Kitty Brown was an American classic female
blues singer. She sometimes used the pseudonyms of Bessie Williams (although
she was not alone in using this name), Jane White, Dixie Gray, Rosa Green
and Mazie Leroy. Brown was active as a recording artist from 1923 to the mid
1930s. Her best known tracks were 'I Wanna Jazz Some More' and 'It's
De-Lovely'. Little is known of her life outside of her music.
Career
The bulk of Brown's recording work occurred in 1923 and 1924, although in
the 1930s she waxed one track, with Les Brown's Band of Renown. It was a
working of Cole Porter's song, 'It's De-Lovely'.
The title of her 1924 track, 'I Wanna Jazz Some More', is misleading. The
word 'jazz' was used as a euphemism for bodily fluid, and not as a reference
to the musical art form. In the manner of the time, several of Brown's songs
used sexual innuendo, but not all her tracks were similarly slanted. It is
also probable that contractual agreements with record labels saw her record
elsewhere under a number of assumed names, some of which are difficult to
verify.
Her debut session produced the songs 'Evil Blues' and 'Mean Eyes (Too Late
Blues)'. The former track had the notation accompanied by Rickett Stars,
almost certainly another stage name. Her main musical partner was the
songwriter LeRoy Morton, who also acted as manager for Clara Smith. On the
Okeh label, Brown and Morton recorded 'He's Never Gonna Throw Me Down' and
'Keep on Going'. One of her later recording pseudonyms, Mazie Leroy, might
have connections to the association with him. As was becoming more common
then, much of Brown's material came via the music publishing arm of her
record label. A later session saw her record 'Family Skeleton Blues', one of
her more beguiling sides. Amongst her accompanists was James 'Bubber' Miley.
The amount of recording she undertook under various other names, probably
exceeds output under her own. Verification is made more difficult, as the
name of Bessie Williams was used by several singers. However, Brown has been
certified as the singer on several songs released on the Domino label,
despite them being billed as Williams.
The bulk of her known work was included on the compilation album, Female
Blues Singers, Vol. 3: B/C (1923-1928) made available in 1997 by Document
Records. Her sides included the songs, 'Evil Blues', 'Mean Eyes (Too Late
Blues)', 'Deceitful Blues', 'I Don't Let No One Man Worry Me', 'He's Never
Gonna Throw Me Down', 'Keep on Going', 'Family Skeleton Blues', 'I Wanna
Jazz Some More', 'Keep On Going' and 'One Of These Days'.
