Description
Having played many shows in the 1920’s and 1930’s, the Riverside Records Living Legends series made the reunion of Alberta Hunter and Lovie Austin happen in October of 1961. It tuned out a sublime and one of a kind jazz session recorded in the Prince Hall Masonic Temple in Chicago. Starting off with Austin’s remark we’ll do it the way we did it last time while dangling a cigarette from her lips sitting behind an old upright, she and Hunter nailed their recordings in just a few takes. Hunter recalls the last time performing some of the tracks more than 35 years earlier. Read more on how this session came to be in the album liner notes. This album is a most remarkable recording of 2 legendary women, Hunter being the first female jazz singer to cross-over to Europe and Austin being one of the most sought after pianists of her time. Both women remained true to themselves and continued careers of utter unselfishness in several professions. Hunter spent years abroad as a nurse and performing with USO during WO II and later in Korea while Austin became a pianist at the Chicago Dancing School. Two amazingly talented ladies of jazz in a classic session; they just dont make ’em like this anymore.
