Customer Reviews

Jazz Singers

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4 star:		(2)
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Thank you to the reader from San Diego who noticed the error that another reviewer and I each made. The CD I reviewed was
asn=B0000060IW. I cannot comment on THIS cd as I have not heard it, but the contents look good!

This is an excellent collection of jazz singers, ranging chronologically from Bessie Smith and Eva Taylor to Cassandra Wilson and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Stylistically, it presents classic jazz singers like Holiday, Vaughan, and Fitzgerald, Armstrong, and Billy Eckstine to pop/jazz artists like Sinatra (but no Tony Bennett), blues- and gospel-influenced singers (Bessie Smith; Mahalia Jackson) and a variety of singers very loosely associated with jazz: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green!.

Of the latter singers, I suppose the producers can co-opt R&B and soul if they want, but to me it's a stretch. On the other hand, these are some of my favorite singers, so I don't mind the producers blurring jazz boundaries a little too much. Robert G. O'Meally, the extremely knowledgeable author of the superb 127 book that accompanies the five CDs, makes a reasonable defense. He states that both Gaye and Franklin made at least one straight jazz record (not sure which those would be), and that these songs are included "to indicate that jazz is a rollicking and rowdy river that flows into and out of other styles." Well, ok, but the potential buyer should review all the singers presented here so that he/she knows the breadth of that river.

Sound quality on the older songs is mostly good, though there is no evidence of remastering (listeners of some of the technologies aimed at "cleaning" the sound of older recordings will attest that remastering can either enhance or obscure a recording's musical value). As stated above, the booklet is tremendous, and really makes this collection a great value. EACH song and singer is fully discussed, often in relation to other songs in the collection. O'Meally writes clearly and with interesting details, he has a great understanding of singing and its relationship to music. For example, on Lorez Alexander's "D. B. Blues," a tribute to Lester Young, O'Meally writes that she evokes his "sinewy, sometimes airy tone, his angular phrasing, his artful uses of silences..."

Lorez Alexandria is a good example of the breadth of singers in this collection. She is not nearly as well known as some of her contemporaries, and this compilation of the under appreciated along with the famous surprises as well as delights. My main complaint is with the "Novelties and Take-offs" section of Disc 5. While it may be, as the true, as O'Meally suggests, that jazz has a tradition based partly on "low comedy, hokum, and fun," these are not essential recordings by any means. A few of these songs are a little painful to listen to, and the producers could have included more numbers by Johnny Hartman, early Armstrong, or some of the swing singers.

Overall, however, this is an excellent introduction to the luminaries of jazz singing (as well as the sometimes overlooked). I think it's an excellent starting point for those exploring the diverse sounds of the idiom, and who want a wide sampling from which to pick their favorites. There's so much music (as well as the superb commentary by O'Meally) that almost everyone will find much to enjoy here. (NOTE: This appears to be same collection as that released by Sony for the Smithsonian Collection in 1998.)

To answer Robin S. Smith's questions about the contents, it is indeed the collection of works from jazz giants such as Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Louis Armstrong, as well as lesser known singers.

The five disc set it divided into sections called "Steeped in the Blues", "Straight out of Church" "Let's Have a Party", "Swinging the Songbook", "After Hours", "Jazz Compositions", "Scat and Vocalese", and "Novelties and Take-offs". Included is an excellent 100+ page book by Robert J. O'Meally which is almost as valuable as the recordings themselves.

Highly recommended.

The reviews by Greenbaum and the customer from North Olmsted, OH seem to be referring to "The Jazz Singers 1919-1994" on the Smithsonian label. I was interested in both titles and noticed the discrepancy.

This may actually be a quite good collection which was originally collected for the Smithsonian's American Jazz Heritage in 1998 on a Sony Special Product label. Unfortunately, without more information about tracks or artists, it is impossible to know for sure. IF it is the same collection, you should buy it in a hearbeat--it's a complex, comprehensive, and frankly stunning survey of the American jazz vocalist from 1919 to the mid '90's. The enclosed booklet with incredible detail on the background and musicians of each track is an education all by itself.

If not...well, "Armstrong, et al" is not a lot of information to base your purchase on (great as Satchmo is).