The Queen of the Blues was Alabama -born Ruth Lee Jones (1924-1963), who became, as “Dinah Washington”, “the most influential female singer of the last 40 years” (Jazz, The Rough Guide). With her utterly individual style she was hugely successful in the R& B field and, usually with a relaxed jazz backing, also gave countless memorable interpretations of popular standards. Queen Of The Blues also provides the title for Retrospective’s centenary tribute programme that contains no fewer than 52 of her very best recordings, spanning the entirety of her fabulous career (only curtailed by her premature death aged 39). Dinah was a natural jazz vocalist and many of the great jazz talents of the era shone in sessions led by such as Quincy Jones: Clark Terry, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson, Paul Quinichette, Paul Gonsalves… This centenary year is the time to get reacquainted with one of the great singers of the last century.