Annie Ross: 12 Solo Tracks

Annie Ross's recording career needs to be evaluated in two parts—her solo work and her albums with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Today, my 12 favorite solo recordings from the 1950s:

Here's Annie Ross's first recording, Le Vent Vert, in Paris in 1950. The abstract song by James Moody is wordless...

Le Vent Vert

Here's Ross in 1952 singing The Way You Look Tonight, backed by Milt Jackson (vib), Blossom Dearie (p), Percy Heath (b) and Kenny Clarke (d)...



Here's Ross singing Farmer's Market in 1952...



Here's Ross with the Gigi Gryce Orchestra in Sweden singing The Song Is You in 1953...



Here's Ross singing Love You Madly with pianist Tony Crombie in London in 1954...



Here's Ross with Crombie during a radio broadcast in Tel Aviv singing C'est Si Bon in 1955.... 



Here's Ross singing Don't Worry 'Bout Me with Crombie on piano in London in 1956...



Here's Ross singing I've Told Every Little Star with Crombie on piano in London in 1956...



Here's Ross singing Don't Let Him Know You from Cranks, a 1956 London revue that came to New York the following year...



Here's Ross with trumpeter Chet Baker and baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan in 1957 singing Give Me the Simple Life...



Here's Ross singing I Didn't Know About You on Gasser!, featuring Russ Freeman (p), Jim Hall (g), Monty Budwig (b) and Mel Lewis (d)...



And here's Ross singing Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy in 1959, backed by Conte Candoli and Pete Candoli (tp); Frank Rosolino (tb); Herb Geller (as); Richie Kamuca (ts); Bill Perkins (bar); Russ Freeman (p); Jim Hall (g); Monty Budwig (b); Mel Lewis (d) and Buddy Bregman (arr). I've always felt this was among her finest solo albums...



Bonus1: Here's You'll Never Get Away From Me, from Gypsy, featuring Ross in her solo prime...



Bonus2: Here's No One But Me, a super 2012 BBC documentary on Annie Ross directed by Brian Ross and produced Gill Parry. The upload won't let me embed the film, so to watch you'll have to go here.