Customer Reviews

Ethel Waters 1926 to 1929

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Ethel Waters is best remembered now as an actress, but in the 1920s she was second only to Bessie Smith as the most popular African - American woman singer. Where as Smith was primarily a blues singer (and even when she performed up - tempo vaudeville numbers her renditions were still blues - drenched), Waters was more at home with the popular song genre. Her voice was lighter than Smith's electrifying contralto, but she had great timing and a raunchy sense of humour (see "Take your Black Bottom Outside" and "My Special Friend Is Back In Town).

Of all her recordings, this CD is my favourite, thanks to the four outstanding 1928 tracks (15 - 18) Waters cut with the great jazz pianist James P. Johnson. Johnson, who also recorded extensively with Smith, was an outstanding accompanist, and these tracks are effectively vocal / piano duets. Johnson's characteristically driving two handed piano style is seen to best advantage on "Guess Who's in Town", where his solo is simply sensational. Wonderful double entendre lyrics by Andy Razaf delivered with enormous gusto by Waters make these among her finest recordings.

Just to demonstrate how great Johnson was, the next four tracks (19 -22) are accompanied by the jazz publisher, dubious entrepreneur and mediocre pianist Clarence Williams. Once described as playing piano as if he was wearing mittens, his pedestrian renditions contrast embarrassingly with Johnson's virtuosity.

Recommended!

The 1926-1929 cd of Ethel Waters in the Chronological Classics serie is, without a doubt, the very very best of all of the great Ethel Waters's recordings! In this cd, you can hear how much Miss waters was different of the others singers of her time. She is the first real jazz singer and her expressive voice influenced other great singers like Ella Fitzgerald,etc. Listen to AM I BLUE, MY HANDY MAN, GUESS WHO'S IN TOWN and MY SPECIAL FRIEND IS BACK IN TOWN, and you will understand why everybody who love jazz vocal can't ignore Ethel Waters. If you want to purchase only ONE cd of the entire Chronological Classics serie, this is the one you must buy. You will never regret it!

Jazz singer Waters on the edge of widespread stardom. She takes odd chances on a few songs -- her phrasing on "One Sweet Letter From You" and a couple of other tunes is simply distracting and bizarre, although you get the sense that she was trying to push at the boundaries of her craft, and have to admire her for the attempt. Other songs are closer to her blues roots, and a series of smutty blues sessions recorded with the likes of James P. Johnson and Clarence Williams yield a several gems. Her version of "My Handy Man" is a triumph of the genre, while "Get Up Off Your Knees" is positively scandalous. A few other milder hokum tunes are more reserved, but similarly enjoyable. Recommended!

Jazz singer Waters on the edge of widespread stardom. She takes odd chances on a few songs -- her phrasing on "One Sweet Letter From You" and a couple of other tunes is simply distracting and bizarre, although you get the sense that she was trying to push at the boundaries of her craft, and have to admire her for the attempt. Other songs are closer to her blues roots, and a series of risque blues sessions recorded with the likes of James P. Johnson and Clarence Williams yield a several gems. Her version of "My Handy Man" is a triumph of the genre, while "Get Up Off Your Knees" is positively scandalous. A few other milder hokum tunes are more reserved, but similarly enjoyable. Recommended!