Jackie Cain

The duo of Jackie Cain & Roy Kral became one of the most enduring combinations in jazz, beginning in the late '40s when the team began interacting as fellow members of intriguing saxophonist Charlie Ventura's band. The two vocalists, who became husband and wife in 1949, sang like twin songbirds but with ranges an octave apart. This blend would be effective in any singing style, but was uniquely suited to the style of jazz vocalese. The two continued working together, off and on, until Kral's death from congestive heart failure at the age of 80 in 2002. ~ Eugene Chadbourne