Dakota Staton
b. 3 June 1932, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. After singing in clubs in a style modelled on that of such diverse artists as Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, Staton began to attract wider attention in the mid-50s. She extended her repertoire to include popular songs, R&B, soul and gospel and made a number of successful record albums. In the mid-60s she took up residence in the UK and Europe, but was back in the USA early in the following decade. She is at her best with mainstream jazz accompaniment, whether a big band, such as Manny Albam's or Kurt Edelhagen's, or a small group, such as those led by George Shearing and Jonah Jones. Staton's R&B material is less attractive, often performed at feverish tempos and with a deliberate coarsening of her powerful voice.