Favorite Jazz Singer
- Thread starter JMAR5
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By now everybody should know that Anita was born Anita Belle Colton and changed her name to O'Day because it means dough in pig latin and she thought she'd make alot of it in show biz. She used to participate in dance marathons in her Chicago Uptown neighborhood to makes ends meet in the early days.
I best like many of her things with Krupa ("I like riding in jalopies away from motor cycle copies") But I especially like her Verve records years. That's when she really learned how to phrase.
Alas, she should have quit when she was ahead. Her later recordings show she had lost it.
I best like many of her things with Krupa ("I like riding in jalopies away from motor cycle copies") But I especially like her Verve records years. That's when she really learned how to phrase.
Alas, she should have quit when she was ahead. Her later recordings show she had lost it.
JMAR5
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Mike Blakesley said:
I would consider him more of a pop singer too, but he falls into that category sometimes. Bending notes and certain ways of phrasing words makes a jazz singer. Sinatra pretty much sang songs the way they were composed, but he did have swing
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing. Shoo bop shoo bop shoo bop
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
This is a tough call, especially since there's a huge difference between the men and women singers. I've always considered Ella the best singer ever - period! There wasn't anything that she couldn't do, and when I saw her perform live - and she had a bad cold when I saw her - she still knocked everyone out.
Interesting that people like Joe Williams and Tony Bennett aren't on this list. But for male singers I absolutely have to go for Sinatra. Loved his phrasing, and he could belt out a note.
Capt. Bacardi
Interesting that people like Joe Williams and Tony Bennett aren't on this list. But for male singers I absolutely have to go for Sinatra. Loved his phrasing, and he could belt out a note.
Capt. Bacardi
nightcat
Member
With the choices here I'll choose Anita O'Day. My favorite singer ever is Frank Sinatra, but since Frank has one foot in the pop field, I'll exclude him. Anita was the female version of Sinatra. They both had incredible phrasing. Sure, many others had better voices, but these two had a way of making you believe what they were singing about. Hey, where is Chris Connor ?? If she was on the list, it would have been a tough choice between her and Anita. Chris Connor was a pure jazz singer. The best versions of several of my favorite tunes were done by her. Mark Murphy is an ok jazz singer, but I'll take Jackie Paris or Joe Williams over him any day. Other great jazz singers mentioned here that I like are Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, June Christy and Sarah Vaughn.
Years ago, I made the mistake of buying a Betty Carter album. After hearing it once, I think I burned it. Let's just say she's not my cup of tea.
Years ago, I made the mistake of buying a Betty Carter album. After hearing it once, I think I burned it. Let's just say she's not my cup of tea.
Dave
Well-Known Member
I guess I'm not a fan of Big Band Jazz singers, as I've chose Frank Sinatra, myself... I could'a chose Billy Eckstein as he did make a pretty magnificent album, Feel The Warm, on the Stax label (later on Enterprise under the auspice of Isaac Hayes) and even recorded in Memphis at Stax Studios and at A&M in Hollywood... Which had a remake of Stephen Stills "Love The One Your With, as well as "Feel The Warm" (written by Artie Butler and Jerry Fuller and first done by ex-Paul Revere & The Raiders, Mark Lindsay)...
However, he'd be a tie with Grady Tate if he made the list... Although Tate has long been a drummer, he did record a few albums in the late-'60's on which he sings (produced by Gary McFarland) and even "Appeared Courtesy of Skye Records" on a Quincy Jones album he played on afterwards, continuing his drumming career after his stint on vocals before giving up his drumming once again to have made a few vocal albums in the '70's, '80's, '90's and today...
If only Grady was on this list...
Dave
However, he'd be a tie with Grady Tate if he made the list... Although Tate has long been a drummer, he did record a few albums in the late-'60's on which he sings (produced by Gary McFarland) and even "Appeared Courtesy of Skye Records" on a Quincy Jones album he played on afterwards, continuing his drumming career after his stint on vocals before giving up his drumming once again to have made a few vocal albums in the '70's, '80's, '90's and today...
If only Grady was on this list...
