes with Dinah!" - Dinah performs in two different venues, Apollo Theater, 1955, and in Newport, Rhode Island, 1958. 
"All of Me"

"I Don't Hurt Anymore"

"My Lean Baby"

"Only a Moment Ago"

"Oh, What a Night"

Dinah Jams! My favorite Dinah Washington album. Click the photo to open a You Tube Playlist of 8 songs from that album. It's a live performance (1954) in front of a studio audience with some of the best musicians in jazz! Dinah is in charge, though! Her renditions of "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "You Go to My Head" alone are worth the price of admission.

1. "Lover, Come Back to Me"
2. "Alone Together" 

3. "Summertime" 

4. "Come Rain or Come Shine" 

5. "No More" 
6. "I've Got You Under My Skin" 

7. "There Is No Greater Love" 

8. "You Go to My Head"

Dinah Washington - vocals, Clifford Brown - trumpet, Maynard Ferguson - trumpet, Clark Terry - trumpet. Herb Geller - alto saxophone, Harold Land - tenor saxophone, Richie Powell - piano, Junior Mance - piano, George Morrow - double bass, Keter Betts - double bass, Max Roach - drums.