{"id":26,"date":"2012-08-18T13:12:05","date_gmt":"2012-08-18T17:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peggylee.com\/wp\/?p=26"},"modified":"2021-08-04T10:19:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T14:19:32","slug":"id-never-make-a-critic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peggylee.com\/id-never-make-a-critic\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I’d Never Make a Critic’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Preface<\/h3>\n

In the world of popular singing, there is a very thin, vague borderline between what is considered by the pundits to be jazz singing (Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday) and what is dismissed as mere popular singing (Dinah Shore, Perry Como, Jo Stafford). Jazz critics, even those on the Moldy Fig side who cling so tenaciously to the old, the pure and the earthy when voting for instrumentalists, contradict themselves and one another widely when it comes to singers, sometimes even vote for a Crosby or a Sinatra where you fully expected them to root for Josh White or Leadbelly.<\/p>\n

In the charmed circle of singers who have earned praise and respect from both sides of the fence is Peggy Lee. Everybody likes her singing because it is both jazz singing and popular singing. Everybody is happy to be able to praise her, too, because she is one of the nicest and most genuine people in show business. All of which made her the perfect choice for a vocalist to submit to the blindfold test.<\/p>\n

In fairness it should be pointed out that the first two records were a deliberate attempt to trick Peggy. They are two masters of the same tune played by the same band, but with two different singers. Here\u2019s what Peggy told your blindfolding reporter.<\/p>\n

The Records<\/h3>\n

[1. Artie Shaw, \u201cAny Old Time\u201d (Victor). Shaw, clarinet; Tony Pastor, tenor; Helen Forrest, vocal.]<\/p>\n

I think you\u2019re trying to confuse me a little bit here. At first I thought it was a new release, but then I could tell it sounded dated. It\u2019s an Artie Shaw record. Clarinet sounds slightly stiff. Vocal by Helen Forrest \u2013 I liked her better in those days. Nice, simple tenor solo. It\u2019s a wonderful song and a good record \u2013 a pleasant, refreshing change from some of the stuff you hear now. Three stars.<\/p>\n

[2. Artie Shaw, \u201cAny Old Time\u201d (Bluebird). Shaw, clarinet; Tony Pastor, tenor; Billie Holiday, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Billie! \u2026 It\u2019s not too easy for a singer to sing with a band like that \u2013 but she sings! Too many things going on in the background. Benny Goodman on clarinet \u2013 he\u2019s playing better nowadays, doesn\u2019t sound as flexible here. Both these records have the same sort of sound \u2013 arrangement and voicing similar. Play that again! \u2026 Did I say this was Benny? You know, it doesn\u2019t even sound like Benny! \u2026 Now I\u2019m all mixed up \u2026 Play it again \u2026 Now they both sound like Artie Shaw! \u2026 Both the vocals are good in their own field, but I don\u2019t like the band as well on this one. For different reasons, and not judging it by modern standards, I give it three stars.<\/p>\n

[3. Tommy Dorsey, \u201cThe Sky Fell Down\u201d (Victor). Frank Sinatra, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Dorsey? And Frank? Now there\u2019s a guy that\u2019s really improved \u2013 one of my favorites, by the way. Play the beginning again \u2026 I like the first part much better than the last; solo better than the arrangement. Vocal just fair. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[4. Lee Wiley, \u201cEasy to Love\u201d (Liberty). Paul Weston\u2019s Orchestra.]<\/p>\n

Lee Wiley \u2013 I like her. She\u2019s one of those singers that a lot of people don\u2019t like at first, then when they get to know her they really like her. This isn\u2019t a new record \u2013 vocal backgrounds have improved a lot since then. You get the feeling that this was a new arrangement, played adequately but without enthusiasm. Nowadays musicians really strive for good phrasing, try to make it jump when it\u2019s needed, and take a real interest in what\u2019s going on. Three stars.<\/p>\n

[5. Slim Gaillard, \u201cSchool Kids\u2019 Hop\u201d (Majestic). Marshall Royal, clarinet; Lucky Thompson, tenor; Howard McGhee, trumpet.]<\/p>\n

That\u2019s Slim\u2019s bunch, with a few men added\u2026 shades of Pee-Wee! \u2026 You know, at first I got a kick out of Slim. Solos here are not my style. I\u2019m influenced by being so tired of this sort of thing \u2013 we\u2019ve had so much more of it out on the Coast than you did in the East. I like the tenor man better than the others, but I\u2019m influenced by the all-over sound. One star.<\/p>\n

[6. Bessie Smith, \u201cNobody Knows When You\u2019re Down and Out\u201d (Columbia). Clarence Williams, piano; Ed Allen, trumpet; Cyrus St. Clair, tuba.]<\/p>\n

