Cleo Laine

Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth, DBE (born 28 October 1927) is an English jazz singer and an actress, noted for her scat singing and vocal range. Though her natural range is that of a contralto she is able to produce a "G above high C" giving her an overall compass of well over three octaves.

Laine is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular and classical music categories. She is the widow of jazz composer Sir John Dankworth.

Early life
Laine was born Clementina Dinah Bullock in Southall, Middlesex, to Alexander Campbell, a black Jamaican father, and his wife, Minnie (née Bullock), a white English mother, from Swindon, Wiltshire. Laine's mother sent her for singing and dancing lessons at an early age. She attended the Board School in Featherstone Road, until recently Featherstone Primary School. She worked as an apprentice hairdresser, librarian and for a pawnbroker, married in 1947 (divorced 1957) to George Langridge, a roof tiler, and had a son, Stuart.

Early career
Laine did not take up singing professionally until her mid-twenties. She auditioned successfully for a band led by musician John Dankworth (1927–2010), with which she performed until 1958, when she married Dankworth in secret at Hampstead Register Office. The only witnesses were the couple's friend, pianist Ken Moule, and his arranger, David Lindup. The couple had two children, Alec and Jacqui, both successful musicians.

Laine began her career as a singer and actress. She played the lead in a new play at London's Royal Court Theatre, home of the new wave of playwrights of the 1950s such as John Osborne and Harold Pinter. This led to other stage performances such as the musical Valmouth in 1959, the play A Time to Laugh (with Robert Morley and Ruth Gordon) in 1962, Boots With Strawberry Jam (with John Neville) in 1968, and eventually to her show-stopping Julie in Wendy Toye's production of Show Boat at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971.

1960s–1970s: Recording and performing success
During this period she had two major recording successes. "You'll Answer to Me" reached the British Top 10 while Laine was 'prima donna' in the 1961 Edinburgh Festival production of Kurt Weill's opera/ballet The Seven Deadly Sins, directed and choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan. In 1964 her Shakespeare and All that Jazz album with Dankworth received widespread critical acclaim.

Laine's international activities began in 1972, with a successful first tour of Australia. Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of many Carnegie Hall appearances. Coast-to-coast tours of the U.S. and Canada soon followed, and with them a succession of record albums and television appearances, including The Muppet Show in 1977. This led, after several nominations, to her first Grammy award, in recognition of the live recording of her 1983 Carnegie concert.

She has collaborated with many well-known classical musicians including James Galway, Nigel Kennedy, Julian Lloyd Webber and John Williams.

Other important recordings during that time were duet albums with Ray Charles (Porgy and Bess) as well as Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, which won Laine a classical Grammy nomination.

1980s–1990s: Broadway and a Grammy
Laine's relationship with the musical theatre started in Britain and continued in the United States with starring performances in Sondheim's A Little Night Music and The Merry Widow (Michigan Opera). In 1980 she starred in Colette, a new musical by Dankworth. The show originally opened at The Stables Theatre, Wavendon in 1979 and transferred to the Comedy Theatre, London in September 1980. In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the Broadway hit musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, for which she received a Tony nomination, and in 1989 she received the Los Angeles critics' acclaim for her portrayal of the Witch in Sondheim's Into the Woods.

In 1979 Laine was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music.

In 1983 Laine won the Grammy Award - Best Female Jazz Vocalist, for Cleo at Carnegie: The 10th Anniversary Concert.

In May 1992 Laine appeared with Frank Sinatra for a week of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, London. She told a reporter in 2007: "I was very impressed with his singing, to me he sounded even better in those concerts than he did on the records. It was a real thrill to be part of his show."

Laine recorded more albums, including one with another jazz legend Mel Tormé (Nothing Without You). In 1991 she recorded the 12-track CD Jazz for the RCA label, which featured her vocals on classics such as "Lady Be Good", "St. Louis Blues" and "The Midnight Sun". The album also featured jazz musicians Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry and Toots Thielemans.

