[78-L] Acoustic women pop singers

Taylor Bowie bowiebks at isomedia.com
Sun Jul 19 14:54:23 PDT 2009


> -----------
> I don't like her "singing the blues", which seems to me to come out
> somewhat stilted. Her ballads are more imbued with blues than her blues.
>
> "Summertime" gets dangerously close to a "Mammy" song.
>
>      Julian Vein


Then we should follow it with "I Never Had a Mammy" by the Duncan Sisters!

Julian's  use of "singing the blues" reminds me of a remarkable vocal record 
which perhaps some of our group might not have heard.  It's the 1920 Victor 
record of "Singing the Blues" by  Aileen Stanley.  It's a great melody and 
she makes the most of it...best vocal version I've heard including the 
awkward sounding Bee Palmer vocal version of the solos on the Trumbauer 
record.

My first discovery and still my fave of the acoustic female vaudeville 
belters is Margaret Young.  She was not only a great singer with plenty of 
jazz feeling,  but she also had  Grade AAAA Brunswick studio bands to back 
her up.   To see what I mean,  listen to her Way Down Yonder In New Orleans 
or even better,  Hard-Hearted Hannah,  which has a great rolling ensemble 
and superb stop-time trumpet breaks by...somebody.  Maybe Jules Levy Jr not 
long before he passed away?  Rich, full tone...magnificent playing.  It bugs 
me not to know who some of these players are.   They deserve credit and to 
be remembered.

Taylor




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