Ethel Ennis oral history, 2002 August 7

File — Multiple Containers

Staff Only

[Aviary] Ethel Ennis oral history, 2002 August 7

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

Oral histories were conducted by archives staff and by student interviewers. Most oral histories in this series include a transcript and an audio recording on cassette. Some files may contain related information about the subject.

Dates

Creation: 2002 August 7

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for use. Contact peabodyarchives@lists.jhu.edu for more information.

Biographical / Historical

Jazz singer. Studied piano with Lovey Husketh. She began performing at the age of 15 with a group called Abe Riley's Octet. She has performed with (among others) Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Wynton Marsalis, Stephane Grappelli, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Montell Poulson, Toots Thielmann, Joe Williams, Phil Woods and Gerry Mulligan.

Extent

From the Collection: 4.87 Cubic Feet (17 boxes)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

Interview with Ethel Ennis (1932-2019), a Baltimore-based jazz singer. Ennis describes her family's musical influences on her as a young girl and her training in piano with Lovey Husketh. Ennis began performing as a pianist and singer at the age of 15 with a group called Abe Riley's Octet, which performed around Baltimore in the 1940s and early 1950s. She began touring and recording as a singer in the 1950s, working with musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Stephane Grappelli, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, Montell Poulson, Phil Woods and Gerry Mulligan. She toured Europe with Benny Goodman's band in 1957-1958 and made several recordings for Capitol and RCA Records in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1973 she performed for the presidential inauguration. Ennis reflects on her career and discusses her recent and ongoing musical projects.