Helen Humes (1913-1981) was the vocalist who replaced Billie Holiday in the Count Basie Orchestra in 1938, staying with the band for four years. She was a prodigious musician, self-taught pianist and trumpeter, and started recording at the age of 13. These early recordings, made in 1927, show a voice that was surprisingly mature, as was the subject matter of her first recordings. These were a collection of ten blues songs, some of which were overtly racy with titles such as ‘Do What You Did Last Night’ and ‘If Papa has Outside Lovin’. It was a far cry from her Louisville Sunday school band, where Jonah Jones and trombonist Dicky Wells also began their careers.
After a recording gap of ten years, Humes moved to New York and joined Harry James’ Big Band to record swing numbers in 1937. A year later she joined The Count Basie Orchestra at the request of John Hammond. Apparently, she had turned down an earlier suggestion to join Count Basie because she was not offered enough money. She stayed with the band for three happy years, producing hits like ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ before becoming a solo performer in the 1940s. This gave her the freedom to work with many different musicians and performers including Snooky Young and Nat King Cole, although she would also continue to perform with Count Basie on occasion.
Humes also recorded songs, for which she herself had composed and written lyrics. ‘Be-Baba-Leba’, recorded with Bill Doggett in 1945, and ‘Woe is Me’ from a late album made with Eddie Vinson are typical. In the late 1960s, she decided to retire and vowed never to sing again, but in 1973 Humes was persuaded to appear at the Newport Jazz Festival with her old colleague Count Basie. The concert was a huge success, and Humes once again began recording and performing.
She received the Music Industry of France Award in 1973, and the key to the city of Louisville in 1975.
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