Marva Josie was born in Clairton, Pittsburgh, and has an impressive 5 and a half octave range to her voice. It's no surprise then that she was picked up by Time Records in the early 60's, and the label issued her first single 'Later For You Baby'/'You Lied' in 1962. Moving to Sahara Records, she released 'I Don't Care' in 1963, and after that two more singles followed for United Artists in 1964 and 1965. Signing to Julmar Records in 1967, she released her final two solo singles, 'Oohbiskubido' and 'I'm Satisfied', after which she met the great jazz band leader Earl 'Fatha' Hines in 1968. Impressed by her range, style and appearance she became the latest in a long line of important vocalists who had worked with the master pianist, following in the footsteps of Herb Jeffries, Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Hartman and Etta Jones, all of whom owed some part of their career to Hines. Her first album as vocalist with Hines was her own 'This Is Marva Josie' in 1973, where she traded the soul sound of her 60's singles for the jazz that Hines was known for, and in 1977 they issued 'Jazz Is His Old Lady...And My Old Man', credited to Earl 'Fatha' Hines with Marva Josie. In 1976 they both played at the White House for President Gerald Ford, and later for President Jimmy Carter, and Josie is still currently performing jazz in New York. However, this album collects together her fine soul recordings from the 60's for a variety of labels, and hearing the power of her voice you can understand why Hines was impressed when he met her.
Track listing
01 Later For You Baby (single 1962)
02 You Lied (b-side of 'Later For You Baby')
03 I Don't Care (single 1963)
04 Heartbreak City (b-side of 'I Don't Care')
05 Birthday Fella (single 1964)
06 Did You Ever Love Someone (b-side of 'Birthday Fella')
07 How Do You Say Goodbye (unreleased acetate 1964)
08 Joey's Kisses (b-side of 'How Do You Say Goodbye')
09 I Love New York (single 1965)
10 Don't (b-side of 'I Love New York')
11 Crazy Stockings (single 1966)
12 I'll Get By (b-side of 'Crazy Stockings')
13 Oohbiskubido (single 1967)
14 Now Is The Time (To Love Me) (b-side of 'Oohbiskubido')
15 I'm Satisfied (single 1967)
16 Love's Burning Fire (b-side of 'I'm Satisfied')
