Dakota Staton

In the '50s and early '60s, there seemed hardly a single film noir that didn't involve a scene in a nightclub. There'd be smoke, elegantly clad women in evening gowns that were all zip and hip… and sharp-suited men attempting to look cool by linking Marlboro's with Martini's. Amidst it all, there'd be a singer, sometimes seated at a piano, who would slow down the action for a moment or two with a song of lost love or maybe a touch of the blues. These were the 4am people - folk who drifted homewards just before dawn. And this 2CD compilation celebrates some of those singers and the songs which made that era so memorable.

Born in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she attended George Westinghouse High School, and studied music at the Filion School of Music in Pittsburgh.

The joy in compilations such as this is how even the most hardcore collector can discover new gems…With a range covering uptempo rockers, R&B & slower bluesy, sexy cuts, this compilations oozes class Record Collector. …perfect overview of a much-undervalued source of great music…These women were more than a match for the boys what it came to rocking out. Growling, hollering, cursing, begging & pleading, as if their lives depended on it.

In most cases, the men featured here were described as soul singers, while their female counterparts tend to wear a jazz or blues label. But as your ears will tell you, it's all about the magic in the grooves. There are artists here whose fame will live forever like James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and others whose fame remains confined to enthusiasts. Turn up the volume and celebrate with the first generation of soul brothers and blues sisters characters who brought black music to the mainstream and blazed a trail so many have since followed to our great benefit.

It always seemed that women have led the way when it came to Swing. For every Crosby and Sinatra, there was not only an Ella or a Billie, but also a Sarah and a Peggy. For each Mel Tormé or Tony Bennett, there was a Lena , an Aretha, a Nina or a Dinah. When women became band singers during the Swing era, they frequently outlasted their employers in terms of celebrity and record sales. There are many remarkable examples of female vocal art on this compilation, some by those who have achieved superstar status. So many stories, so many brilliant performances. What a way to swing!

Sweet and Lovely: Capitol's Great Ladies Of Song, Vol. 1 is a 1992 compilation featuring some of the prized jazz pop Capitol Records released. This was also released by Capitol Records.

It always seemed that women have led the way when it came to Swing. For every Crosby and Sinatra, there was not only an Ella or a Billie, but also a Sarah and a Peggy. For each Mel Tormé or Tony Bennett, there was a Lena, an Aretha, a Nina or a Dinah. When women became band singers during the Swing era, they frequently outlasted their employers in terms of celebrity and record sales. There are many remarkable examples of female vocal art on this compilation, some by those who have achieved superstar status. So many stories, so many brilliant performances. What a way to swing!