[Dixielandjazz] Hamming Up Our National Anthem

[David W. Littlefield]

I'm in almost complete sympathy with George's feelings, but having heard a
few great contemporary style versions--Whitney Houston's is IMO a classic,
and in fact I pull it out now and again just to listen to it, and get a
thrill every time-- and a bunch of lousy "straight" versions, my only
criteria have become: show respect for the tune, and do a bang up job in
whatever your style is. I missed Beyance's performance because I tuned in
late, but the clips I've heard indicate that she met my criteria, even if I
didn't enjoy her style enough to want to listen again. 

We have a lot of different musics in the USA these days, and if our
National Anthem is going to belong to every American, we need to accept
that it's going to be sung in the styles of our various subcultures.

--Sheik

At 05:08 PM 2/2/2004 -0600, Kurt B. wrote:
>Just think how boring music would be if every performer performed every note
>of every song exactly as the composer wrote it.  There would be no jazz.
>The improvisation and, dare I say it, liberties musicians take with music is
>what makes it creative, fun to play and to listen too as well.
>
>I agree the National Anthem is OUR song.  America is also the land of the
>free, so I guess when someone sings it they have the freedom to put their
>own "creative" angle on it.
>
>I have heard some versions that absolutely blew me away for way the
>performer presented it.  Remember Whitney Huston's version a couple of years
>ago?  ....
>
>I can't stand it when a performer draaaaaaaaaggggggssss
>ooooooouuuuuuuutttttttt eeeeeevvvvveeeeeerrrryyyy  wwwwwooooooorrrrrdddd and
>a 60 second song takes five minutes.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: George Thurmond
>Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 4:38 AM
>
>            Sorry to repeat myself Listmates, but I gotta say it one more
>time.  Why do the producers and networks putting on U.S. sporting events of
>wide interest and televised around the globe allow performers to "ham up"
>The Star Spangled Banner.  It happened yesterday at the ball game, as it has
>happened at the fall World Series, the spring NBA finals, etc., and  will
>continue to happen, I'm sure..
>
>            "Hamming it up" means emoting too broadly, over dramatizing, and
>using overlytheatrical airs and actions.
>
>            The gal that "sang" the anthem yesterday, Beyonce I believe is
>her name, has a great voice for sure, but the anthem is not her song but is
>our song, and is not to be hammed up and showboated in such manner.
>
>George "Getting it off my chest" Thurmond