Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson - that '60s singer on Capital Records - is still going strong. I have just discovered her website. She was (and is) up there with Peggy Lee and Julie London and also made lots of albums and had several hits. I particularly liked "How Glad I Am" back in the mid-60s, and had several of her albums which were an interesting crossover at the time between the jazz and pop worlds, capturing that fabulous honeyed voice with great phrasings. Good to see they are still available now on cd, so one can easily stock up.

The first concert I saw here in England was actually by Nancy, back in 1965, when I was 19 - programme cover at left. She was of course terrific though (like seeing Peggy Lee in 1970 at the Albert Hall) the venue was too big - one should really see her in an intimate cabaret club atmosphere. (That concert venue was ideal though for seeing Aretha Franklin there in 1968 and 1970). "The Nancy Wilson Show" from that time captures her act perfectly - and is a terrific live album as good as those other favourites of mine: "Nina Simone At Town Hall", "Marlene Dietrich In London" or "Aretha At The Fillimore"!

Other Nancy favourites of mine include her versions of "On Broadway", "Satin Doll", "You Can Have Him", "Quiet Nights", "Over The Weekend", "West Coast Blues", "Free Again", "10 Good Years" and "Guess Who I Saw Today". She did a great theme tune for that Lana Turner drama LOVE HAS MANY FACES and she appears in the tense Siegel thriller THE KILLERS in 1964. Viva Nancy ....