So Veronica Swift is breaking out finally?
― (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Razor (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 January 2022 04:36 (two years ago) link
I guess so. Out of touch with current jazz vocalists me is just hearing of her
― curmudgeon, Monday, 3 January 2022 16:26 (two years ago) link
II didn't even know she put out a full album yet.
― (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Razor (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 January 2022 16:50 (two years ago) link
I don't think I ever knowingly heard Susannah McCorkle's voice before today. Man, she really was great.
― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, 3 January 2022 19:51 (two years ago) link
Yeah, this is one of my faves by her:
Sabia AllMusic Review by Scott YanowSusannah McCorkle spoke Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese in addition to English; she had worked as an interpreter before she devoted herself to singing. On her second Concord CD, McCorkle sang ten Brazilian songs plus "Estate," switching between English, Portuguese, and Italian. There is no communication problem as far as conveying her feelings and the high quality of the melodies, so this is a more accessible release than one might think. The vocalist's backup group includes pianist Lee Musiker, Scott Hamilton on tenor, and guitarist Emily Remler.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4c8rcJ4rVw
― dow, Sunday, 9 January 2022 23:50 (two years ago) link
Veronica Swift, This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue)-- Jazz critic poll winner
Veronica Swift's opening rendition of the title track has a different and contemporary arrangement to it, but the rest sounds more traditional and even studied to me
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 11 January 2022 05:19 (two years ago) link
Listening to this now. First track is really interesting. Have been on the fence about her singing for the past two years. She's obvious got a Big Voice and this album of diverse material may be suited to her but we will see.
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:05 (two years ago) link
There is another newer singer who I became aware of a tiny bit later who think I prefer slightly, of Armenian origin and her name is...
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:08 (two years ago) link
Lucy Yeghiazaryan.
And she recently married one of her musical collaborators who is also really good and that is....
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:10 (two years ago) link
Grant Stewart
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:11 (two years ago) link
Will check---speaking of studied, or anyway bourgie, but mainly they're really into it!New York Voices: "Sing! Sing! Sing!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf6wxhtEJz8
― dow, Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:12 (two years ago) link
What other New York Voices vocalise is good?
― dow, Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:13 (two years ago) link
I dunno but I sort of got used to them because they would always show up on Michael Bourne's show before he retired recently.
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 12 January 2022 18:23 (two years ago) link
Some good vocalizing at Smalls the other day showed up recently in my feed. Perhaps I will post the link.
― Never Mind the ILX, Here's the Blecch Pistols (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 31 March 2022 18:58 (two years ago) link
http://twitter.com/i/timeline
― dow, Tuesday, 30 August 2022 23:41 (one year ago) link
try again
I've enjoyed KP's vocalese since getting most of the best on Fantasy twofer The Source in early 70s, but think the below was mostly instrumental? TP lifted the stuck in gorilla bit from a Robert Bloch story (RB's mental revenge on real life poisoner of neighbor kid) https://t.co/sSDcko7fgO— Don Allred (@0wlred) August 28, 2022
― dow, Tuesday, 30 August 2022 23:42 (one year ago) link
real life drug poisoner of neighbor kid, in Topanga or Laurel Canyon I think---scary story.
― dow, Tuesday, 30 August 2022 23:43 (one year ago) link
O Susannah! Used to love to turn jazz vocal noobs on to her when I worked in the CD store:We Remember Singer Susannah McCorkleMay 25, 2001 12:00 AM ETHeard on Fresh Airwith excerpts from her Fresh Air interviews and concerts. She died last weekend after jumping to her death. She was 55. She had 17 albums to her credit and a repertoire of more than 3000 songs. Besides being a literate interpreter of American popular song, she was also a prose writer who published fiction in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan and The O. Henry Book of Short Stories. We also talk with Susannah McCorkle's ex-husband and former manager Dan Dinicola.(REBROADCASTS from 7/17/87, 12/23/88, 4/12/91, 7/3/96).https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1123480
Thanks dow - I actually just discovered her music. (I bought a large shipment of Penguin-recommended jazz CD's for peanuts and her Johnny Mercer album was one of them.)
I looked her up on Wikipedia after enjoying the album and saw what happened with her. Tremendously sad. The address where she lived (and took her life) is actually close to where I used to work back in the early 2010s, and I walked past that location many times while I was there.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 14 March 2023 20:59 (one year ago) link
Glad you dig her, bird----check xpost Sabia too!Haven't heard the Mercer, but reminds me that she was sometimes tagged as retro, which she found creepy--the people that wanted her to "wear long white gloves" and so on---also the possible political implications, like the "conservative" connotations of early Jazz in Suits, also what happened with her Cali peers the Carpenters, praised by Nixon for all things pure(actually it now seems like they were just into the West Coast hot house sunshine pop sensibility, a la Curt Boettcher and so on). She was a child of Berkeley, but *musically* not much in thee swim of things out there, or not in terms of what she wanted to perform (although she did do Paul Simon's "Train In The Distance," for instance).
