Artist: Herb Jeffries
During each era of entertainment, there are but a handful of performers,
a fabulous few who flash across the scene like a brilliant, colorful comet
to go down in the annals of showbusiness as the "all-time greats." From
our era, he is one of those select few...one of the most exciting,
incomparable entertainers today, HERB JEFFRIES.
Little did he dream when he set his sights on a singing career at
sixteen that one day he would be acclaimed throughout the world
as "THE SINGER'S SINGER," probably the highest compliment his
trade could pay him. Making his professional bow in Detroit with
local orchestras, Herb worked especially hard to polish his performance
and to gain the necessary confidence before he headed Chicago-way
for an engagement at The Grand Terrace which turned out to be
his "discovery" and the actual launching of his career. The sensational
singing style of young Jeffries won him a recording contract, the result
of which was the recording of a song that has become synonymous
with Herb Jeffries. "FLAMINGO" was the song that "made" the
singer...and coincidentally, in this case, Herb was the singer who
"made" the song, now a popular standard. With his new record fame
came the inevitable tour all recording stars must make to keep their
hits riding high, so aboard the wings of "Flamingo," Herb went on his
first tour which took him to Europe and which opened new vistas
career-wise. With a flair for a franc, "businessman" Jeffries opened
his own night club in Paris and the spot swiftly became the talk of
the continent. The word about the going-on at his Parisian plushery
soon spread back to the states where LIFE magazine got wind of it
and dispatched writers and photographers to the scene to do a
complete spread on the life story of Herb Jeffries, his career and
his almost-overnight success story.
After deciding to sell the Paris club, he returned to the U.S. to
record an album titled "Magenta Moods" which was given LOOK
magazine's "Album of the Year" award. Apparently, Uncle Sam was
also a fan of Jeffries and had been keeping a watchful eye on his rise
to fame and popularity because Herb was tapped to head an entertainment
unit for the Armed Forces overseas. He'd hardly finished unpacking from
his European return when he was off again to perform for the Forces in
the Atlantic and pacific areas. Herb's untiring efforts in bringing
entertainment to combat-weary troops of Korea made him recipient
of the Department of Defense Award for Outstanding Activity of
Entertainment to the Armed Forces.
Badly in need of a much-earned rest, Herb completed his 'round-the-
globe tour and returned to Paris to open another club, equally if not
more successful than the first one, with jam-packed houses nightly.
Rested, relaxed and ready to get on-the-go again, he put on his
travelin' shoes for a concert tour of Europe, singing for Kings and
Khans across the continent and adding another title-laurel to his
list, "The International Set Singer." By this time, tempting offers
from the U.S. were pouring in urging the sensation of the Continent
to return for a string of engagements and once again, Herb came
back home, opening at the world-famed Crescendo on Hollywood's
Sunset Strip where he broke all house records night after night.
Next stop, Las Vegas, and a two-week engagement at the Royal
Nevada Hotel that mushroomed into a ten-week stint plus a
return-engagement contract to star in one of Vegas'
fabulous musical productions.
Though constantly performing, Herb kept his "business" office open
with the purchase of an interest in a recording company and the
masters of a now defunct record company. His firm's first releases
were given top ratings by the trade papers and magazines while at
the same time, still adding award upon award, he was selected as one
of the top singers of the year in the DOWN BEAT and METRONOME
polls, marking Herb Jeffries one of the nation's top recording artists.
Up to this point, this has been more or less a thumbnail sketch of
Herb, the singer, but his story wouldn't be complete without at least
mentioning a few more of the multi-talents of the artist. In this
album, you are introduced to composer-lyricist Jeffries, and with
your initial listening to this collection, you'll rate Herb in the top ranks
of today's songwriters. Here, too, you meet Mr. Jeffries, patron of
the arts, who, with what little spare time he has away from his career,
spends off-hours painting and doing sculpture. Then, just to make
certain that time doesn't hang heavy on his hands, with his pilot's
license, he can hop in his plane for a quick cross-country, enter a
race with his sports car (in which he won many cups), or don swimsuit
to go aqua-planing (which also has added several trophies to his
mantelpiece). On the Continent, he is considered an outstanding
mountain climber...and now (just to keep himself "occupied"), Herb
is busy writing his autobiography which will be titled "Hot and
Cold and Back Again."
With a number of motion pictures already to his credit, "actor" Jeffries'
latest is "CALYPSO JOE" from which this collection of his own
compositions has been taken. Here is the exciting HERB JEFFRIES
in a rare combination of his singing-songwriting techniques,
performed as only "The Singers' Singer" can!
--Notes by Larry Meeks
a fabulous few who flash across the scene like a brilliant, colorful comet
to go down in the annals of showbusiness as the "all-time greats." From
our era, he is one of those select few...one of the most exciting,
incomparable entertainers today, HERB JEFFRIES.
