Alberta Hunter

Alberta Hunter was born in Memphis on April 1, 1897. She moved to Chicago, where she began singing in 1912. She performed in that city through 1920, where she had an act with Tony Jackson on piano and Ollie Powers on drums. She moved to New York, where she began to record in 1921. She did some touring in the twenties, and also performed in clubs and theaters. She recorded with many top jazz groups, including those of Fletcher Henderson, Eubie Blake and Perry Bradford. She toured Europe a few times in the thirties, helping to popularize jazz and blues on that continent. She performed again in New York clubs in the late thirties, and also appeared on radio. She toured with the U.S.O. during World War II. She continued to perform through the early fifties, when she did a lot of work in Chicago. In the mid-fifties she retired from music to become a scrub nurse. In 1977 she returned to performing at The Cookery in New York, where she continued to perform at intervals through the early eighties. She recorded the soundtrack for the 1978 movie Remember My Name. She also performed several times at the Newport Jazz Festival and toured Europe in 1982. She died in New York on October 17, 1984.

Someday, Sweetheart

Decca 7727

Alberta Hunter (Alberta Hunter vocal; Charlie Shavers trumpet; Buster Bailey clarinet; Lil Armstrong piano; Wellman Braud bass)

Recorded August 15, 1939

The Spikes brothers - John and Benjamin - wrote Someday, Sweetheart in 1919. They also co-wrote Wolverine Blues.

Someday, Sweetheart was also recorded by Joe Venuti - Eddie Lang and Their All-Star Orchestra, King Oliver, Bing Crosby, the California Ramblers, Sam Lanin, Count Basie, Kay Starr, Gene Austin, the Original Indiana Five, Georgia White, Vernon Dalhart, Wild Bill Davison, Boyd Senter, Jelly Roll Morton, The Georgians, Jack Wynn, Eddie Condon, Muggsy Spanier, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Mildred Bailey, The Charleston Chasers, Artie Shaw, Ted Lewis, The Five Keys and Ethel Waters.

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