Helen Merrill

For the mathematician, see Helen Abbot Merrill. For the American litterateur and poet, see Helen Maud Merrill.

Helen Merrill
Birth nameJelena Ana Milcetic[1]
Born (1929-07-21) July 21, 1929 (age 95)
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationVocalist
Years active1944–present
LabelsEmArcy, Verve

Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929)[2] is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording Helen Merrill (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associated her with the first generation of bebop jazz musicians.[3] After an active 1950s and 1960s, Merrill spent time recording and touring in Europe and Japan,[4] falling into obscurity in the United States. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was recorded by EmArcy, JVC and Verve, and her performances in America revived her profile.[3][5]

  1. ^ Bahl, Mathew (September 1, 2000). "Helen Merrill: Jelena Ana Milcetic aka Helen Merrill". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  2. ^ 'New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965' at ancestry.com, in which she is listed as 'Hellen A Milcetic'.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. London: Penguin Books. p. 993.
  4. ^ Helen Merrill Live In Japan 1990, December 30, 2017, retrieved January 6, 2023
  5. ^ Palmer, Robert (March 31, 1986). "Helen Merrill, 50's Jazz Singer, Creates an 80's Stir". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2018.