On February 28, 1978, pianist Mary Lou Williams was at Les Mouches, a restaurant and cabaret on New York’s 11th Avenue and 26th Street.
She was joined by singer-electric bassist Carline Ray. After Williams played a boogie-woogie the duo launched into On Green Dolphin Street, I Can’t Get Started, My Blue Heaven, Medi II, Over the Rainbow, St. Louis Blues, unknown, Surrey With the Fringe on Top and unknown.
As saxophonist Bill Kirchner notes:
Carline Ray was the wife of bandleader Luis Russell and the mother of singer Catherine Russell. A member of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm in the 1940s, she played guitar as well as electric bass. She had a master’s from the Manhattan School of Music and subbed for Junior Mance teaching at the New School Jazz Program in New York. She died in 2013 at age 88.
A special thanks to Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services for sending along a link to a video of the Les Mouches performance, originally made for the Visiondisc Corp. that just went up at YouTube…
