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Rhinohandmade.com To Release Jimmy Scott's Lost Masterpiece

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LOS ANGELES -- Forty years ago Jimmy Scott was set to release a record that would have made him a household name. On September 27, 2002 listeners finally got to hear the legendary Falling in Love is Wonderful.

The album, one of the most highly sought jazz vocal records in history, will be available in limited edition at www.RhinoHandmade.com for the list price of $19.98. Featuring the original ten tracks including the breathtaking “Someone To Watch Over Me" and “They Say It's Wonderful," Falling in Love is Wonderful showcases Jimmy's high-pitched alto voice and his unique sense of timing. Produced by Ray Charles for his Tangerine label, Falling in Love is Wonderful was originally released in 1963 but was quickly recalled due to a contractual dispute with Savoy Records.

The story of Jimmy Scott is one of heartbreak and strength of the human spirit, told by one of the most amazing voices ever recorded. Born in 1925 in Cleveland, Jimmy was a victim of Kallmann's Syndrome, and suffered physically from the hereditary hormonal deficiency although his voice thrived. Tragically, when Jimmy was 12 years old his mother was killed, leaving her ten children to be separated into detention homes. When at age 14 Jimmy heard the voice of Judy Garland singing “Over the Rainbow," his path to the world of entertainment became clear and he soon hit the stage as a singer.

In 1949 Lionel Hampton hired him to record a session and dubbed him “Little Jimmy Scott." This recording, “Everybody's Somebody's Fool," would prove his sole chart hit -- but it was credited to a woman, leading him further into obscurity. Jimmy spent many years recording for Savoy only to see his peers move on to success. The few times he ventured out of the Savoy family to record, his efforts were thwarted by legal issues. Jimmy Scott eventually left the music business and spent two decades working menial jobs.

In the early '90s, while singing at the memorial for his late friend Doc Pomus, Jimmy finally won recognition as a premier jazz vocalist and has since toured and released records regularly.

This fall, the world will have ample opportunity to follow the incredible journey of Jimmy Scott with a documentary, Jimmy Scott: If You Only Knew, and an autobiography, “Faith In Time: The Life Of Jimmy Scott." The book's award-winning author, David Ritz, also supplied liner notes to Falling in Love is Wonderful reissue (Ray Charles, who played keyboards on the original release, weighs in with an introduction).

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