Versatility might be vocalist Ruth Brown's middle name. Born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928, she first gained public attention when Blanche Calloway brought her to New York in 1949. Since then Ruth has done it all, performing and recording R&B, Gospel and Jazz both here and abroad. Her numerous recordings for Atlantic put her on the top of the R&B charts in the 1950's and her versatility allowed her to record with jazz groups such as The Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra. A recent inductee to the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame, Ruth currently resides in Las Vegas and can be heard at festivals across the country.
The Fillius Jazz Archive has made a reasonable effort to secure permission from the interviewees to make these materials available to the public. Use of these materials by other parties is subject to the fair use doctrine in United States copyright law (Title 17, Chapter 1, para. 107) which allows use for commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship without requiring permission from the rights holder.
Access Rights
Video is available on loan in DVD format from the Hamilton College Library, via Interlibrary Loan. Please contact your local library's Interlibrary Loan department to have them request specific items via WorldCat Resource Sharing or ALA Form. Interested scholars and jazz enthusiasts are welcome to visit the Hamilton campus and the archive room for consultation with the director. URL: http://www.hamilton.edu/jazzarchive/