Stephen Holden on vocalese in today's NYT

[Kalo]

And, yes, Holden really blew it.

Leo Watson rules!

[Kalo]

Hendricks is, by far, the best of a bad lot. And Annie Ross will deservedly go down in history (in tandem with Wardell Gray) for "Twisted."

[Jazzmoose]

And a damn fine writer too. No disrespect or diminution intended.

Bob fell prey to smack and died. He did what he did.

I liked him.

What??? I had no idea...

[Jazzmoose]

And Annie Ross will deservedly go down in history (in tandem with Wardell Gray) for "Twisted."

Twisted is by far the best vocalese ever created (in my not-so-humble opinion). Proof that there is a reason the format was created, though I dare say I've never heard a second proof to back that up...

[Big Beat Steve]

I really don't dig vocalese. One of the deadest ends in all of jazz history, as far as I'm concerned.

"Third Stream" was an even deader end IMHO.

As for "vocalese" being such a dead end, I don't think it would be fair to overlook the work of Manhattan Transfer completely. Their output may be slighted by some as being too straightforward (probably by those who at other occasions would complain relentlessly about the public at large failing to grasp jazz at all) but there is no denying they generated new interest in the "originals" they took their inspiration from.

[Alexander]

And Annie Ross will deservedly go down in history (in tandem with Wardell Gray) for "Twisted."

Twisted is by far the best vocalese ever created (in my not-so-humble opinion). Proof that there is a reason the format was created, though I dare say I've never heard a second proof to back that up...

My first exposure to "Twisted" was on Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark." Joni's one of the reasons I wound up checking out jazz in the first place (especially her collaborations with Jaco).

Joni also did a version of LHR's version of "Centerpiece" on "The Hissing of Summer Lawns."

[Fer Urbina]

This is anecdotal, but Bee Palmer recorded a vocalese version of "Singin' The Blues" on January 10, 1929 (unreleased at the time) and Marion Harris did the same tune on August 2, 1934 (singing first the Bix solo, then the Tram).

F

[Jim Alfredson]

I dig Robert Palmer.

I really don't dig vocalese. One of the deadest ends in all of jazz history, as far as I'm concerned.

Pretty much.

[Adam]

I think any vocalese which references any previous musician or singer is inherently bad. Unfortunately, it seems like those are the only ones I ever hear.

[Tom Storer]

Meredith d'Ambrosio writes her own vocalese lyrics. I think she does a good job, too, both writing and singing.

[Larry Kart]

Meredith d'Ambrosio writes her own vocalese lyrics. I think she does a good job, too, both writing and singing.

I'm a big fan of her work, but her lyrics, as far as I can recall are not by and large vocalese: "In vocalese words (newly invented) are set to recorded jazz instrumental improvisations." Rather, Meredith mostly writes contrafacts ("a new musical composition built out of an already existing one") that are in their flow a good deal more like jazz instrumental improvisations than the song she's taking off from; but, unless I'm mistaken, none of her songs are set to recorded jazz solos by others. Because in her approach both words and music are contrafacts and are malleable by her in the workshop so to speak, and also because she so gifted in both realms, the fit between words and music is just about perfect. Also, unlike even good vocalese, her work is not about proving how hip you are. I said "by and large" above because IIRC Meredith's version of "Moon Dreams" does incorporate some of Gil Evans' arrangement; perhaps she did that a few other times too, but the contrafact approach is her main thing.

[Hot Ptah]

there is nothing worse than the sung or scatted vocal combined with the jazz. i look at kurt elling and i see the worse of humanity's capacity for creativity.

I don't share your intense displeasure for his work. I enjoyed his concert last winter.

I have heard some vocalese that I have not cared for, especially the silly or cutesy variety.

[Christiern]

there is nothing worse than the sung or scatted vocal combined with the jazz. i look at kurt elling and i see the worse of humanity's capacity for creativity.

Perhaps you are confusing "vocalese" with strenuous efforts to sound hip when hipness simply isn't there. The latter often describes Kurt Elling and Mark Murphy's work, IMHO.

[AllenLowe]

I like a lot of Third Stream - the whole Brandeis concert, for one -