She also returned to Carnegie Hall during the late 1990s to mark 25 years since her hit record Cleo - Live At Carnegie. Her performance was recorded and released as Cleo Laine - Live In Manhattan.

2000s: Recognition and honours
By the late 1990s, Laine became regarded as one of the top jazz vocalists of all time - in the same league as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. Her concerts sold out across the globe, usually supported by Dankwoth with his band, orchestra or smaller group. Her usual band included John Horler (piano), Alec Dankworth (bass), Allan Ganley (drums) and Mark Nightingale (trombone).

Laine's autobiography, Cleo, was published in September 1994 by Simon & Schuster. Her second book, You Can Sing If You Want To, was published by Victor Gollancz in October 1997.

In the 1997 New Year's Honours list, Laine's membership of the order was elevated to Dame Commander, and she was appointed Dame Cleo Laine DBE (the equivalent of a knighthood for women).

In the 2006 New Year's Honours list, her husband was made a knight bachelor, becoming Sir John Dankworth. They were one of the few couples where both partners held their titles in their own right and the only couple in jazz to be thus recognised.

On 28 October 2007, Laine turned 80. She marked her birthday with a series of special concerts in the United Kingdom, including an appearance with the John Dankworth Sextet at Birmingham Town Hall on 18 December 2007. She said of her milestone birthday: "I don't think about being 80. What would be the point? I'm limping a bit because they've given me a new knee, but that's about the only difference. I don't want to start thinking about what I should or shouldn't be doing at my age. It's not right."

To celebrate the 80th birthdays of both Laine and Dankworth, Union Square Music released the four disc box set I Hear Music - the most comprehensive and lovingly produced examination of their careers ever assembled: Disc 1: Early Days (1944–56), Disc 2: John, Big Band and The Movies (1956–74), Disc 3: Focus On Cleo (1955–91), Disc 4: A Family Affair (including recordings made with their children, Alec and Jacqui, from 1982 to 2005).

In 2008, Dankworth and Laine won the Gold Award at the BBC Jazz Awards. The couple got a standing ovation for their performance with Guy Barker's specially-assembled big band at the finale of the award ceremony.

A New York critic wrote of Laine and Dankworth's September 2008 engagement at Blue Note: "Dankworth’s alto sax and clarinet sound as gossamer as ever, while Laine’s voice remains a wonder of agility and plummy richness. After 57 years of dual music-making (and 50 of marriage), the Dankworths can anticipate one another’s every move; they make a stage seem as comfortable as their living room."

In 2010, Laine and her husband appeared in an episode of the cult CBeebies children's show ZingZillas. The episode was called 'ScatZilla!'.

Voice
Laine is famed for not only her interpretative style, but also her four-octave range and vocal adaptability. As well as hitting deep soulful notes, Laine's thrilling scatting and crystalline top notes have become her signature. Though her natural range is that of a contralto she is able to produce a "G above high C". Derek Jewel of the Sunday Times dubbed her "quite simply the best singer in the world."

The longevity of Laine's voice has also been noted by, amongst others, her husband. At the age of 80 her vocals, he noted during an interview, were almost unchanged from decades earlier.

Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Lena Horne were all influences on Laine when she was young.

Death of Sir John Dankworth
Dankworth died on 6 February 2010, hours before a planned concert at The Stables Theatre in Wavendon to celebrate the venue's 40th anniversary. He had been ill for several months following a concert tour in the United States. Despite her grief, Laine performed at the 40th anniversary concert, along with the John Dankworth Big Band and several members of her family - only announcing his death at the end. Laine's decision to perform featured on newspaper front pages all over the world, including a full photograph of her on the front page of The Times.

A week after Dankworth's death, Laine stepped in for her late husband and appeared again in concert at Pinner in North West London. Laine has continued to perform and give interviews in the months following Dankworth's death. She appeared as a headline act at the Music in the Garden festival at Wavendon in June and July 2010.

