Rita Moss

Rita Moss is an American jazz and ballad singer born in Akron, Ohio, notable for her 4-octave vocal range. Although she took piano lessons as a child, she is a mostly self-taught multi-instrumentalist who can play piano, organ and drums. Moss grew up in Long Island, New York, and credits the discovery of her vocal range talent to her singing along to saxophonist Freddy Gardner's recording of "Body and Soul", a record she had turned up in a Manhattan store bargain bin.[1]

Career

She first came to attention following a debut at New York's Park Avenue Restaurant,[2] where public reception led to a stay of over 7 months. Appearances in London, Ontario and Cleveland, Ohio followed, including performances at jazz DJ and impresario Leonard Feather's concerts. Initially billed as "Reta" Moss, her first single was released in January 1950 on Futurama Records,[3] a local label run by Main Stem record store owner Arthur Bangel.[4] Bangel formed Futurama to cut jazz, blues and rhythm, including artists involved in Feathers' contemporary bop concerts at Carnegie Hall.[5]

In the early 1950s Moss cut a few singles on Debonair, Decca and Mercury, including a 4 song EP on Clef (Verve) in 1952 with Chicago's George Williams Orchestra, although her first LP, Introducing Rita Moss, would be issued by Epic Records only in 1956. The selections were standards by the likes of Hart, Rodgers, Gershwin, Webster and Ellington; the release was notable in that one number was an original by Moss. A brief review in Billboard[6] notes her "remarkable" vocal range and "breezy whimsical style". In 1956, she headlined at the Living Room night club in New York, and in 1957, decided to head for the West Coast.[7]

From 1957 to 1966 Moss appears to have focused on touring and night-club appearances. Sporadic singles cropped up on obscure labels and a four-song EP appeared on Moss's private Los Angeles-based label Rozell, including at least one self-penned song, Bobby's Blues, copyrighted under the name of Rita Roszelle.[8] This period shows Moss honing exotica type vocal gymnastics in the vein of Yma Sumac to whom she had earlier drawn comparisons.[9] The Gothic single features an arranging credit to Jack Montrose, a key West Coast jazz figure. The turn of the 1960s saw Moss playing LA area venues including Hollywood's Exotica Club and the Tahitian Village.[10] In 1964 she did 2 consecutive extended stints at the Riverside Hotel's Showboat Lounge, playing simultaneous organ and piano with vocal.[11] In 1966 she turned up at a popular San Diego club where her 2nd LP, of live material, Rita Moss Reigns at Islandia, was issued on the Islandia's house label and generated considerable local acclaim for her vocal range, Sumac-esque stylizing and scat vocals. Airplay and coverage by radio and TV stations such as KOGO, KFMX and KFMB (then home of Regis Philbin) attracted the attention of Dot Records who would go on to issue 3 LP's.

talk to me tiger!, the first Dot LP, consisted of several familiar live club repertoire numbers from the Islandia LP, plus ballad material; the next LP, Superb, was arranged and conducted by Marty Paich. In 1968, the third and last Dot LP produced a now obscure eponymous single that would become arguably Moss's most enduring song: Just a Dream Ago,[12] although the LP also included a worthy cover of Sleep Safe and Warm, the theme from the film Rosemary's Baby.

A captivating night-club performer rather than a recording artist, "Queen Moss" to her performance fans, her impressive vocal talents and musical ambidexterity in a live setting failed to translate into record sales and broad appeal.[13]

In the 1970s Moss recorded an LP of spiritual jazz issued on the private Retep label in San Diego. The compositions were mostly self-penned, with a lyrics co-credit to Dr. Russell Paul Schofield, founder-director of Actualism for Lightworkers, a spiritual training regime.[14] Moss continued to perform live in San Diego and Los Angeles into the 2000s.[15][16][17]

Personal life

As of 1964, Rita Moss was married to Bob Roszelle who was also her manager.[18]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Sept. 11, 1964 p. 30
  2. ↑ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/archives/rbml/urban/architectOfDreams/images/imagePopUp.html?fig76.jpg
  3. ↑ Billboard, Jan. 21, 1950 p. 35
  4. ↑ Billboard, July 2, 1949 p. 22
  5. ↑ Bilboard, July 2, 1949 p 21
  6. ↑ Billboard, March 31, 1956 p. 34
  7. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Sept. 11, 1964 p. 30
  8. ↑ Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries p. 1168: http://books.google.ca/books?id=qyBBAQAAIAAJ&q=%22rita+moss%22+%22bobby%27s+blues%22&dq=%22rita+moss%22+%22bobby%27s+blues%22&hl=en&ei=OZNkTd-sMMGclgexpoCMBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA
  9. ↑ Jet magazine, June 26, 1952 p 64
  10. ↑ Billboard May 19, 1962 p. 10
  11. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Sept. 11, 1964 p. 30
  12. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz4tpe3gYMc
  13. ↑ General reference: liner notes from Rita Moss's 5 LPs
  14. ↑ Retep CG-011 "Inner Experience Vol. 1" LP liner notes
  15. ↑ http://blog.jetsettingmagazine.com/?p=3081
  16. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1989-12-14/entertainment/ca-111_1_downtown-san-diego
  17. ↑ http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040220/news_1c20stiff.html
  18. ↑ Reno Evening Gazette, Sept. 11, 1964 p. 30
  19. ↑ Billboard Jan. 21, 1950 p. 35
  20. ↑ Billboard Nov. 24, 1951 p. 19
  21. ↑ Billboard Jan. 24, 1953 p. 43
  22. ↑ Billboard Dec. 16, 1957 p. 56
  23. ↑ http://www.officenaps.com/jul_09_2007/ritamoss_daydream.jpg
  24. ↑ http://www.exoticaproject.com/index.php?name=unusual_percussion
  25. ↑ Billboard August 7, 1961 p. 24
  26. ↑ http://www.globaldogproductions.info/a/arvee-orbit-hifi.html
  27. ↑ Billboard July 16, 1968 p. 70