Favorite vocal performances of standards?

**ccroft** · 02-09-2020, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Anita O'Day does two of my favorite vocal versions of standards: "Honeysuckle Rose" and "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me." Incredible talent.

Agree! Her version of Beautiful Love is my favorite for that song. I like the raspy edge to her voice. There's an interview by Terry Gross that's a great listen. A real firecracker!

Lots of excellent suggestions here. Totally agree that knowing at least some of the lyrics and the vocal version really helps with feel and phrasing. Also makes keeping your place in the tune easier.

**wintermoon** · 02-09-2020, 04:52 PM

"Anyone here familiar with Clarence 'C.' Sharpe? He was a beautiful alto player (and person), originally out of Philly."

of course, he's on Lee Morgan's 'Indeed' lp, he wound up doing a lot of busking in NY

"Hoagy's real masterpiece is Winter Moon---and it's a delight to hear him sing it)"

hmm, never heard of it

**MarkRhodes** · 02-09-2020, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by joelf

I meant he [Hoagy Carmichael] projected Southern charm, affected or not. I know he was from the Midwest. I guess I should've stuck to Mercer--apologies.

My mom, a Mississippi gal, is a big fan of Hoagy's. She's especially fond of this song.

**MarkRhodes** · 02-09-2020, 05:27 PM

If we're talking about composers who sang their own stuff, we have to mention Fats Waller.

Speaking of which, are there recordings of Cole Porter singing his classic songs???

**wintermoon** · 02-09-2020, 05:28 PM

Jo Stafford.
Some say she's not really a jazz singer, but I disagree

**MarkRhodes** · 02-09-2020, 05:29 PM

Someone above mentioned Mel Torme. His version of this is my favorite.

**wintermoon** · 02-09-2020, 05:34 PM

and maybe my favorite singer period, Carmen McRae

**wintermoon** · 02-09-2020, 05:37 PM

f you like Mel, this is a gem....

**WILSON 1** · 02-09-2020, 06:36 PM

If I got stuck on a deserted island I'd only need this one...

joelf · 02-09-2020, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Love the way Johnny sings this one

But when Harold Arlen sang his own "Let's Fall In Love" (1933), well, it was not such a grand outing. (Don't get me wrong, I love Harold Arlen's work, but his singing, uh, not so much. And he COULD sing but without the distinctiveness he brought to his blues-infused melodies.)

He started out as a cantor. Maybe he never really made the transition---vocally, that is. I know he was pianist in many jazz ensembles and loved blues (which, to me was always close in feeling and tone bending to Jewish religious music).

In fact, if you read the interview with him in Max Wilk's highly recommended They're Playing Our Song, the success as a songwriter was something as an accident and afterthought. Arlen thought of himself as a blues singer...

joelf · 02-09-2020, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by WILSON 1

If I got stuck on a deserted island I'd only need this one...

I adore Nancy, this rendition---and recorded this in tribute.

Whatever Jonathan Schwartz's foibles and bad behavior may be, I'll always thank him for turning me on to Nancy on his onetime WNYC radio show. When I heard her sing Autumn Leaves/When October goes with the sparse accompaniment of (I think) piano and cello, the feeling was so overpowering I had to pull to the side of the road for fear of losing it and crashing the car---no BS...

joelf · 02-09-2020, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

"Anyone here familiar with Clarence 'C.' Sharpe? He was a beautiful alto player (and person), originally out of Philly."

of course, he's on Lee Morgan's 'Indeed' lp, he wound up doing a lot of busking in NY

We did some of that busking, and a gig with a singer named Haze Laser (LOL---great guy, actually). We were tight buddies in the '80s---he and Tommy Turrentine were my main running buddies around Chelsea and hither and yon back then. (I finally paid tribute to their memories in Tommy & C.---which is being performed next Friday).

C Sharpe actually recorded more than the Indeed disc (he was 18, Morgan 17!). He was on an Archie Shepp LP (For Losers) with his lady China Lynn Perault; on Freddie Redd's Lonely City---and a bunch of others. He WAS pitifully under-recorded, but there's some live stuff online if you google 105 minutes with C. Sharpe. A long set, and that one captures his uniqueness and spirit more than the studio recordings.