In March 2010, Laine and Dankworth's final musical collaboration was released on CD and for download - Jazz Matters. The recording featured the Dankworth Big Band playing new compositions written by Dankworth for the couple's performance at the 2007 Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Stables Theatre
Dankworth and Laine founded The Stables Theatre in 1970 in what was the old stables block in the grounds of their home. It was an immediate success with forty seven concerts given in the first year. The venue now presents over 350 concerts and around 250 education events in its two auditoria; the 400 seat Jim Marshall Auditorium, and smaller studio space at Stage 2. The venue was completely rebuilt in 2000, with the new foyer following the plan of the original theatre, with a subsequent development in 2007 to create Stage 2. On 6 February 2010 it celebrated its 40th anniversary with a gala concert starring Laine.

Discography

 * 1950–52  Get Happy Esquire ESQ317 Reissued in 1985–6 (3 tracks)
 * 1955  Cleo Sings British (10") Esquire
 * 1957  Meet Cleo Laine 
 * 1957  In Retrospect  MGM
 * 1957  She's the Tops  MGM 2354026
 * 1959  Valmouth (original cast)  Pye
 * 1961  Jazz Date (with Tubby Hayes)  Wing
 * 1961  Spotlight on Cleo 
 * 1962  All About Me  Fontana
 * 196?  Cleo Laine Jazz Master Series  DRG Records MRS 502
 * 1963  CindyElla (orig cast of 1962 Xmas production) '' Decca
 * 1963  Beyond the Blues (American Negro Poetry)  Argo
 * 1964  Shakespeare and All that Jazz  Fontana
 * 1964  This is Cleo Laine  Shakespeare and All That Jazz '' Philips
 * 1966  Woman Talk  Fontana
 * 1967  Facade (with Annie Ross) British reissue: Philips  Fontana
 * 1968  If We Lived on Top of a Mountain  Fontana
 * 1968  Soliloquy  Fontana
 * 1969  The Idol (Dankworth soundtrack w/ 2 Cleo vocals)  Fontana
 * 1969  The Unbelievable Miss Cleo Laine  Fontana
 * 1971  Portrait  Philips
 * 1972  An Evening with Cleo Laine and the John Dankworth Quartet  Philips, Sepia
 * 1972  Feel the Warm  Philips
 * 1972  Showboat (single LP)  EMI''Columbia
 * 1972  Showboat (double LP)  EMI/Stanyan
 * 1972  This is Cleo Laine  EMI
 * 1973  I Am A Song  RCA
 * 1973  Day by Day  Stanyan
 * 1974  Live at Carnegie Hall  RCA
 * 1974  CloseUp '' RCA
 * 1974  Pierrot Lunaire (Schoenberg) Ives Songs  RCA
 * 1974  A Beautiful Thing (with James Galway)  RCA
 * 1974  Easy Living (anthology of Fontana tracks)  RCA
 * 1974  Spotlight on Cleo Laine (double LP)  Philips
 * 1974  Cleo's Choice  Pye
 * 1975  Cleo's Choice (abridged issue on Quintessence Jazz)  Quintessence
 * 1975  The Unbelievable Miss Cleo Laine  Contour 6870675
 * 1975  Born on a Friday  RCA
 * 1976  CloseUp (reissue?)  Victor
 * 1976  Live at the Wavendon Festival  BBC (Black Lion)
 * 1976  Porgy & Bess (with Ray Charles)  London
 * 1976  Return to Carnegie  RCA
 * 1976  Best Friends (with John Williams)  RCA
 * 1976  Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz in the '70's  RCA
 * 1977  20 Famous Show Hits  Arcade
 * 1977  The Sly Cormorant (read by Cleo and Brian Patten)  Argo (Decca)
 * 19??  Romantic Cleo  RCA 42750
 * 1978  Showbiz Personalities of 1977  9279304
 * 1978  The Early Years  Pye GH653
 * 1978  Gonna Get Through  RCA
 * 1978  A Lover & His Lass  Esquire Treasure
