Dinah Washington, forever remembered as the “Queen of the Blues,” was one of the most distinctive voices of the 20th century. Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, she began singing in church before joining Lionel Hampton’s band in the 1940s. Her commanding presence and crystal-clear phrasing quickly set her apart. Through the ’40s and ’50s, Washington became a major force in jazz, blues, and R&B, scoring more than two dozen Top 10 hits on the R&B charts. Her 1959 recording “What a