Dakota Staton - The Late, Late Show

180g vinyl - limited edition of 750 copies only - the complete album + 2 bonus tracks.

Despite her promising start, Dakota Staton (1930-2007) never attained the fame of singers like Dinah Washington, whom she cited as an important influence, maybe because at the time she began recording albums, rock 'n' roll was shouldering aside her brand of bluesy jazz.

Her debut album, 'The Late, Late Show', featuring Hank Jones and Jonah Jones, climbed to no.4 in the U.S. (an unusual event for a jazz album) and ranks, according to the book 100 Best-Selling Albums of the '50s, as the 88th bestselling LP of the 1950's.

Singer Dakota Staton's first full-length album was one of her best. She had a hit with The Late, Late Show' and performed memorable versions of Broadway' 'A Foggy Day', 'What Do You See in Her', 'My Funny Valentine', and 'Moon Ray'. Backed by a largely unidentified orchestra arranged by Van Alexander, with Hank Jones on piano, Staton sounds both youthful and mature, displaying a highly appealing voice on a near-classic set. - **** 1/2 Scott Yanow, AllMusic