[Dixielandjazz] Vocalese on "That Was the Week That Was"

[Charles Suhor]

It’s really interesting that the singer appears to be satirizing something that was then super-hip, the genre of “vocalese.” Wardell Gray of course was the tenor man whose work on “Twisted” was put to lyrics earlier in the Annie Ross version. Bette Midler did a cover on it later, no where near as skilled IMO. I think King Pleasure started it all with Moody’s”Moody Mood for Love,” which James Moody took to court with an intellectual property or plagiarism suit. 

I take it that the vocalist’s stiff rendering of the chart and Gray solo were intended as a put-on rather than the best she could do with the material. Or maybe I’m mis-hearing her interpretation. What’s your take on it? The band is playing very good modern jazz, so that argues against the idea of satire. It’s clear in any case that the vocalese genre calls for great musicianship-- control of intonation and verbal articulation on high-speed phrases. One of my favorites is the Lambert-Hendricks-Ross fast-clip rendering of Basie’ “Cloudburst,” below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFsH1ZuR3-I

Charlie



> On Mar 12, 2016, at 12:56 PM, ROBERT R. CALDER <serapion at btinternet.com> wrote:
> 
> Stranger --- 13.30 into the following the critique of the now late Mr. Paramor can be seen 
> 
> Bejabers, now I look at it on YouTube there are even references to jazz 
> 
> and a song on the line of a solo from Wardell Gray.  
> 
> Of whom I had that early in my life never heard. This comes immediately after the cartoonist
> 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG3Uz4srwqo
> 
> 
> That Was The Week That Was TW3 (2of3) TX 23:15Sat29Dec1962 BBC
> 
> 
> 
> Robert R. Calder
> 
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