Are you staying inside? Feeling restless? Maybe drinking too much? I wish I could say that all this madness will be over soon, but really, who knows? Best to stay (extremely) safe and let the fabulous Miss Ernestine take you away.
Did you know? Her 1977 LP, "Live From Concord To London," is included in several of those magazine articles entitled "Jazz Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die!" or words to that effect. Which is a grim way of saying that's it's not just good, but wowza-good. As if that weren't enough, this was her comeback - one of the most sensational in jazz history - after nearly a decade of silence.
Yet as much as I love "Concord," I love her 2011 album, "Nightlife: Live At Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola," even more. Why, you ask? I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with the sound of experience in her voice. Her delivery conveys not just every emotion in the lyrics, but almost her entire life history - from the blues records she listened to as a child, to the gospel choirs she sang with, to all the legendary jazz and swing bands she performed with throughout her career. She was in her early 80s when "Nightlife" was recorded and sounds magnificent.
Let's move on to a singer who's giving us serious "growl, snarl, snap." Don't mess with Toni Fisher, amirite?
Her time in the spotlight was brief. She was a Hollywood nightclub singer for only five years, recorded just one LP - 1960's "The Big Hurt," a Ferocious Fisher Cheerful Exclusive! just for you - and scored only two Top 40 hits, the first one being "The Big Hurt." You'll know it when you hear it, because it sounds unlike any of the other tracks, the result, or so the story goes, of a "happy accident" wherein the mono and stereo versions were mixed together, and slightly out of sync.
It's a good song, but I prefer the other tracks where her voice is clear and brassy and loud, like the LP's smashing opening number, "Speak Of The Devil." You might sense a slight similarity in tone to Kay Starr, though her voice lacks that legend's heart-rending depth. Still, she's a complete delight on her owns terms.
Look who's cookin' up something hot in the kitchen. Why, it's Susan Maughan, the British singer who scored a 1962 hit with "Bobby's Girl," then churned out several LPs and made a few TV and West End theatre appearances.
I'll be blunt. She is utterly and completely unremarkable. And so why is she on the Cheerful? Because some performers are similar to comfort food (like freezer-section Mexican food or store-brand ice cream). Her 1964 LP, "Sentimental Susan" - a Just Plain Sue Cheerful Exclusive! - hits the spot if you're in the mood. Like Mickey D's french fries. Mmmm. Sometimes it's just what I want and I'll make no apology for it.
Let's swing back to the best of the best, or grand jete in the case of Kay Cole.
Recognize the name? Woo-hoo! Congratulations! You're officially an old, because she was in the original Broadway cast of "A Chorus Line," being one of three dancers who sang "At The Ballet" (here they are on "Donahue" singing it fifteen years after the show opened).
Her career since has mainly consisted of work as a choreographer, but in 2017, she recorded a solo LP - and get this, it's gorgeous. This is no "dancer-who-sings," as they used to say, but a genuinely skilled vocalist who, for example, makes you forget all about Green Day with her gentle, Old West Saloon Girl rendition of "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams." In fact, she transforms every song, some of them highly familiar, with her own unique interpretations. As far as I know, it's her only LP. Which is a crime.
The Secret Song File is still reclined on her desk in front of her apartment window, which has lead a few passersby to throw money, flowers, along with the occasional poncho (there's always a joker in the group). She takes it in stride, because lately, she's been listening to a spanking new CD by a trio of justly famed Michigan gospel sisters.
After all, during These Trying Times™, who doesn't want jaw-dropping scats, bold riffs and flat-out thrilling trills and melismas? Which is a fancy-pants way of saying that they're great fun for everyone, whether you go churchin' or not (though, I beg of you, please, do not go churchin' right now).
Oh, and be extra-extra nice to grocery clerks, cashiers and delivery people! They deserve a fu**ing parade when this is over.
And if you're so moved, smear some niceness around in the comments!