That\u2019s Bessie, isn\u2019t it? \u2026 I\u2019d like to hear her sing just that way with a modern group accompanying. Art Hodes probably won\u2019t like me for this, but I don\u2019t like the background here. It\u2019s hard to judge whether this rates by today\u2019s standards, but she still sounds wonderful to me, she gets a big, strong sound; and I like the number. Three stars \u2013 but all for Bessie.<\/p>\n

[7. Gatemouth Moore, \u201cIt Ain\u2019t None of Me\u201d (National). Dallas Bartley\u2019s Orchestra.]<\/p>\n

I have no idea who this is\u2026 at the start I was interested, but it gets tiresome after a while. Background sometimes good, sometimes dragging and anemic. I could have done with more instrumental and less vocal. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[8. Xavier Cugat, \u201cThe Thrill of a New Romance\u201d (Victor). Dinah Shore, vocal.]<\/p>\n

This girl sounds a little like Dinah Shore and Maxine Sullivan, but I know it isn\u2019t either. I\u2019m not well versed in Latin music. Not bad for what it is, but I could have stood more vocal \u2013 it should have been her vocal. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[9. Sarah Vaughan, \u201cIt Might As Well Be Spring\u201d (Crown). John Kirby\u2019s Orchestra.]<\/p>\n

Sarah Vaughan! You know, she has an unusual combination of a very young girl and a mature woman in her style \u2026 Those things she does with the melody are very interesting. Very good record. Background? I hardly noticed it, I was so interested in the singing.<\/p>\n

[10. Benny Goodman, \u201cBlue Moon\u201d (Columbia). Jack Lacey, trombone; Helen Ward, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Nothing much to this \u2026 Vocal not so hot; trombone the only good thing. Recording wasn\u2019t fair to singers in those days; it was distorted, sounded as though they were singing into a tin can. One star.<\/p>\n

[11. Julia Lee, \u201cLies\u201d (Capitol). Hank Bridges, tenor.]<\/p>\n

I like her, but she sounds as though she\u2019s singing into a very small mike or something. Sounds like Pearl Bailey. Like this record very much; the performance more than the tune, but the tune\u2019s okay. Liked that tenor, too. Three stars.<\/p>\n

[12. Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, \u201cYou Won\u2019t Be Satisfied\u201d (Decca).]<\/p>\n

Two of my favorite singers on one record \u2013 Louis and Ella. Wonderful! What more can I say? Four stars.<\/p>\n

[13. Bob Chester, \u201cWhen I Leave the World Behind\u201d (Bluebird). Dolores O\u2019Neil, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Is that Glenn Miller\u2019s band? \u2026 I like the girl; don\u2019t know who it is \u2026 Whosever band this is was imitating Miller. Now let\u2019s see, who imitated Miller? Or should I say who didn\u2019t? Vocal is the only part I cared for. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[14. Eddie Vinson, \u201cJuicehead Baby\u201d (Mercury). Vinson, alto and vocal.]<\/p>\n

Why does this alto man remind me of Barnet? I kinda like it\u2026 these lyrics, the theme \u2013 you have to be in the mood for it. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[15. Woody Herman, \u201cLove Me\u201d (Columbia). Frances Wayne, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Frances Wayne. This is good, but she set a very high standard for herself with \u201cHappiness Is a Thing Called Joe\u201d and she hasn\u2019t topped it yet. I like that little brass effect on the end. Two stars.<\/p>\n

[16. Benny Goodman, \u201cGotta Be This or That\u201d (Columbia). Goodman, vocal.]<\/p>\n

Benny! \u2026 I have an affectionate feeling for him when I hear him sing, so, good, bad, or indifferent, I like to hear him. No, I don\u2019t want to rave this one. It would be like trying to rate Billie Holiday as a clarinet player!<\/p>\n

Afterthoughts by Peggy<\/h3>\n

You know, I\u2019d never make a good critic. I just like to relax and enjoy music, but when it comes to criticizing, I\u2019m afraid to hurt people\u2019s feelings. Please take out that record by [name deleted]. He\u2019s a nice guy.<\/p>\n

[It\u2019s out! \u2013 Leonard Feather.]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Preface In the world of popular singing, there is a very thin, vague borderline between what is considered by the pundits to be jazz singing (Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday) and what is dismissed as mere popular singing (Dinah Shore, Perry Como, Jo Stafford). Jazz critics, even those on[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-library"],"yoast_head":"\n'I'd Never Make a Critic' - Peggy Lee<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peggylee.com\/id-never-make-a-critic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'I'd Never Make a Critic' - Peggy Lee\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Preface In the world of popular singing, there is a very thin, vague borderline between what is considered by the pundits to be jazz singing (Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday) and what is dismissed as mere popular singing (Dinah Shore, Perry Como, Jo Stafford). 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