[78-L] Peace Crimes

[Randy Skretvedt]

Well, I like the singing of Ruth Etting (also a nice person), Lee Wiley (not a nice person), and Vaughn DeLeath (playing her records on the radio occasionally is DeLeath I can do).  I much prefer Ruth's earlier records to her later, more torchy ones.  I get a chuckle out of Frank Trumbauer's vocals, which sound like a guy with a bad cold singing at a bar after a couple too many.  I like Lee Morse and Annette Hanshaw, both of whom have prompted disparaging comments within my earshot.

The one '20s-'30s vocalist I can't stand is Libby Holman.  Ucccch!  Combine a hammy delivery (she's the femme Harry Richman) with a jackhammer vibrato (she makes Gloria Jean sound like Jo Stafford) and a sense of pitch that always goes sharp of the note, and there is La Holman.  I suppose maybe she's better in those later recordings where she's doing the folk music, but her late '20s records make my teeth hurt.

--Randy Skretvedt