 * 1978  Wordsongs (double LP)  RCA
 * 1979  One More Day  DRG
 * 1979  The Cleo Laine Collection (double LP)  RCA
 * 1980  Cleo's Choice (reissue?) '' Pickwick
 * 1980  Collette (original cast)  Sepia
 * 1980 Sometimes When We Touch (with James Galway)  RCA
 * 1980  The Incomparable  Black Lion BLM51006
 * 1981  One More Day  Sepia
 * 1982  Smilin' Through (with Dudley Moore)  CBS
 * 1983  Platinum Collection (double LP)  Magenta
 * 1983  Off the Record  WEA Sierra GFE DD1003
 * 1984  Let the Music Take You (w/ John Williams)  CBS
 * 1985  Cleo at Carnegie  the 10th Anniversary Concert '' RCA
 * 1985  That Old Feeling  CBS
 * 1985 '' Johnny Dankworth and his Orchestra,
 * 1985  The John Dankworth 7  featuring Cleo Laine" '' EMI
 * 1986  Wordsongs  Westminster
 * 1986  The Mystery of Edwin Drood  Philips
 * 1986  Unforgettable  16 Golden Classics '' Castle
 * 1986  Cleo Laine  The Essential Collection '' Sierra
 * 1987  Unforgettable  PRT
 * 1987  Classic Gershwin (1 track on this CD,  Embraceable You) CBS
 * 1988  Cleo Laine Sings Sondheim  RCA
 * 1988  Showboat (reissue of 1972 cast album) '' EMI/Stanyan
 * 1988  Cleo Laine & John Dankworth  Shakespeare and All That Jazz '' Affinity
 * 1989  Woman to Woman  RCA
 * 1989  Jazz  RCA
 * 1989  Portrait of a Song Stylist  Harmony
 * 1991  Young At Heart  Castle ATJCD 5959
 * 1991  Spotlight on Cleo Laine  Phonogram 848129.2
 * 1991  Pachebel's Greatest Hits (1 track)  RCA
 * 1992 Nothing Without You (with Mel Tormé)  Concord
 * 1993 '' On the Town (1 track)
 * 1994  I Am a Song  RCA
 * 1994 Blue and Sentimental RCA
 * 1995  Solitude  RCA
 * 1997  The Very Best of Cleo Laine  RCA
 * 1997  Mad About the Boy  Abracadabra
 * 1998  Ridin' High (Early Sessions)  Koch
 * 1998  Trav'lin' Light: The Johnny Mercer Songbook (1 track)  Verve
 * 1998  Let's Be Frank (1 track)  MCA
 * 1998  The Collection  Spectrum Music
 * 1999  Sondheim Tonight  Live From the Barbican (1 track) '' Jay
 * 1999  The Best of Cleo Laine  Redial
 * 1999  The Silver Anniversary Concert (Carnegie Hall, Limited Edition)  Sepia
 * 1999 '' Christmas at the Stables
 * 1999  That Old Feeling Sony
 * 2001  Quintessential Cleo  Gold Label
 * 2001  Live in Manhattan  Gold Label
 * 2002  Quality Time  Universal/Absolute
 * 2003  Loesser Genius  Qnote
 * 2005  Once Upon A Time  Qnote
 * 2006  London Pride (2 tracks with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra) Castle Pulse
 * 2010  Jazz Matters  Qnote

Awards and recognition

 * Honorary doctorates:
 * Berklee College of Music, Boston
 * University of Cambridge
 * University of York
 * Open University
 * University of Luton
 * 1985 Grammy Award, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
 * Made Honorary Fellow of Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge
 * The Worshipful Company of Musicians awarded her their Silver Medal for a Lifetime Contribution to British Jazz (1998)
 * Lifetime Achievement Award to Laine by the US recording industry (1991)
 * Worshipful Company of Musicians awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
 * Made an ambassador for SOS Children's Villages UK in recognition of her support for the Cambridge based charity.
 * 2008 BBC Jazz Awards - Gold Award.

A street in Adelaide, South Australia was named "Cleo Lane" after her.