Herb Jeffries in Sacramento - "Poinciana"

[@caz4777]

I hope Mr Jeffries had a wonderful 100th birthday. I met him when he came to Australia in 1986. A living legend who has not lost the common touch.

[@MrPaladin123]

There are some pieces of music, no matter who plays them, that bring a smile and a tear, in appreciation of the gift that is music. Once in a while, a piece is augmented and enhanced by a sensitive and classy performance. This is one of those times. Thank you for sharing your talent, Mr. Jeffries!!!!! Thanks Hardbat for posting this!

[@kennethmate1948]

I met Herb back in the 1980's in Las Vegas when I was visiting my friend Page Cavanagh. Again in Reno in the late 1980's. What a great guy to chat with and talk about entertainment.

[@nakedhombre7]

First I've heard of Mr Jeffries, what a voice. Now THIS is singing !!

[@bmac6731]

Cass Tech Detroit!!! What Wonderful MUSICAL ARTISTS, & EVERYTHING ELSE Cass produced. Such a Joy to SEE & HEAR the MOST AMAZING MR. HERB JEFFERIES. I will speak of super stars another time per Cass Tech!!! 🤩💞🤩

[@jamesjohnston8099]

what a voice. I've always loved his "Flamingo."

[@mauritaandre]

I love his voice!!!

[@angieluther4364]

he sang in my moms nightclub in waikiki jam sessions. 1955 so handsome

[@Starrman69]

Great! Still with us at 94!!! A piece of Americana with his music and movies

[@CheersNE]

We had the privelege of meeting Mr. Jeffries at the Idyllwild Jazz Festival many years ago. I was very touched at how much time he spent talking with my six year old daughter. He told her she was beautiful and her skin color was especially beautiful and not to let anyone ever tell her differently, (My husband and I are a mixed raced couple.) He told her his mommy had light skin like her mommy and his daddy had dark hair and skin like her daddy. She sat on his lap and they chatted away like they had known each other for years. She suddenly jumped down and said "wait here a minute". We were not sure what she was up to but she came running back up to him and climbed back on to his lap and gave him a cross she had just recently learned to make with two sticks. The look on his face softened and his eyes filled with tears. "Why did you give me this sweetheart?", he said kind of choked up. She looked at him very innocently and said matter-of-factly, "Because the cross reminds me of Jesus and so do you." He was a lovely man always. Even children recognized it..

[@aliciafrancone3480]

O sigh...he melts me🥰🥰

[@aliciafrancone3480]

Takes me away......🥰🥰🎶🥰🎶

[@iluminatiytu]

Herb was a better than most crooners at the time, yet he did not get the attention or the recognition he deserved. I thought he was terrfific and still is!

[@millsbrothers]

GREAT FOOTAGE!!!

[@iluminatiytu]

So cool!

[@congaplayera]

Thank you, ojojoj51 for both the referral and the history lesson which is especially poignant, since I am African-American.

[@RayPointerChannel]

@strangersf Actually, his paternal grandmother seems to have been black in fact. There is Moroccan ancestry, which is North African. Mr Jeffries (born Ballantino) was a mulatto. People of this background had always had the stigma of having others discard them for not conforming to their definitions. In such a case, Mr. Jeffries was too dark to be white, and too light to be black. He was, and is a charming, super talent man, period. Thank goodness we have these few records of him.

[@strangersf]

he wasn't black. Hismother was Irish and his father was Sicilian. That does not diminish his impact..

[@jamesjohnston8099]

His father's mother was African.

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

THIS IS good. But far from EARL COLEMAN, just 5 lps in 4 decades. This man had @ least 20.

[@HardbatProductions]

Ok, but I never got to play with Earl Coleman :)

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

@@HardbatProductions SUGGEST listen his 68 lp on Atl w Billy Taylor called Love Songs. It is on the forum. HIS BEST = LAST= Swan Song ain t . Called Star Dust on Stash lbl,,84. Saw the neglected mini-legend @ Northsea 87 - lucky me. Good if u knew. Mr Jeffries. A bigger legend, did he transit aroun 103 and w his boots on ...singinon stage Poinciana !!!!!! ? 🇫🇮