You Don't Known My Mind Blues - Mildred Bailey and Her Oxford Greys (1939)

There are few female jazz and blues singers that ever become a household name, but Mildred Bailey certainly was among those. This is her version of "You Don't Know My Mind Blues", a song written by Clarence Williams, Virginia Liston, and Samuel Gray back in 1923, and originally performed by Virginia Liston. Mildred is backed by a studio band given the moniker "The Oxford Greys" consisting partly of Eddie Dougherty, Floyd Smith, Johnny Williams, and Mary Lou Williams. The recording took place for Vocalion on March 16, 1939 with today's record being an early 40's re-release for the British market. Mildred Rinker was born on February 27, 1907 in Tekoa, Washington and grew up near De Smet, Idaho on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation with her mothers side of the family being members of the tribe. Her parents were quite musical. Her father played fiddle in square dances and her mother played and subsequently taught her to play the piano and sing. Her younger brothers would succeed in music to with one being a vocalist and the other being a lyricist. Mildred got her first performing experience when the family held Saturday night gatherings and turned their place into a mini dance hall. The time spent helping her mom with native ceremonies would also go on to influence her later singing voice. Sadly Mildred's mom would die of Tuberculosis at age 36 and when her father remarried, her new stepmother laid down an ultimatum to choose herself or Mildred to which he chose his new wife, so Mildred moved in with an Aunt and Uncle in Seattle. She found work as a sheet music demonstrator at Woolworth's at 17. She would also marry Ted Bailey, but would divorce him the following year, keeping his last name as it "sounded more American" then her own. Bailey began touring with a West Coast Revue and wound up in California where she found work on radio part time, and at a speakeasy in Bakersfield. She was quickly growing a reputation as an up-and-coming blues and jazz singer. She found work for her brother Al Rinker as well as Bing Crosby who started performing in Spokane but travelled to California to join her. She would introduce Crosby to the music of Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith. Crosby would pay back the favors by introducing her to Paul Whiteman in Los Angeles. She would sing for Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933, recording her first credited records with the group in 1931 and getting her first hit in 1932 (her first recordings were with the Eddie Lang Orchestra and Frankie Trumbauer, both uncredited). Upon leaving Whiteman's band, she began singing for many groups including the Dorsey Brothers and was included in an all-star session with Benny Goodman in 1934 which also featured Coleman Hawkins, Dick McDonough, and Gene Krupa. She also married Red Norvo who had worked with Whiteman's band. They created some great music together, earning the nickname "Mr. and Mrs. Swing". From 1936 to 1939, Bailey recorded for Vocalion, often being backed by Norvo's band. She would also work a lot with Count Basie's group during this time. She landed two No. 1 hits with Norvo's group, almost back to back (May 7, 1938 and June 18, 1938). She would also get a No. 1 for a song she sang on for Benny Goodman in 1940. Her and Norvo would divorce in 1942 but remained friends and worked together occasionally even after the divorce. Bailey would go on as a solo act, often singing in New York clubs like the Cafe Society and the Blue Angel. Starting in 1944, she would begin hosting a radio show for CBS that lasted until February 1945. She would get one final long engagement with Joe Marsala's group in Chicago in 1950. She would pass away of heart failure in December 1951 at just 44 years old.