Dakota Staton

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The Late, Late Show (1957)

Dakota Staton (born June 3, 1931) is an American jazz vocalist. Born Aliyah Rabia in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she studied music at the Filion School of Music in Pittsburgh. Later she worked as a vocalist with the Joe Wespray Orchestra, a popular Pittsburgh orchestra. She then spent several years in the nightclub circuit in such cities as Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis. While in New York, she was noticed singing at a Harlem nightclub called the Baby Grand by Dave Cavanaugh, a producer for Capitol Records. She was signed and released several singles, her success leading her to win Down Beat magazine's "Most Promising New Comer" award in 1955. In 1958, Staton wed Talib Ahmad Dawud, a black Antiguan Muslim trumpeter and noted critic of Elijah Muhammad^[1].

She released several critically acclaimed albums in the late 50s and early 60s, including the Late, Late Show (1957), whose title track was her biggest hit, In the Night (1957), a collaboration with pianist George Shearing, Dynamic! (1958) and Dakota at Storyville (1961), a live album recorded at the Storyville club in Boston. She has continued to record semi-regularly, her recordings taking an increasingly strong gospel and blues influence.