The ten years between 1945 and 1955 saw an large number of talented black female pianists on the scene, each of whom achieved popularity throughout the jazz world. The finest, of course, was Mary Lou Williams, a brilliant improviser and advanced musical thinker. Sadly, there is no film of Mary Lou from this period. But most of the other female pianists are well- represented on film: Dorothy Donegan, Hazel Scott, Hadda Brooks, Rose Murphy, Nellie Lutcher, Julia Lee and others all left an important film legacy. One of the lesser-known members of this group is Una Mae Carlisle, a talented pianist, vocalist, and songwriter who recorded a great deal and is seen in both Soundies and Black cast features.
Una Mae was an early protégé of Fats Waller, and she worked with him on Cincinnati radio as early as 1933. By 1934, she had moved to New York City where she joined the review Blackbirds of 1936, traveling for three years throughout Europe and the Middle East with the show. Una Mae returned to the States in 1939 and began her recording career. While Carlisle became a favorite in night clubs and theater stages during the 1940s, her fragile health limited touring to the East Coast. She made some early television appearances, but then her health declined, and Una Mae passed away in the 1956.
While her recordings show a great deal of diversity – Una Mae recorded show tunes, hits of the day, blues, and novelties – her own compositions were often somewhat risque in nature. While “’Tain’t You” was written by Joe Davis, it is fairly typical of the songs that Una Mae composed herself. Her Soundie rendition of this song shows her to be a fine vocalist and Fat Waller-inspired stride pianist.