Jean E. Evans (born August 14, 1927) is an American blues and jazz singer, pianist, and composer. She is noted most for her musical collaboration with husband

Jimmy Cheatham James Rudolph Cheatham (June 18, 1924 – January 12, 2007) was an American jazz trombonist and teacher, who played with Chico Hamilton, Ornette Coleman, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Frank Foster, and Duke Ellington. In 1978, Che ...

, with whom she formed the Sweet Baby Blues Band in 1984. Her autobiography, ''Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On: My Life In Music'', was published in 2006.

Biography

Cheatham was born and grew up in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

, the first child of Elizabeth ( Smart) and Ernest Evans. At the age of five, she started having lessons on her aunt's newly-acquired piano, which was soon moved to Cheatham's home when it transpired that she had a talent for music her aunt lacked. Not long after, she began playing for services at the church her family attended. Throughout her school years, Cheatham's piano teacher also took her to play at weddings and social events, as well as to give recitals. Cheatham first played

jazz music Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, hymns, m ...

when, aged 14, she was asked to join a local 15-piece rehearsal orchestra. While still in high school, she began playing in smaller groups, and found herself in demand professionally as most younger musicians were drafted into the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1944, she was accepted as a student at the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

, but was unable to complete more than one year for financial reasons. Writing in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' in 1992, Dirk Sutro (author of ''Jazz for Dummies'') noted that "Jeannie Cheatham remains one of the under-appreciated greats of jazz and blues, both for her spare, tasteful piano playing, which ranges from

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

ish surprises, and for her earthy but sensuous voice." In 2006, Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham received a lifetime achievement award at the

San Diego Music Awards The San Diego Music Awards is an awards show held annually in San Diego, California, United States, to recognize the best artists and bands in local music. The awards show benefits the San Diego Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedica ...

, and in November 2022, were inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

* ''Academy Awards in Jazz'' (1964)
Roberta Como & Jean Cheatham

Grenadier Records
* ''Changing with the Times'' (1993)
George Lewis
New World Records

Notes

References

1927 births 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American pianists 20th-century singers American blues pianists American blues singers Living people {{US-blues-musician-stub