Ruth Price born 27 April 1938

Ruth Price (born Edithea Brinton, April 27, 1938) is an American jazz singer and Artistic Director of the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, California. A talented singer Ruth Price has made relatively few recordings throughout her career.

As a girl in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Edithea Brinton was a

ballet prodigy.  She attended ballet school in 1952, but music called to her; in fact, it chose her.  The musicians around her couldn’t help but be impressed by her feeling for the music, especially when she sang.  With their encouragement she left dance and turned to singing full time, but not before she took the professional name of her dance teacher: Ruth Price. The hip monologist Lord Buckley made her a part of his floating “royal court” by dubbing her Princess Merry Legs.

In 1954, she sang with Charlie Ventura and later worked as a singer and dancer in Philadelphia and New York City. She moved to Hollywood in 1957, recorded a fine album with Shelly Manne (which has been reissued in the Original Jazz Classics series), but did not cut her second album as a leader until 1983 (for ITI).

                           

By 1958, she gained national attention and came to L.A. to tape the weekly ABC TV show “Stars of Jazz,” hosted by Bobby Troup.  On a blind date with a rhythm section, she sang with pianist Victor Feldman, bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Stan Levey--sounding as though she’d been working with them for years.  Her full-throated alto glided over the rhythm, like a Lester Young saxophone line would.  A week later she was singing in Shelly Manne’s band.

As in Philadelphia, Price earned the respect of local musicians.  Her unmannered singing, wash-and-wear hairstyle and dedication to the music made her something more than just a “girl singer.”  She saw herself, and was treated in kind by musicians, as “one of the guys.” She toured with Harry James between 1964 and 1965.  As an actress she is known for Adam-12 (1968), The Swimming Pool (1969) and Banacek (1972).

A jazz poll winner, she is highly respected for her knowledge and performances of those rare gems in American popular song. Her wide expressive qualities do justice to any lyrics that she chooses to interpret,

The late 80’s found Ruth singing at clubs in the L.A. area such as The Vine St. Bar and Grill and Drake’s place in Glendale. A Times reporter characterized her as “the ideal blend of jazz vocalist and cabaret singer”. On 15 November 1987 Ruth married William Madison Thornbury. 

Retiring from professional singing in the '80s, Ms. Price found herself in possession of a grand piano, and decided to open up the non-profit Jazz Bakery in 1991. Initially featuring artists such as Walter Norris (who opened the club) on a weekend basis, she gradually expanded her bookings to featuring music every night.

She has invested her time in not only bringing top name talent, but lesser known musicians who she feels deserve wider exposure. The theatre atmosphere of the club has created a loyal following of both attentive listeners and dedicated jazz musicians, making the Bakery

one of the premier jazz venues. The JJA's West Coast Jazz Awards parties were held at the Jazz Bakery in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and couldn't have found a better home.

Although the venue lost its home in 2009, it relocated to Culver City in 2011 and continues to “honour legends and push boundaries” by producing concerts at some of the best local venues. It is described as “the most prestigious jazz space in Los Angeles.” Part of the reason for the success of this venue is Price’s own musical knowledge and good taste. She is an excellent jazz singer, instructor, and knows what it takes to create the right environment for music.

In recent years Price has also enjoyed the teaching experience. In addition to teaching at UCLA, she has taught at the renowned Dick Grove School of Music. She feels that her strong points as a vocal teacher are helping the students with diction and helping them to relax and incorporate natural movement while on stage, and most important, introducing them to the vast treasure trove of the “great American songbook.”

(Edited from LA Jazz Scene, schoolofmusic.ucla.edu, Wikipedia &  Jazz Journalists Association)