Thursday, March 31, 2011

Forgotten Music: Songbirds

I have a shameful weakness for pop music, but not today's pop music. Styles change, singing styles in this case, and I'm not fond of most of the women singers I hear today. Maybe it's the melisma. Or maybe it's something else. Anyway, what I like is the straightforward singing of great melodies. The way Jo Stafford did it, for example.

Or the way Doris Day did it:

Or Julie London:

There are a lot of others I could mention: Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Jaye P. Morgan, even Connie Francis. Check 'em out. Surely I can't be the only one left who loves this stuff.

8 comments:

Ed Gorman said...

My iTunes is packed with Helen Merrill, Suzzane McCorckle,Sarah Vaughan and eighteen Jo Staffords.

Unknown said...

We can listen together on the Geezer Bus!

Todd Mason said...

There are quite a few keeping this tradition alive...

George said...

I love Julie London! Yet, she's almost completely forgotten...

Todd Mason said...

2 Examples of latter-day non-melismatics:

Melody Gardot
Liz Cox (aka Miss Lily Banquette) of Combustible Edison...you'll have to wait for the last minute of this short song for the vocal passage, however (she does a nice version of "Cry Me a River" on the same album)

Unknown said...

Thanks for these, Todd!

Todd Mason said...

You're quite welcome...and, of course, Nellie McKay

Cap'n Bob said...

My earliest entertainment memory is hearing Kate Smith on the radio. But I grew up hearing all the canaries you and Ed mentioned on TV variety shows.