Toni Harper

Toni Harper (married Toni Harper - Dunlap, born June 8, 1937 in Los Angeles ) is an American jazz and pop singer.

Biography

After Harper had dance lessons with Maceo Anderson, she had been with as a child in the troupe of the choreographer Nick Castle in Christmas Follies, which was performed in 1945 in the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. During this time she also appeared with Herb Jeffries and Cab Calloway. In 1946 she took Columbia to the song Candy Store Blues, which was awarded the platinum record. In 1949 she starred in the musical film Make Believe Ballroom and entered ( the precursor of the Ed Sullivan Show ) in Toast of the Town of, most recently 1950. After her success as a child star, she recorded in January 1952 with the Harry James Orchestra, a 78s for Columbia on ( Blacksmith Blues / Don ' t Send Me Home ); in December 1955, their debut album was Toni - Toni Harper Sings on Verve, where she was accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Trio with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. Their song material consisted of jazz standards such as You Do not Know What Love Is, Love for Sale, Singin 'in the Rain or Gone with the Wind. Norman Granz organized in 1956 yet another recording session with the orchestra by Buddy Bregman; However, there was not enough material for an entire album.

She then played for RCA Victor a two more albums, Lady Lonely (1959) and Night Mood (1962 ) in the easy listening style with the Marty Paich Orchestra, the latter with Bud Shank and Art Pepper as soloists. In 1963 she toured with Cannonball Adderley in Japan and appeared in the film How to Stuff a Wild Bikini ( 1965). In 1965 she played an even more pop music As Time Goes By / Never Trust a Stranger, was published at the Crescendo GNP. Since their success waned during the period of the boom of pop and rock music, she retired in 1966 with 29 years in the music business, focused on yoga and Buddhism and worked as a visual artist.

According to Marc Myers Harper reminded stylistically to Sarah Vaughan.