GREATEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUMS – PART2
Ella Fitzgerald/Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook and/or Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook – Ella Fitzgerald was one of the greatest pure singers in both the popular and jazz idioms. However, over the years, some have questioned her emotional commitment to the songs that she sang, feeling that the material only existed in the service of her formidable technique. There is no doubt that this was often the case, but this criticism is invalid when it comes to the series of “Songbook” albums she did for Norman Granz and Verve records in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Here Fitzgerald did as much to revive the songs of the great songwriters of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s as Sinatra did through his great Capital Records series of the 1950’s. For an example of Ella’s interpretative powers, listen to “Where or When” on the R & H set.
Louis Armstrong/Satch Sings Fats – Once you get past “Louis the Icon”, we tend to view Armstrong as either the originator of classic jazz with his “Hot Five” and “Hot Seven” recordings of the late 1920’s, or else as the handkerchief waving - some have said “Uncle Tomming” - entertainer of the “Hello Dolly” period. But in 1955 Armstrong went into the studios of Columbia Records and recorded a tribute album to the great pianist and raconteur, Thomas “Fats” Waller. On this album Armstrong performs, among other Waller songs, an updated version of a remarkable song first written in 1929 by Waller and Andy Razaf called “What Did I Do (to be so Black and Blue?)” - a song generally considered to be the first racial protest song in the United States. Next to Billie Holiday singing “Strange Fruit,” perhaps no song more eloquently describes racism in the United States than this Waller/Razaf/Armstrong effort. Armstrong may never have done a better job of finding great material and combining it with powerful singing and trumpet playing than on this album.
Jimmy Rushing/The You and Me That Use To Be – This turned out to be Count Basie’s former vocalist’s final recording session, capping off 6 decades of uniformly excellent efforts in the recording studios – he was to die the following year. Joined by an all-star combo which included Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Dave Frishberg, and Milt Hinton, Rushing performs songs ranging from the exuberant “When I Grow Too Old To Dream,” to the poignant “Thanks A Million,” always radiating the warmth and joy that he consistently brought to the jazz community for almost 50 years.
Jeri Southern/The Decca Years 1951-1957 – Playing piano by ear at the age of 3, retired at 36 never to perform in public again, Southern possessed one of the most sensuous voices of all female jazz singers – a female Nat ‘King’ Cole. For the Decca albums from which this compilation was taken, Southern demonstrated impeccable taste in material, performing songs by Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and the Gershwin brothers. Painfully shy (the reason that she retired from performing), Southern makes the listener feel that they are eave-dropping on very personal moments in her life as they listen to her music. If, for whatever reason, you need your heart broken, listen to her interpretation of “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”
Nat ‘King’ Cole/ After Midnight – Acknowledged as one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century, many forget that Cole started out as a pianist, and for a time, was worthy competition for his idol, the great Art Tatum. Cole always sang; but in 1946, after recording his classic rendition of “The Christmas Song,” his second career took off as a singer. Capital Records recognized that with the right “Pop” material, Cole could cross-over to the lucrative “white” market. So, for the next 10 years, Cole abandoned his jazz roots (though he continued to play piano under fake names on other jazz artists’ albums) and produced a string of well-crafted popular hits which brought him fame and fortune and eventually allowed him to become the first black man to host a nationally televised variety show. In 1956, Cole decided to reconstitute his original trio which he had disbanded in 1953. Here Cole, accompanied by the trio and 4 guest artists, produces a great straight-ahead jazz album, showing off both his vocal and piano ‘chops’. Capital’s Hollywood recording studio in the 1950s, was one of the best at capturing the intimacy of a performance. On good playback equipment, Cole is in the room with you. A final recorded testament to a hugely talented man who dominated 20th century music as both a ballad singer and as a jazz pianist.
June Christy/Something Cool – Also from Capital Records, this 1954 recording features one of the many white big band singers active towards the end of the big band era. Along with Peggy Lee, Anita O’Day, Rosemary Clooney and Chris Conner, Christy- whose real name was Shirley Luster from Springfield, Illinois- was part of a group of very talented, but also rather homogeneous singers of that era. With this album Christy, best know as the female vocalist for the rather bombastic Stan Kenton band was able to distinguish herself from the pack. This album is worth acquiring if for no other reason than the title song – a rather amazingly complex lyrical statement along the lines of Harold Arlen’s “One for My Baby.” This album represents the one time that it all came together for Christy and she produces a classic – truly “Something Cool.”
Note: With part 1 and 2, I have provided 11 songs. It is the job of the reader to recommend the 12th.
Many of these selections are available at: New World Record. If they are not in stock New World will place a special order.
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Hey - how about Sinatra, 'In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning' or 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers?'
Nice list with some things I obviously need to check out. I have a June Christy Christmas LP that we've always enjoyed, but I've never explored her larger body of work.
My own personal choice for #12 would be Julie London _Round Midnight_ which was recently remastered and sounds as sultry and gorgeous as the original heavy vinyl.
Eddie Jefferson's _Letter from Home_ is another vocalese classic that would suit this list.