Jazz Diva Gets Recognition With New Album By Mharlyn Merritt

Mharlyn Merritt and JamAll Productions are excited to announce the brilliant new album, I Owe It to Dakota from vocalist Mharlyn Merritt. The single, Make It Easy on Yourself, composed by the late Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David, drops on Burt Bacharach’s birthday, May 12, 2023

The Dakota in the album title is classically trained jazz vocalist Dakota Staton. Ms. Staton gained international prominence with her 1957 debut album The Late Late Show on Capitol Records. Even as her star began to rise it started to fade because of the shift in the music industry from the sultry Jazz diva to the perky Pop princess. Dakota took no notice, planting her feet firmly in both camps, while infusing both with a hot bluesy flavor. She recorded nearly 30 albums on several major labels. She has influenced female vocalists as divergent as Nancy Wilson and Chaka Khan by single-handedly bridging the gap between jazz and pop music – yet 16 years after her death at age 76 she remains virtually unknown. // Continue to the full article

Written by Top40-Charts.com News