Jazz Vocals
VOICES Notes and news on Jazz Vocals releases
Elling's Dedication
16 JUN 09 ANNE FARNSWORTH
Grammy-nominated singer Kurt Elling's Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman was recorded live at Lincoln Center with Elling's long-time musical director/arranger, pianist Laurence Hobgood, tenor saxophone legend Ernie Watts and the string quartet, ETHEL.
This project was originally commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival, who asked Elling to do a "reiteration" of the famous 1963 recording session that teamed the jazz giant with the mellow-toned balladeer, the only vocalist with whom 'Trane would ever record.
But Elling wasn't interested in replicating the original, note for note, saying, "That's not a very jazzy thing to do." Bless you, Kurt Elling -- feel free to tell your friends. The real genius of a tribute is building on the base of a classic while keeping the crucial elements that make it worth revisiting in the first place.
What's kept? The repertoire, of course -- ballads like "Lush Life" and "My One And Only Love" that Hartman owned after recording them with Coltrane. Then there's Elling's resonant baritone, similar to Hartman's yet more supple and broad ranging. Watts, a jazz legend in his own right, supplies the same fat tenor sound while adding original musical ideas.
What's new? How about that string quartet? Sounds a little nutty but Hobgood makes it work so perfectly you would swear the strings were always there. His arrangements polish and modernize the original. All told, a very jazzy thing to do.
-
My One and Only Love
Kurt Elling, from Dedicated To You: Kurt ...
-
Lush Life
John Coltrane, from Lush Life [Rudy Van ...
-
The Sleepers
Kurt Elling, from Nightmoves
in this playlist.
Stroll The Meadowlands
22 MAY 09 ANNE FARNSWORTH
Concord Music Group is celebrating its new relationship with Frank Sinatra Enterprises with a powerful one-two punch. On the heels of the anniversary edition of My Way, comes Live At The Meadowlands, a previously unreleased recording of a 1986 concert that puts you right in the front row.
The storied Meadowlands Arena is located a scant 7 miles from Hoboken, Sinatra's birthplace, making this concert truly a homecoming. The several references to his "hometown crowd" and past concerts in nearby Atlantic City thrill the adoring audience, whose excitement is described by opening comic Red Buttons as "World War III out there!"
The concert begins with an orchestral overture, whose commanding first chord is reminiscent of the opening strains of Mozart's Don Giovanni. The overture is a medley of Sinatra hits, like you would hear at the start of a Broadway musical. Which makes perfect sense, for if Sinatra's life and career aren't the stuff of great theater, what is?
The concert play list hits all the high points in Sinatra's discography. Perennial chestnuts "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Mack The Knife" are paired with less familiar classics like "Nice N' Easy." Throughout, the boss takes the time to note the arrangers, conductor and featured players, showing, as he always does, his respect and camaraderie with the "little guys" who were such a big part of his sound.
-
I've Got You Under My Skin
Rosemary Clooney, from Rosemary Clooney ...
-
Mack The Knife
Louis Armstrong, from Live At The 1958 ...
in this playlist.
He Did It His Way
07 MAY 09 ANNE FARNSWORTH
In 1969, 54-year-old Frank Sinatra was in his mature phase, his whiskey-soaked sound deepened by a life of exuberant living. My Way, one of his most popular albums, is being celebrated with a 40th Anniversary Edition (Concord), with fun extras like new liner notes by Bono. Still in full command of his instrument, Sinatra's confidence and pure enjoyment shine on every cut.
The banter between Sinatra and the orchestra during a bonus rehearsal track of "For Once In My Life" reveals mutual respect as well as the Chairman's executive style. Following a "that was thrilling!" to the band, he gently admonishes after a somewhat sloppy intro, "You better keep your eye on me, 'cause I ain't coming 'round here no more."
Like many of his peers, Sinatra experimented with pop songs. They fit seamlessly with the more traditional tunes, thanks in part to the brilliantly swinging arrangements by longtime conductor Don Costa (father of Stax artist Nikka Costa).
And Sinatra wasn't afraid to put his own spin on the lyrics. His redo of Paul Simon's "Mrs. Robinson" is hilarious, from the insidery shoutout to his old friend ("Jilly loves you more than you could know"), to a revamped chorus admonishing the lady that they "won't okay the way you do your thing. Ding, ding ding" when "fooling with that young stuff like you do. Woo, woo, woo." It's all Vegas, baby -- silly and devil-may-care and, hey, who wants another round?
-
My Way
Keely Smith, from Keely Sings Sinatra
-
Mrs. Robinson
Booker T. & The MGs, from The Best Of ...
-
For Once In My Life
Michael Bolton, from Bolton Swings ...
-
Keep Pushin'
Nikka Costa, from Pebble to a Pearl
in this playlist.
All Of Bennett & Evans
09 APR 09 ANNE FARNSWORTH
If you always thought of Tony Bennett as a saloon singer and didn't know he could dig deep as a jazz vocalist, you should listen to The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album. If you've always wondered how jazz piano giant Bill Evans would approach accompanying a singer, you should check out Together Again. Better yet, pick up The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings (Fantasy), a remastered CD that combines both intriguing recordings.
Recorded in 1975 and '77 respectively, the two artists were in their prime -- Bennett taking rightful place as one of America's top balladeers and Evans in full flower (not to mention full beard) after changing the sound of jazz piano in the '60s. They met as equals, co-arrangers, as illustrated by the first album's cover photo of Bennett leaning over as Evans makes a change to the chart. A bittersweet moment in time, for we would lose Evans just three years after the second album was finished.
As befits the intimate nature of a duo performance, this collection is all about ballads. The American Songbook is well represented, with some notable exceptions. Two beautiful waltzes that are under-recorded in their vocal versions are Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born" and Evans' classic "Waltz For Debby." My favorites are the songs that signify Bennett for me -- "Young And Foolish," "Make Someone Happy" and the peerless "But Beautiful."
-
Make Someone Happy
Tony Bennett & Bill Evans, from The ...
-
Waltz For Debby (Take 2)
The Bill Evans Trio, from Waltz For Debby
-
Chazzanova
Thad Jones, from Thad Jones
-
A Child Is Born
Woody Herman, from Giant Steps
in this playlist.
BROWSE ARCHIVE OF JAZZ VOCALS VOICES