Dave
Dave
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A&Mguyfromwayback-In The Day said:
That's the funny thing about some CTi records... Especially Kathy McCord and Flow (which included future member of the Eagles, Don Felder)... They seem fairly Rock- and Fusion-oriented more than could be considered "real Jazz"...
And of course Patti Austin, too, recorded for CTi, all the while being probably a "little too Pop for the Jazz market", hence probably doesn't qualify except for the brief move to Quincy Jones' Quest label...
Dave
JMAR5
New Member
Dave said:And where's Lena Horne...???
Dave
--Reciting "Lena Horne!", over and over again, like Fred Sanford...
I know sometimes she is classified as a jazz singer, but I was torn as to whether she really is or not. I have seen lists of jazz singers where they mention people like Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney and Lena Horne, but none of them seem like true jazz singers to me. That is just my opinion, maybe I am wrong... Any thoughts on this??
JMAR5
New Member
Dave said:"Lena Horne!", "Lena Horne!", "Lena Horne!"...
And "aunt Esther"--, I mean Little Esther...!
Where they at???
Yeah, it can be hard to classify which singers can be Jazz and which cross-over into Contemporary Pop... --Just "more" of my two-cents...!
Dave
I think it's all in the phrasing and bending notes etc.
It was really a toss up for me on my favorite, because IMO Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan are my 2 top faves, but I gave the stylist edge to Sarah who blows me away on how she sings Gershwin. I also really dig O'Day and Wilson too.
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
JMAR5 said:
Then later:
Then in the totally irrelevant Seawind thread:
Is "bending notes" your concept of what a jazz singer is? If so, you need to listen to a lot more jazz. Anyone can bend a note - it's called bad singing. A good singer will nail a note on-key! I agree that phrasing may play a part in singing, but a lot of that has to do with the actual song as well. So will the setting of a song.
My advice to you is to bury yourself in albums by Ella, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Kurt Elling, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Sinatra, Bennett, maybe some Shirley Horn and some Manhattan Transfer, and you'll start to feel foolish for thinking that someone like Pauline Wilson could even be mentioned in the same breath!
Yeah, you're wrong.
Except for Doris Day I have heard the others in true jazz settings. Clooney did a bunch of nice albums on Concord, and I was surprised by her singing. Bennett is just a true master at singing. He defies category. Capt. Bacardi
...trying to steer people to the right path online....
JMAR5
New Member
Captain Bacardi said:JMAR5 said:
Then later:
Then in the totally irrelevant Seawind thread:
Is "bending notes" your concept of what a jazz singer is? If so, you need to listen to a lot more jazz. Anyone can bend a note - it's called bad singing. A good singer will nail a note on-key! I agree that phrasing may play a part in singing, but a lot of that has to do with the actual song as well. So will the setting of a song.
My advice to you is to bury yourself in albums by Ella, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Kurt Elling, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Sinatra, Bennett, maybe some Shirley Horn and some Manhattan Transfer, and you'll start to feel foolish for thinking that someone like Pauline Wilson could even be mentioned in the same breath!
Yeah, you're wrong.
Capt. Bacardi
...trying to steer people to the right path online....
First of all, I never mentioned Pauline Wilson in the same breath of those that you listed. You are using various quotes from 2 different threads and taking out the rest of what I said. I did however, mention Flora Purim and Bofill in comparison to Pauline.
You have your opinion and I still stick by mine. So don't try to lecture me on what a jazz singer is or is not. Just for the record I do have albums/CD's by most of those artists you mentioned and I am very well educated on the art of singing.
You mention Clooney and Bennet, but to me they are more of a standards/pop/big band singer. Even legendary jazz artists like Carmen McCrae dismissed Clooney as a jazz singer.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1998/01/30/WEEKEND9175.dtl&hw=singers&sn=007&sc=390
Dave
Well-Known Member
Mr Bill said:This picture Mike posted said:
Mike
Looking at the cigarette in her hand I realized I'd not seen one smoked in this manner since I was in Thailand...
--Mr Bill
figuring since this thread has deteriorated anyway....
That WAS a good one, Dave, my friend!
--Mr B
Thanks... I would rank that picture with a Sandpipers Guantanamera out-take...! :twitchy:
Dave
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