[78-L] Pop and Jazz Singers

[simmonssomer]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven C. Barr" <stevenc at interlinks.net>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 12:01 AM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Pop and Jazz Singers


> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "simmonssomer" <simmonssomer at comcast.net>
>> Here we go then. A year-end list of............
>> The Best of The Male Pop and Jazz Singers on  our 78's.
>> Who has been left off.
>> Who should be left off?
>> (Does anyone care?)
>>
> YES! What has happened to poor old Irving Kaufman (or his brother
> Jack?!) I also DON'T see Harold "Scrappy" Lambert...thus, in one fell
> swoop, you have wiped out about 1/4 of the recordings of 1925-32!
> Further, Ben Selvin was a fairly competent singer...often heard on his
> recordings of the twenties! Dare I mention Ted Lewis...who contributed
> "incidental singing" to many of his numerous hit records...?!
>
> Then, finally, you have omitted both Billy Jones and Ernest Hare...?!
> And, as well, skipped over the entire first half of the 1900-1925 era...
> thus Henry Burr, Albert Campbell and a number of others! Like
> them or not...but they DID record MANY "vocal refrains" before
> the electrification of recording rendered them obsolete!
>
> Steven C. Barr
> (who not only likes poor old Carmen...but who can also perform
> an accurate copy of his vocalizing...?!)
> _______________________________________________

If somehow I could prevent anyone from singing like Carmen Lombardo I would
consider my life well spent.
Stick with those blues.

Ted Lewis equalled his singing (sprechstimme) capabilities with his clarinet 
playing.
I included Billy Jones but alas, did omit Hare for which I apologize.
Of the Dick Robertson, Chick Bullock, Scrappy Lambert studio troica I chose 
only to include Chick.
Strictly a personal preference. I did say "Best".
Ben Selvin was a sh..tty singer. He did very little better than say.... Joe 
Pass or Irving Mills. .
I never cared for the declamatory acoustical bred singing style of Kaufmans 
but realize that here
I am definitely swimming upstream.
The Henry Burr, Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman styles are not on my "Best" 
list although there
are many of their performances I do enjoy .
It was their particular timbre that gave them so much work in front of the 
horn.
Aside from that genetic accident they were like hundreds of other vaudeville 
acts of the day.
Even if  they do belong I can't bring myself to list them as "Best".. Too 
long ago and far
away for me, in style and content.

I try to keep my opinions and musical tastes separated from my archival 
imperatives.
I have lots of sides by these gents but like so many of us, only as 
socio/artistic/historic, musical documents.
(and archival completeness)
And that's all I have to say. I'm goin' to the Winegar Woiks.

Al Simmons