Adele Girard

• Genres: Jazz

Biography

Possibly the greatest jazz harpist of all time, Adele Girard showed that it was possible to swing hard on that angelic instrument; only the little-known Casper Reardon had preceded her. Girard played with Harry Sosnick's band and then in 1937, she joined clarinetist Joe Marsala's combo, marrying him the same year. Her swing and Dixieland recordings with Marsala in the 1930s and '40s (although somewhat obscure) are remarkable to hear today. Little was heard from Girard after the mid-'50s, but she emerged in 1992 to record a fine album with Bobby Gordon for Arbors. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

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