Quiet dude: we're going for a Jimmy!

[cloughie]

I have quite a few of the Verve albums that Betty Carter made in the 1990s. Not played them for ages but they always struck me as being made by an artist who was stridently in the jazz camp. One of the albums was called "It is not about the melody" and that whole approach really appealed to me back then. Listening to them the last time I played them, it was quite striking how risky ditching the melody was and I am not convinced it always worked. When she was on the money, I have to say that she was quite unsurpassed. The live "Feed the fire" album is terrific. What she did was taking a chance and maybe not for everyone?

I wondered how many others had checked out Jazzmeia Horn, a young singer firmly in the Better Carter camp ? The few records I have heard by her shows she wears this influence on her sleeve and maybe she is an antedote to the slew of young singers rattling out standards. For my money, Dianne Reeves does take some beating, though.

Absolutely agree about Dianne Reeves - mention her to most people and the answer is ‘who?’ - I chanced upon her in a live broadcast concert whilst channel hopping a French TV looking for something to watch. This was around 25 years ago - I now possess most of her albums. I also rate Cassandra Wilson.

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I like all stages of Betty Carter! I bought a double (LP) live album in the mid 1980s, self marketed as I recall, that had a long "Spring can really hang you up the most" on it that was wonderfully done - and with distinct humour. John Hicks on piano?

I also like Julie London a lot, a total opposite who didn't scat, had as she said, a quite small voice, worked a lot with west coast ensembles, but was supremely tasteful with great phrasing and minimal mannerisms. Not full blown jazz maybe, but a friend to many who were, and died while listening to a Ray Charles Atlantic album "The Genius", so taste to the end.

[Serial_Apologist]

I like all stages of Betty Carter! I bought a double (LP) live album in the mid 1980s, self marketed as I recall, that had a long "Spring can really hang you up the most" on it that was wonderfully done - and with distinct humour. John Hicks on piano?

I also like Julie London a lot, a total opposite who didn't scat, had as she said, a quite small voice, worked a lot with west coast ensembles, but was supremely tasteful with great phrasing and minimal mannerisms. Not full blown jazz maybe, but a friend to many who were, and died while listening to a Ray Charles Atlantic album "The Genius", so taste to the end.

Oh my goodness! - I had that album too (as probably many of us did) but didn't know that about Julie London. Although I've often thought about it, "What would you like to be your last ever piece of music?" sounds too morbid a subject to start a thread on!

[cloughie]

I like all stages of Betty Carter! I bought a double (LP) live album in the mid 1980s, self marketed as I recall, that had a long "Spring can really hang you up the most" on it that was wonderfully done - and with distinct humour. John Hicks on piano?

I also like Julie London a lot, a total opposite who didn't scat, had as she said, a quite small voice, worked a lot with west coast ensembles, but was supremely tasteful with great phrasing and minimal mannerisms. Not full blown jazz maybe, but a friend to many who were, and died while listening to a Ray Charles Atlantic album "The Genius", so taste to the end.

Being married to Bobby Troup she would hardly be able to avoid them. Twas he who encouraged her to be a singer - As you said her delivery was spot on and a role model for all the singers who insist on murdering ‘Cry me a river’ if only they would listen to it! I bought a number of her Liberty albums that were available 2 on 1 cd .

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

Julie London had had a serious stroke and was still badly affected by it, but invited friends around at the end. She was a huge Ray Charles fan, that album in particular, and that was the last thing played for her that night. One side is the big band material arranged by Quincy etc, the second side ballads including "Come rain, come shine", that in particular arranged by Bob Brookmeyer at short notice, and with his classic trombone introduction. Ray kept that arrangement in his book for a long time and Brookmeyer was very proud of that fact.

[Quarky]

Scat is a component part of the Jazz Singers tool-kit, and there are many extremely able exponents of this, e.g. Diana Reeves.

However there is now a great interest in improvisation using the human voice, not just jazz, but folk, classical, experimental, etc, etc. The whole range of sounds that can be produced by the human voice are used, and I have to admit I find this more interesting.

A good example is a track played on Freeness this week, about 10 minutes or so in: Mankwe Ndosi & Body MemOri - backmouthfindingpulse - great jazz, in my book.

[Serial_Apologist]

Fri 22 Oct - BBC4
9pm - Zappa
The first all-access documentary - years in the making - about the American musician Frank Zappa, who died in 1993. It conveys the scope of his prodigious and varied creative output, and the breadth of his extraordinary personal and political life. The documentary team was granted exclusive access by his widow Gail to a vast collection of Zappa's unreleased music, movies, incomplete projects, unseen interviews and unheard concert recordings, much of which was deteriorating and in danger of being lost forever.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010rl8

And a special thanks once more to Jazzrook for drawing attention to this.

Just bumping this up as a reminder.

[cloughie]

In this morning’s i the today’s birthdays include Dianne Reeves 65! I guess somevreaders will look and say ‘ Who?’. For me it was just good to see a mention of a very good singer! Happy Birthday Dianne!