I don't really know anything about jazz, and I really haven't tried to get into it yet, but I noticed that all the Jazz albums I see on BEA are the very serious types like Miles Davis John Coltrane Etc. But the kind of jazz I like is all the old shit. I mean like thirties and forties vocalists. But I really don't know that many. I only have about 9 jazz albums and they're all this type. I'm the kind of person who prefers Billie Holiday's old upbeat stuff rather than her later downbeat stuff. And my favorite is Ella Fitzgerald . If all jazz was as delightful as her, I would listen to Jazz all the time . What are some good old-time Jazz vocalists like that? I only know the more obvious ones that everybody's heard of . These are the ones that I own albums by so you should be able to tell what kind of taste I have:
Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Anita O'Day
Billy Eckstine
Peggy Lee
Billie Holiday
Last edited by bobbyb5 on 09/19/2017 11:32; edited 1 time in total
I started out with Ella & Billie too, Ella was my favorite.
Some time after that, I discovered Stan Getz / Joao Gilberto: Brazilian Bossa. There's a great recording with singer Astrud Gilberto. I'm aware it's newer (60s?), but has the listenability of the older vocal jazz stuff.
Check out the Benny Goodman Orchestra with the phenomenal Gene Krupa on drums. _________________ Attention all planets of the solar federation: We have assumed control.
I'm kind of the opposite--I'm a huge jazz fan, but not so into the earliest stuff or the vocals.
That said, It's hard to beat Ella or Billie, but Sarah Vaughan gets a slight not as my fave in that department.
I have a couple great discs combining two of your faves. If you don't already have them, I highly recommend:
Yeah. Ive heard a few songs those two did together but not the albums. I'd love to though. I see it's on Verve. Did you know Anita O'Day was the first jazz artist on Verve? I didn't even know who she was until recently but I've been reading some stuff by some famous jazz critics and they say she ranks number 4 for female jazz singers right behind Ella Billie and Sarah Vaughan. So I wonder why she's not as well-known as those guys. I'm sure jazz fans know who she is but people like me who know the other ones have never heard of her. Even if you don't like jazz you know who those other 3 are. I think that people like me who aren't real into jazz prefer the vocal stuff to the serious instrumental stuff. That probably comes later.
Okay, I already told you some that I like, now here's some that I DON'T like. I dont like any of these people's styles. I'm just kind of curious to see what other people think.
Lena Horne
Tony Bennett
Rosemary Clooney
Carmen McRae
Frank Sinatra
And all the modern ones that I've heard so far.(which admittedly isn't that many, but I didn't like any of them)
Yeah. Ive heard a few songs those two did together but not the albums. I'd love to though. I see it's on Verve. Did you know Anita O'Day was the first jazz artist on Verve? I didn't even know who she was until recently but I've been reading some stuff by some famous jazz critics and they say she ranks number 4 for female jazz singers right behind Ella Billie and Sarah Vaughan. So I wonder why she's not as well-known as those guys. I'm sure jazz fans know who she is but people like me who know the other ones have never heard of her. Even if you don't like jazz you know who those other 3 are. I think that people like me who aren't real into jazz prefer the vocal stuff to the serious instrumental stuff. That probably comes later.
Not really familiar with Anita O'day. Thanks for the info--I'll look her up.
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