― dow, Thursday, 16 March 2023 20:15 (one year ago) link
Getting back to or toward vocalese: local station has been playing Carmen McRae's take on "Ruby My Dear," re-titled "Dear Ruby."
― dow, Friday, 17 March 2023 18:31 (one year ago) link
Feel like Carmen McCrae gives Jon Hendricks a serious run for his money in the Monk vocalese department.
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 18 March 2023 11:27 (one year ago) link
It's from McRae Sings Monk, originally released in 1990. with Hendricks contributing lyrics only; his voice was pretty worn down by then. Wiki sez, of apparently the most recent reissue:
All music composed by Thelonious Monk, lyricists indicated.Due to copyright restrictions the song titles of these standards were modified (with the exception of "'Round Midnight"). Monk's original titles are indicated after the track titles."Get It Straight" ("Straight, No Chaser") (Sally Swisher) – 3:58"Dear Ruby" ("Ruby, My Dear") (Swisher) – 6:01"It's Over Now" ("Well, You Needn't") (Mike Ferro) – 5:28"Monkery's the Blues" ("Blue Monk") (Abbey Lincoln) – 4:56"You Know Who" ("I Mean You") (Coleman Hawkins, Jon Hendricks) – 3:31"Little Butterfly" ("Pannonica") (Hendricks) – 5:15"Listen to Monk" ("Rhythm-a-Ning") (Hendricks) – 3:05"How I Wish" ("Ask Me Now") (Hendricks) – 4:56"Man, That Was a Dream" ("Monk's Dream") (Hendricks) – 2:55"'Round Midnight" (Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen) – 6:32"Still We Dream" ("Ugly Beauty") (Ferro) – 3:27"Suddenly" ("In Walked Bud") (Hendricks) – 3:41"Looking Back" ("Reflections") (Hendricks) – 5:35Tracks on original CD release, but omitted on LP and MC"Suddenly" – 3:13"Get It Straight" – 3:26Previously unreleased, alternate takes added since 2001 reissue"'Round Midnight" (Alternate Version) – 7:11"Listen to Monk" (Alternate Take) – 2:59"Man, That Was a Dream" (Alternate Take) – 3:23PersonnelCarmen McRae - vocalsClifford Jordan - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophoneEric Gunnison - pianoGeorge Mraz - double bassAl Foster - drumsLive at Great American Music Hall on January 30 & February 1, 1988 (tracks 1 & 12)Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophoneLarry Willis - pianoGeorge Mraz - double bassAl Foster - drums
"Get It Straight" ("Straight, No Chaser") (Sally Swisher) – 3:58"Dear Ruby" ("Ruby, My Dear") (Swisher) – 6:01"It's Over Now" ("Well, You Needn't") (Mike Ferro) – 5:28"Monkery's the Blues" ("Blue Monk") (Abbey Lincoln) – 4:56"You Know Who" ("I Mean You") (Coleman Hawkins, Jon Hendricks) – 3:31"Little Butterfly" ("Pannonica") (Hendricks) – 5:15"Listen to Monk" ("Rhythm-a-Ning") (Hendricks) – 3:05"How I Wish" ("Ask Me Now") (Hendricks) – 4:56"Man, That Was a Dream" ("Monk's Dream") (Hendricks) – 2:55"'Round Midnight" (Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen) – 6:32"Still We Dream" ("Ugly Beauty") (Ferro) – 3:27"Suddenly" ("In Walked Bud") (Hendricks) – 3:41"Looking Back" ("Reflections") (Hendricks) – 5:35Tracks on original CD release, but omitted on LP and MC
"Suddenly" – 3:13"Get It Straight" – 3:26Previously unreleased, alternate takes added since 2001 reissue
"'Round Midnight" (Alternate Version) – 7:11"Listen to Monk" (Alternate Take) – 2:59"Man, That Was a Dream" (Alternate Take) – 3:23PersonnelCarmen McRae - vocalsClifford Jordan - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophoneEric Gunnison - pianoGeorge Mraz - double bassAl Foster - drumsLive at Great American Music Hall on January 30 & February 1, 1988 (tracks 1 & 12)Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophoneLarry Willis - pianoGeorge Mraz - double bassAl Foster - drums
― dow, Sunday, 19 March 2023 00:21 (one year ago) link
Ahem, I feel like taking issue with Jon’s voice being “worn down” at that point.
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 00:36 (one year ago) link
Judging by the way he sounded on the radio, especially live (late 80s-early 90s): kinda sandy and not very loud. Maybe I just heard the wrong stuff.
― dow, Sunday, 19 March 2023 01:02 (one year ago) link