Andy Weis Presents the Monterey All-Stars

Three Songs by Dottie Dodgion

The Remarkable Dottie Dodgion

David:

This amazing lady has performed with some of the finest musicians in the world, stunning audiences with her unique vocal presentation and rhythmic pulse. Her style is reminiscent of the late Ms. Billie Holiday, without the sense of despair that so frequently imbued Lady Day’s recordings. Every song is sung fresh, as though it were minted just a few minutes ago. And every time I see Dottie perform, I can only sit back and smile…

Andy:

Let there be no doubt, Dottie Dodgion is the Matriarch of jazz on the Central Coast of California. She is both an incredible singer as well as a masterful swinging drummer. Dottie still performs on a special Ludwig drum set that Joe Morello gave her in the 1960’s. She has earned her place among the true jazz legends. The proof can be found in 2 profiles in Modern Drummer magazine and a 17 page profile and interview in the book Jazzwomen: Conversations With Twenty-One Musicians by Wayne Enstice. She has performed with Marian McPartland, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Ruby Braff, Duke Pearson Big Band and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band (just to name a few.)

This performance night was her birthday and so it was a doubly special evening for her. I wanted to feature her sans drums and out front in the spotlight singing a few of her favorite tunes. I tried to get an intimate sound with minimal accompaniment like you might hear in a small nightclub. It worked, and Bob Phillips and Dan Robbins played exactly what was needed. I’ve always been partial to great scat singing, and I get knocked out every time I listen to her scatting on Dancing in the Dark in this video. With these 3 songs we are hearing "the truth" sung by the REAL deal, Dottie Dodgion.

Personnel:

• Dottie Dodgion: Vocal
• Bob Phillips: Piano
• Dan Robbins: Bass