Salena Jones (born Joan Elizabeth Shaw, January 29, 1938) is an American jazz and cabaret singer. After performing and recording in the US as Joan Shaw from the late 1940s until the early 1960s, in various styles including jazz and R&B, she moved to England and from then on performed as Salena Jones. She has toured internationally and recorded over forty albums.
We now have a singer that should have been more popular than she was...Just checked on her on "Wikipedia" and she has been very successful and has quiet a write up on there, worth having a look if anybody is interested.....she now lives in Ascot at the ripe age of 86 or maybe 72...bit of mix up when she was bornSeveral reliable sources, including 60 Years of Recorded Jazz, 1917–1967 by Walter Bruyninckx, and The Encyclopedia Yearbooks of Jazz by Leonard Feather, give January 29, 1930 as the date of birth of the singer Joan Shaw. The liner notes for her 1961 LP Joan Shaw Sings For Swingers, also written by Feather, state that she "...began singing in amateur programs around town from the time she was 13. Within a couple of years she had graduated to local night clubs, and soon she had her first fling in New York, trying out in the amateur hour at the Apollo Theatre. Soon after, in 1948, she was hired as band vocalist with a group led by Paul Williams....". It is clear and uncontested that Joan Shaw later began using the name Salena Jones, after moving to England. However, the sources for Joan Shaw conflict with other sources such as AllMusic, and The Rough Guide to Jazz,[ which give Salena Jones' date of birth as January 29, 1944.
Many thanks, espo!
ReplyDeleteShe is fantastic. I had never heard of her, and now I am on the hunt for more of her music. (looks like her stuff is rather rare....and pricey). Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteShe's also married to the great composer and arranger Keith Mansfield. Dig out the "The Moment Of Truth" LP and listen to her version of the Cole Porter song "What Is This Thing Called Love" arranged and led by husband Keith, fantastic.
ReplyDeleteZippyshare link is dead. Any chance of a new link, please?
ReplyDeleteSorry For The Delay Alex....Hope You Are Still Looking...Cheers Luigi
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Enjoy !
Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Have a few rips of her. This on on a US label? Looks interesting
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