Singer
Abbey Lincoln

As with her hero Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln always meant the lyrics she sang. A dramatic performer whose interpretations were full of truth and insight, Lincoln actually began her career as a fairly lightweight supper-club singer. She went through several name changes (including Anna Marie, Gaby Lee, and Gaby Woolridge) before settling on Abbey Lincoln. She recorded with Benny Carter in 1956 and performed a number in the 1957 Hollywood film Th ... e Girl Can't Help It. Lincoln's first of three albums for Riverside (1957-1959) had Max Roach on drums and he was a major influence on her; she began to be choosy about the songs she sang and to give words the proper emotional intensity. Lincoln held her own on her early dates with such sidemen as Kenny Dorham, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Kelly, Curtis Fuller, and Benny Golson. She was quite memorable on Roach's Freedom Now Suite, showing some very uninhibited emotions. Lincoln's Candid date Straight Ahead (1961) had among its players Roach, Booker Little, Eric Dolphy, and Coleman Hawkins, and she made some important appearances on Roach's Impulse! album Percussion Bitter Suite. Over the Years Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach were married in 1962, an association that lasted until 1970. They worked together for a while but Lincoln (who found it harder to get work in jazz due to the political nature of some of her music) became involved in acting and did not record as a leader during 1962-1972. She finally recorded for Inner City in 1973 and gradually became more active in jazz. Her two Billie Holiday tribute albums for Enja (1987) showed listeners that the singer was still in her prime, and she recorded several excellent sets for Verve in the 1990s. In the following years, she released a handful of recordings including Over the Years in 2000; It's Me in 2003; and her final recording, Abbey Sings Abbey, in 2007. Abbey Lincoln died in New York City on August 14, 2010; she was 80 years old. Because she put so much thought into each of her recordings, it is not an understatement to say that every set she issued is well worth owning. See more [+]

Come Sunday |||||

Lord, dear Lord above, God almighty God of love Please look ...

Buy Me A Rose |||||

He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants A three-ca...

Evening Star |||||

If you never rode West of The Arizona border You can turn th...

Mr Tambourine Man |||||

Hey Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me I'm not sleepy and...

My World Is Over |||||

I didn't look over my shoulder I wasn't ready for this Didn'...

She Believes in Me |||||

While she lays sleeping I stay out late at night and sing my...

Somos Novios |||||

Somos novios Pues los dos sentimos mutuo amor profundo Y con...

The Glamber |||||

On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere I me...

Through The Years |||||

can't remember when you weren't there When I didn't care for...

Together |||||

We strolled the lane together Laughed at the rain together S...

Brother Can You Spare A Dime |||||

Once I built a railroad, made it run Made it race against ti...

It's Impossible |||||

It's impossible tell the sun to leave the sky It's just impo...

Street Of Dreams |||||

Love laughs at a king Kings don't mean a thing on the street...

Act Naturally |||||

They're gonna put me in the movies They're gonna make a big ...

You Came A Long Way From Saint Louis |||||

You came a long way from St. Louis You climbed the ladder of...

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