Rita Reys

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Rita Reys (born Maria Everdina Reijs 21 December 1924 in Rotterdam) is a jazz singer from the Netherlands.

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Her first husband, drummer Wessel Ilcken (1923-57), was responsible for interesting Reys in jazz singing from their first meeting in 1943; they married in 1945. In the early 1950s the couple were based in Stockholm, where they recorded with baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin in 1953 (part of Lars Gullin Volume 2, Dragon Records). Having come to the attention of producer George Avakian Reys and Ilcken worked in New York in 1955 and again a year or so later.

Regarded as "Europe's first lady of jazz" from 1960, she has recorded and performed with many leading musicians. In addition to Gullin, these include Art Blakey (on side two of The Cool Voice of Rita Reys 1955) and Bengt Hallberg (Two Jazzy People 1958). In 1957 Ilcken died of a brain haemorrhage. In the 1960s Reys performed throughout Europe with her second husband (from 1960), the pianist Pim Jacobs (1934-96) and his trio.

Her recordings on the Philips label have only been reissued in their complete form on CD in Japan, although a 3CD compilation has been issued in the Netherlands.

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[edit] Discography

Studio Albums

1957

  • "The Cool Voice Of Rita Reys"
  • "Her Name Is Rita"

Released in some countries as "The Cool Voice Of Rita Reys II"

1958

  • TWO ‘JAZZY’ PEOPLE

1960

  • MARRIAGE IN MODERN JAZZ

1963

  • JAZZ SIR, THAT’S OUR BABY

1964

  • RELAX WITH RITA AND PIM

1965

  • CONGRATULATIONS IN JAZZ
  • RITA REYS MEETS OLIVER NELSON

1969

  • RITA REYS TODAY

1971

  • RITA REYS SINGS BURT BACHARACH

1973

  • OUR FAVORITE SONGS

1972

  • RITA REYS SINGS MICHEL LEGRAND

1975

  • RITA REYS SINGS GEORGE GERSHWIN

1979

  • THAT OLD FEELING

1981

  • RITA REYS SINGS ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM

1983

  • MEMORIES OF YOU

1986

  • HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

1987

  • TWO FOR TEA

1990

  • SWING AND SWEET

1992

  • EUROPE’S FIRST LADY OF JAZZ RITA REYS THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK - Volume 1
  • EUROPE’S FIRST LADY OF JAZZ RITA REYS THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK - Volume 2
  • TENDERLY

1998

  • LOSS OF LOVE, RITA REYS Sings Henry Mancini

1999

  • ONCE UPON A SUMMERTIME
  • THE LADY STRIKES AGAIN

2004

  • BEAUTIFUL LOVE

[edit] External links

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