In 1963, a young South African singer named Beattie Benjamin, living in exile in Zurich, catches Duke Ellington after his own performance and convinces him to come to hear her her boyfriend, Dollar Brand, perform. Duke not only agreed to hear Dollar, he also insisted that Beattie sing for him. Enthralled by what he heard, Duke sent the musicians to Paris to record for Reprise Records. While Dollar’s recording became an instant classic, Beattie’s were mysteriously never released and until the mid-90’s, thought to be lost.

Ekapa Records has reissued A Morning in Paris for us all to rediscover, and I for one am thankful. With a session includeing Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Abdullah Ibrahim (her would be future husband) as pianists, you know your in for a listening treat.

This is a joy to listen to from start to finish. The opening track Darn that Dream introduces the sultry, smoky tone of Benjamin that immediately draws you into the smoky speakeasys of Paris 1963. From there your taken through a series of standards including Your Love Has Faded, The Man I Loved, I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) and Solitude. These last two being the ones in which Ellington’s piano is present.

sathimabeabenjamin.com

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