Ruth Brisbane (April 18, 1932 - December 12, 2018)

Ruth Brisbane became famous as a modern incarnation of the classic blues and novelty vocalists of the 1920s. She presented shows focused on the music of Bessie Smith as early as 1971. She balanced a career forwarding jazz and blues projects with another on the theater stage.

She appeared in many Broadway shows including The Wiz, Grind, and Raison, and appeared as “Bloody Mary” in a revival of South Pacific. Off Broadway, she appeared in the long-running show One Mo’ Time, during both, its Greenwich Village and London premieres as well as in the original Paris production of Black and Blue. She also created and starred in her own one-woman show, The legacy of Bessie Smith. She has recorded for many TV commercials and film soundtracks.

(text from The Syncopated Times, full article HERE.)

Artists celebrating Ruth's life include:

Harlem Blues and Jazz Band
Terry Waldo
Jon Roche Trio
Melba Joyce
Bertha Hope
Mark Wright
Georgette Walker
|Emme Kemp
Carol Sudhalter
Antoinette Montague
DeeDee Levant-Albert
Alex Layne
Art Baron
Danny MixonZ
Joey Morant