King Pleasure, along with Eddie Jefferson was one of the first masters vocalese. This is a style where lyrics are written and sung in harmony to the solos by jazz instrumentalists. Pleasure said Jefferson was his greatest influence, but Pleasure’s sax-like style and scat singing were equally influential. He is most well-known for his 1952 hit, “Moody’s Mood for Love”, for which Jefferson wrote the lyrics. This was Jefferson’s contribution to James Moody’s 1949 improvisation of “I’m In the Mood for Love”. Pleasure was also praised because of his interpretations and renditions of classics such as Lester Young’s DB Blues and Charlie Parker’s Parker’s Mood. He had a direct influence on Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross, Bob Dorough and Mark Murphy, Lou Lanza and Al Jarreau. His recording career did not last long. Pleasure recorded in the early 1960s but he was soon forgotten. However, the legacy of his early work would continue long after his death, March 21, 1982, three days before his 60th birthday. Pleasure had a profound influence on promising singers like Lou Lanza and Ian Shaw in the late ’90s. Allmusic
