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Herb Jeffries

Artist Info

Born

September 24, 1916 Detroit, MI

Biography

Although not really a jazz singer, Herb Jeffries was the last surviving member of the 1940 Duke Ellington Orchestra and a fine interpreter of swing songs and ballads. He performed with Erskine Tate in the early '30s, Earl Hines (1931-1934), and Blanche Calloway, before becoming the first black cowboy actor in a series of '30s Westerns. He gained his greatest fame while with Ellington (1940-1942), having a big hit in "Flamingo." Jeffries, who recorded with Sidney Bechet in 1940, worked as a single after leaving Ellington in 1942, recording on an occasional basis and remaining active into the mid-'90s. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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