Customer Reviews

Ethel Waters 1925 to 1926

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The best jazz/blues singer of the 20's, is highly influenced by Louis Armstrong, yet she has one of the sweetest, most appealing and swinging voices of the era. Of all the volumes in the classics labels reissue this is the one to start with, though all of theem are recommended highly.

Ethel Waters had the most beautiful voice ever, when she sang the angels danced in heaven. I mean this woman's phrasing was completely jazzy, yet her voice was pure and sweet. Always a dicty singer, at times very white sounding, and theb the next minute she's be scattin' away, but always in high browl sophistocated style. This CD has her mostly singing the blues of the "20's blues craze", with just James P. Johnson, King of the stride piano(the CD would be worth picking up alone for James P. Johnson's piano playing). There are also a few soon to be jazz standards here "Heebie Jeebies" and the classic "Sugar" as well as the classic blues "Loud Speakin' Papa." This is the difinitive 20's Ethel Waters CD.

Ethel waters enuctuation and phrasing are excellant. If you like early Billie Holiday you will love her forerunner and arch enemy Ethel Waters. For her time she had such perfect timing and phrasing and each word is clear and precise though at times she tends to veer in the vaudevillian opretic style that was prevelant in her day. This is a good "old testemant to anyone considering to be a singer phrasing and enuuation is what makes a singer last! A great CD!