[78-L] Jan Savitt and vocalists

[Bud Black]

After leaving Jan Savitt's orchestra, Bon Bon (George Tunnell) made
recordings on the red label Joe Davis series as "Bon Bon and his Buddies." 
A fine selection in this series is one called "You'd Better Stop Playing
Around," which is actually a play on words.  ("playing" sounding
suspiciously like "laying.")

Bud 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Taylor Bowie
Date: 7/29/2009 1:28:00 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: [78-L] Jan Savitt and vocalists
 
I love the Jan Savitt Orch and have a Savitt CD in the car which gets a lot
of play as I drive around.  I told someone recently that I have on more than
one occasion played his Decca version of 720 In The Books nine or ten times
in a row...it is so damn cheery and uplifting for me!
 
Some seem to object to his frequent use of the "shuffle rhythm" but I
don't...and I don't get tired of it either.
 
Also I've come to the conclusion that no other band of the 30s and 40s ever
had TWO vocalists at one time  who together were as good as Carlotta Dale
and Bon Bon.
 
I've never heard Moonlight Serenade sung with such musical feeling as her
version,  and I don't think anyone including Holiday or Sarah Vaughn or
whoever else sang You Go To My Head any better.  She is surely the most
under-rated band singer of the time.
 
Bon bon on fast numbers can't be beat...and on stuff which on paper looks
pretty doubtful ("Just A Kid Named Joe" for one example) he sings with great
feeling and sense of time.  The first I ever heard of him was the  Savitt
Bluebird of Tutti Fruitti and that hooked me good!
 
Some might make a case that the two best singers in a band at one time were
Sinatra and Stafford with Dorsey,  but Jo really didn't get that many
chances to sing solo on record.
 
I'd be interested in the thoughts of others about  Carlotta Dale and Bon
Bon...and Savitt.
 
Taylor
 
 
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