[Dixielandjazz] Jim Beebe / Croakers

[Jazzjerry at aol.com]

Kaye,

I think you are being a trifle unfair to Jim Beebe. I like Jim, cannot stand 
Cleo Laine's singing. I think she has murdered many a decent song in the name 
of 'Art'. If you listen to her earlier recordings it is evident that she is a 
very talented lady and could turn in a nice vocal performance. However over 
the years her talents have been directed to this stange, and to my mind 
exceedingly unpleasant, 'vocalese' which to me absolutely ruins any song to 
which it is directed. She might have a very wide vocal range but so had Yma 
Sumac(SP) and she wasn't a jazz singer.

Just in the same way as I cannot abide the upper note trumpet screeching of 
the likes of Maynard Ferguson I avoid listening to Ms Laine's efforts 
particularly when the aim seems to be effect rather than substance.

And Judy I certainly agree with you following statement, "The

imitators sound just that; self conscious "ooblings" sometimes tacked on to

the end of an otherwise fairly traditional rendition.  If Cleo Laine is

responsible for encouraging the imitators, she should be sentenced to a week

listening to out of tune trombones". There are some very good young British 
jazz singers around at the moment such as Clare Teal, Joan Viscant, Diane 
Nahlini (plus yourself of course) but equally there are those who follow the 
Laine path. Their albums are usually easy to spot when the arrive in the 
store. The back cover usually has at least one Art Council logo and the 
personnel listing states "Minnie Bannister - Voice" rather than 'Vocals"!

It would seem that discussions on vocalists on the DJML usually manages to 
provoke more steam than almost any other topic and probably more than any 
other topic in jazz the liking or disliking of any particular singer is a 
very personal matter.

Nearly as steamy as the string bass versus brass bass discussions of a few 
years ago!

Cheers,

Jerry,
Norwich,
U.K.