Customer Reviews

1947-1951

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Ahmet Ertegun, the co-founder of Atlantic records, called her "the best blues singer I ever heard." Ruth Brown, the hugely successful singer who helped transform R & B into rock and roll in the 1950's called her "a big influence for me". Mildred Cummings, a/k/a "Little Miss Cornshucks" is sadly a long forgotten figure on the American music scene. Little Miss Cornshucks was for the most part a "live" performer who did not spend a whole lot of time in the recording studio. Yet for many years in the late 1940's and early 1950's she thrilled audiences in New York, Chicago and L.A. Her signature song, "So Long", originally released by bandleader Russ Morgan, is considered to be the definitive recording of that tune. This CD, released in 2003 and imported from France, contains her renditions of other standards including "Time After Time" and "Try A Little Tenderness". These recordings, which have not been available for decades will make you want to stand up and cheer. In addition, the quality of these recordings is remarkable. And the liner notes will give you a deeper insight into just who "Little Miss Cornshucks" was and her place in American music history. Highly recommended.

You bet this is HOT STUFF! Playing off of Cornshucks' popularity (within the region and genre),LaVern Baker first performed and recorded under a similar name, Little Miss Sharecropper.
Besides her talents as a blues belter and balladeer deluxe, Mildred wrote several of these tunes, and served as bandleader on a 1949 Aladdin session. Jazz great Benny Carter is heard on some of the later tracks from 1950. And you'll love the 40's publicity shots, if you aren't overly sensitive.