THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PLAYING COPY OF THIS EARLY UK LAMINATE COLUMBIA 78 OF GEORGE DEWEY WASHINGTON SINGING ON

THE SPELL OF THE BLUES

b/w THE SUN IS AT MY WINDOW

 Named after an Admiral in the Spanish-American War, George Dewey Washington (1898-1954), was an African American bass-baritone who sang in vaudeville in the 1920s and 30s dressed in a tramp costume: battered top hat, patched pants, ragged coat, in the tradition of Bert Williams.

Born in Rock Island, Illinois, he spent most of his childhood in Salt Lake City where his preacher father started the first Baptist church. From there the family moved to Portland when Washington was 16, and he later moved to Seattle, doing all sorts of odd jobs. Before he became a professional entertainer, Washington worked as a waiter in railroad dining cars, often singing amid noises of the train.

 In 1922 he moved to San Francisco to be a singer. After trying and failing to get hired at every theatre in town (rejected because of his colour), a man named Paul Ash gave Washington a chance at his Granada Theatre. Washington was held over for 42 weeks, his salary going from $50 to $350, very big money in those days. Soon, he was touring the entire vaudeville circuit. Almost everyone who speaks about Washington talks about his remarkable diction and articulation (especially notable because he was untrained). This gave him a tremendous stage presence. In later years, his repertoire included old fashioned sentimental weepies like “Old Man River” and “Laugh, Clown, Laugh”. He worked Harlem nightclubs, did a couple of all black stage shows Old Kentucky (1932) and Rhythm Hotel (1935), was in the 1933 Broadway stage show Strike Me Pink, which was "staged as an epic review of black history.

 Washington appeared in a number of short films for M-G-M and PARAMOUNT Pictures from 1928 to 1932, the early years of "talkies", including some of M-G-M's first musical shorts. At one point, he played three weeks in a row at the PARAMOUNT Theatre on Broadway. He was described at the time as a "hot favorite" with a "sympathetic voice goes straight to the heart" and that is "well adapted for the talkies".

Washington continued performing in night clubs at least through 1949. Washington performed for the fifth Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on July 10, 1949. He was featured along with Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra, JIMMY Witherspoon, Buddy Banks and his Orchestra and Big Jay McNeely.

He passed away in 1954.

The Spell of the Blues was his first recording.