There was a nice biography about O'Day on Ovation TV a couple nights ago. I have always been a Sarah Vaughan freak, and I thought O'Day peaked with Krupa in 40s. I have that famous Krupa LP with Let me Off Uptown and Drum boogie. I was not aware of the bop work she did, or the big pop hits she had in the 50s with Norman Granz' Verve. Her record "Anita" was the first recorded issued on that label and sold a bazillion copies. She was big into smack, but says she kicked and lived to 87yo, played NY in 2004.
The tone and phrasing, especially with Krupa and Kenton when she was very young are scintillating. The sound is smaller than Sassy, but the tone is truer and more penetrating, more beautiful, if you can believe it. I just ordered that Anita CD for my wife who loves all 50's jazz singers.
Look for the bio if you get Ovation on DirecTV.
http://www.anitaoday.com/