He was the McCoy---honest and real, a true friend, and I'll miss him til the day I die...

**Marinero** · 02-10-2020, 10:04 AM

And, no one has mentioned the incomparable songstress/pianist: Shirley Horn? This would be my desert island music. Good playing . . . Marinero

**WILSON 1** · 02-10-2020, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by joelf

I adore Nancy, this rendition---and recorded this in tribute.

I had to pull to the side of the road for fear of losing it and crashing the car---no BS...

HA LOL. I've got my GPS holder jammed into the single slot CD player in the car because I discovered that I can't listen to music and drive at the same time.

Ha,ha... I thought I was the only one.

**MarkRhodes** · 02-10-2020, 10:51 AM

I'm not sure this was thought of as a standard before Peggy Lee sang it...

**MarkRhodes** · 02-10-2020, 10:56 AM

Julie London's take of "Cry Me A River" is definitive but this take of "I'm In The Mood For Love" (also w Barney Kessel on guitar) is my favorite.

joelf · 02-10-2020, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by WILSON 1

HA LOL. I've got my GPS holder jammed into the single slot CD player in the car because I discovered that I can't listen to music and drive at the same time.

Ha,ha... I thought I was the only one.

It's her instrument and passion. Makes you feel like making love---to her maybe. Just a honeyed voice, and no pretense of being a 'jazz' singer.

When I heard of her passing away so young (43), I felt exactly as I did when I heard Natalie Cole had died: like crying...

joelf · 02-10-2020, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Speaking of which, are there recordings of Cole Porter singing his classic songs???

Yes. Anything goes, with Cole at the piano and singing. Not sure where you'd find it (youtube?). Pretty sure it's a video...

joelf · 02-10-2020, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Fred Archtop

Great thread!

Here you will find the great Monika Zetterlung with the (non lesser great !) Bill Evans trio (Eddie Gomez, Axel Riel).

Unless you are fluent swedish, you can skip the intro till 01'04".

And this one, with a delightful short rehearsal moment before they start at 01'28"

Really nice!

Is that her lyric on Waltz...or a Swedish Translation of Gene Lees's?

joelf · 02-10-2020, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by joelf

Really nice!

Is that her lyric on Waltz...or a Swedish Translation of Gene Lees's?

And speaking of Once Upon a Summertime---a tune I've always thought masterful---one element besides Legrand's winsome melody is the lyric: it was written by a Frenchman (I'll look up his name) and IMO he's a much better match for Legrand's style than the Bergmans---who I don't love (except for the terrific job they did on Nice 'n' Easy---if they'd written more like that I'd love them to death)...

joelf · 02-10-2020, 10:31 PM

Mark Rhodes:

**wintermoon** · 02-10-2020, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by joelf

And speaking of Once Upon a Summertime---a tune I've always thought masterful---one element besides Legrand's winsome melody is the lyric: it was written by a Frenchman (I'll look up his name) and IMO he's a much better match for Legrand's style than the Bergmans---who I don't love (except for the terrific job they did on Nice 'n' Easy---if they'd written more like that I'd love them to death)...

Yes, my introduction to the tune long ago was by the criminally underrated and almost forgotten pianist, organist, accordionist, vocalist Joe Mooney. If you don't know him check him out...

**MattR** · 02-11-2020, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Marinero

And, no one has mentioned the incomparable songstress/pianist: Shirley Horn? This would be my desert island music. Good playing . . . Marinero

Good one Marinero - and count me as a real fan of Shirley H.

I recall her getting a lot of airplay at one point on the jazz station in...um, dang...don't remember for sure at this point if it was in Nashville or Seattle....

joelf · 02-11-2020, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

Yes, my introduction to the tune long ago was by the criminally underrated and almost forgotten pianist, organist, accordionist, vocalist Joe Mooney. If you don't know him check him out...

He was really good, but something about his style or sound sort of creeped me out, not sure what--just one of those things. But I have admittedly weird taste in singers. Not a huge fan of Mel Torme or Billy Eckstine either---and both were great. I do? love Torme's songwriting, especially Born to be Blue...