User:Madwort/Irene Kitchings

Irene Kitchings was a jazz pianist and composer

Life and career
Irene worked as a jazz pianist and band leader in Chicago in the 1920s/30s, including at the Vogue - "Al Capone loved her..so she worked there all the time". She moved to New York in 1934 after marrying Teddy Wilson and retired from being a musician, but when their marriage ended Benny Carter encouraged her to start working as a composer. She collaborated on many of her songs with Arthur Herzog Jr., including "Some Other Spring", "Ghost of Yesterday" and "I'm Pulling Through". Kitchings would compose the music, bring it to Herzog and he would write the lyrics without touching the music - Herzog stated "I don't think I ever asked her to change a note".

Her songs have been performed by many famous musicians including Tony_Bennett Tony_Bennett_on_Holiday, Marianne Faithfull Faithfull_Forever,Ella Fitzgerald A_Perfect_Match_(Ella_Fitzgerald_album), Anita O'Day Trav%27lin%27_Light_(Anita_O%27Day_album), Carmen McRaeTwo_for_the_Road_(Carmen_McRae_and_George_Shearing_album) and many others.