[78-L] EDDIE FISHER

[JD]

With the exception of Doris Day (because of her innate musicality) I've 
never had much interest in pop singers who don't have some (even a little) 
jazz influence in their singing. Fisher certainly had no jazz roots and  was 
well known among musicians to have problems with meter. I often wondered 
(assuming he was even aware of this problem) if this bothered him in any 
way. A singer (especially one as famous) with poor meter is akin to a 
sprinter with a broken leg.  Once, in his heyday I happened to see him cause 
a live TV train wreck. He jumped some beats or bas and it wasn't pretty. 
Conductors in  situations like this really earn their salary in trying to 
keep it all together.especially in a live situation.

Some 25 or so years ago I was booked on a gig at the Americana  in NYC at 
which he was to perform. The band's  initial reaction was that this should 
be interesting. Well, it certainly was, he came to the rehearsal looking 
like death warmed over and had little if anything to say, but he sounded 
really great and in control and had no problem whatsoever with meter and the 
show went perfectly. It was encouraging and heartening to see that he'd 
finally gotten it all  together (albeit somewhat late) and that he didn't 
come on like a star. R.I.P. Eddie, you were cool after all.
  Jack Daney