Othella Dallas – Biography

ETERNALLY YOUNG - the 80-year old "Grand Lady" of jazz and blues

Othella Dallas, born on September 26, 1925 in Memphis was a passionate dancer, when on the occasion of a pupil concert she was discoverd by the dance education teacher Katherine Dunham and received a scholarship for their school in New York. In 1945 she performed for the first time with the later renowned Dunham ballet, which led her on tour around the globe.

On the occasion of an appearance in Paris she became acquainted with her later husband-to-be Peter Wydler. Through him, being a great music lover himself, she gained access to jazz music. She let herself be educated into a singer, toured several times through Europe, the USA and Russia, and performed singing and dancing among others with Josephine Baker, Edith Piaf, Sammy Davis jr., Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Sonny Stitt, Woody Hermann, Sal Nistico, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Woode, King Curtis, Thomas Moeckel and Joe Walter. Under the production of Quincy Jones, she performed also in the musical “Free and Easy”.

Finally Othella Dallas established herself in Binningen near Basel. She opened her own school for jazz ballet in Basel and made their singing appearances enjoyment-worthy rare pieces. Her 75th birthday Othella Dallas celebrated in March 2001 during her great appearance at the Blues festival in Basel. At the same time she could also sign her new book: "My Travelin' Shoes". Likewise she published a new CD with the Othella Dallas Quartett, which contains also the piece by Duke Ellington which was composed especially for her called “Strictly for the Tourists".

In September 2004 at the grand Berlin Festival „Black Atlantic“ in the house of the cultures of the world, Othella Dallas celebrated great successes with her 6 performances as singer and dancer. At the “Amazing Grace Advent Concerts of 2003 and 2004 together with Florian Schneider, Heinz Flückiger, Beija, Eliana Bürki, Urs Rudin and Thomas Moeckel, Othella was celebrated with standing ovations.

In August 2005 Othella Dallas’es greatest wish was granted when her new album with DVD could be recorded together in the baselcitystudio and in New York with her “Jazz and Blues Band” and several other great musicians. With her twirly and lively professionalism Othella Dallas inspires young and old alike. Her musical repertoire contains blues, gospel, jazz and latin genres. In her step- and percussion-inlays Othella Dallas shows how much energy, power and musicality is contained in her. “The Little Girl from Memphis” with a big voice.