Little did he dream when he set his sights on a singing career at
sixteen that one day he would be acclaimed throughout the world
as "THE SINGER'S SINGER," probably the highest compliment his
trade could pay him. Making his professional bow in Detroit with
local orchestras, Herb worked especially hard to polish his performance
and to gain the necessary confidence before he headed Chicago-way
for an engagement at The Grand Terrace which turned out to be
his "discovery" and the actual launching of his career. The sensational
singing style of young Jeffries won him a recording contract, the result
of which was the recording of a song that has become synonymous
with Herb Jeffries. "FLAMINGO" was the song that "made" the
singer...and coincidentally, in this case, Herb was the singer who
"made" the song, now a popular standard. With his new record fame
came the inevitable tour all recording stars must make to keep their
hits riding high, so aboard the wings of "Flamingo," Herb went on his
first tour which took him to Europe and which opened new vistas
career-wise. With a flair for a franc, "businessman" Jeffries opened
his own night club in Paris and the spot swiftly became the talk of
the continent. The word about the going-on at his Parisian plushery
soon spread back to the states where LIFE magazine got wind of it
and dispatched writers and photographers to the scene to do a
complete spread on the life story of Herb Jeffries, his career and
his almost-overnight success story.
After deciding to sell the Paris club, he returned to the U.S. to
record an album titled "Magenta Moods" which was given LOOK
magazine's "Album of the Year" award. Apparently, Uncle Sam was
also a fan of Jeffries and had been keeping a watchful eye on his rise
to fame and popularity because Herb was tapped to head an entertainment
unit for the Armed Forces overseas. He'd hardly finished unpacking from
his European return when he was off again to perform for the Forces in
the Atlantic and pacific areas. Herb's untiring efforts in bringing
entertainment to combat-weary troops of Korea made him recipient
of the Department of Defense Award for Outstanding Activity of
Entertainment to the Armed Forces.
Badly in need of a much-earned rest, Herb completed his 'round-the-
globe tour and returned to Paris to open another club, equally if not
more successful than the first one, with jam-packed houses nightly.
Rested, relaxed and ready to get on-the-go again, he put on his
travelin' shoes for a concert tour of Europe, singing for Kings and
Khans across the continent and adding another title-laurel to his
list, "The International Set Singer." By this time, tempting offers
from the U.S. were pouring in urging the sensation of the Continent
to return for a string of engagements and once again, Herb came
back home, opening at the world-famed Crescendo on Hollywood's
Sunset Strip where he broke all house records night after night.
Next stop, Las Vegas, and a two-week engagement at the Royal
Nevada Hotel that mushroomed into a ten-week stint plus a
return-engagement contract to star in one of Vegas'
fabulous musical productions.
Though constantly performing, Herb kept his "business" office open
with the purchase of an interest in a recording company and the
masters of a now defunct record company. His firm's first releases
were given top ratings by the trade papers and magazines while at
the same time, still adding award upon award, he was selected as one
of the top singers of the year in the DOWN BEAT and METRONOME
polls, marking Herb Jeffries one of the nation's top recording artists.
Up to this point, this has been more or less a thumbnail sketch of
Herb, the singer, but his story wouldn't be complete without at least
mentioning a few more of the multi-talents of the artist. In this
album, you are introduced to composer-lyricist Jeffries, and with
your initial listening to this collection, you'll rate Herb in the top ranks
of today's songwriters. Here, too, you meet Mr. Jeffries, patron of
the arts, who, with what little spare time he has away from his career,
spends off-hours painting and doing sculpture. Then, just to make
certain that time doesn't hang heavy on his hands, with his pilot's
license, he can hop in his plane for a quick cross-country, enter a
race with his sports car (in which he won many cups), or don swimsuit
to go aqua-planing (which also has added several trophies to his
mantelpiece). On the Continent, he is considered an outstanding
mountain climber...and now (just to keep himself "occupied"), Herb
is busy writing his autobiography which will be titled "Hot and
Cold and Back Again."
With a number of motion pictures already to his credit, "actor" Jeffries'
latest is "CALYPSO JOE" from which this collection of his own
compositions has been taken. Here is the exciting HERB JEFFRIES
in a rare combination of his singing-songwriting techniques,
performed as only "The Singers' Singer" can!
--Notes by Larry Meeks
This is great! I'm looking for all his compositions, because my Performing organization, The California Pop and Jazz Council, is putting on our 3rd annual event March 14th at Catalina's Jazz Club in Hollywood, and we're honoring Herb! You're all invited! Tickets will most likely go fast when they go on sale! Alex, do you have all the music? or these records? I could use them! Cathy Segal-Garcia cathy@cathysegalgarcia.com www.capopandjazzcouncil.com
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