Josephine Baker (June 3, 1906 -- April 12, 1975) was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. Nicknamed the \"Bronze Venus,\" the \"Black Pearl,\" and even the \"Crole Goddess\" in anglophone nations.
Josephine Baker was much more famous as a cabaret performer, dancer and personality than as a jazz singer but, as she shows on some of these early recordings, she could swing and improvise when she wanted to.