Maxine Sullivan sings " Ace In The Hole " on Art Ford's Jazz Party - 09 18 1958 (Part 3) Video

To Autoplay all parts, PAUSE this video & click www.youtube.com Maxine Sullivan had very little formal music training. She was discovered while singing at the Benjamin Harrison Literary Club in Pittsburg by Gladys Mosier. Mosier was, in the mid 1930's, working in Ina Rae Huttons big band and an acquaitance of fellow pianist Claude Thornhill. She soon introduced her new find to Thornhill and as his protege', Maxine Sullivan made her first records in June of 1937, accompanied by the pianist's all-star band. The critics at Metronome magazine received Maxine's first records warmly, giving the discs good ratings and reviews. Around the same time Maxine became the vocalist at The Onyx Club in New York. It was here that she formed both a music and personal partnership with bass-man John Kirby who she soon married. Kirby had worked with Fletcher Henderson in the early 1930s as well as Henry Red Allen. A busy man in 1937, the stellar bassist recorded with Teddy Wilson, Willie The Lion Smith, Frankie Newton, Midge Williams, Charlie Barnet, and Lionel Hampton all prior to the first records he made with Maxine on August 6th, 1937 which also saw accompaniment from Thornhill on piano. Sullivan and Kirby remained married until 1941. It was this first session with Kirby that proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Maxine Sullivan. It produced a hit record, a swing version of a Scottish folk song called Loch Lomond. Unfortunately it "typed" her and she depended on similar folk style ...