Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Musician v. singer again

About the categories musician and singer again:

“Anita was not a singer, in my estimation. She was a musician who used her voice as an instrument.”
That’s the trumpeter Denny Roche speaking, in the documentary Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (dir. Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden, 2007), a great documentary about a great singer and musician. O’Day’s sense of time and her phrasing: where did they come from? She was a wonder.

If you’ve never seen the great clip of Anita O’Day at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival: here you go.

comments: 3

Adair said...

She looks terrific in that film!

She did some great albums for Verve in the 1950s and early 60s. And I love her work with Krupa and Eldridge. Her Stan Kenton phase, though, I dunno---I find "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" a really annoying song, and worse: "I'm Goin' Mad for a Pad." I never thought that band was the right fit for her, though it was great for June Christy and Chris Connor.

Michael Leddy said...

I’m a big fan of the Verve years too. Those records were in the house when I was a little kid.

You should seek out the film if you haven’t seen it yet, Adair. There’s a great “Body and Soul" from a television show, apparently unrehearsed, with O’Day directing the musicians on the spot. And the best “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" I’ve ever heard.

Michael Leddy said...

The film: meaning the documentary.