[ePub] The Glamour of Strangeness: Artists and the Last Age of the Exotic by Jamie James at Arts-Photography

Review

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A thrilling; engaging account of jazz singers and jazz-influenced singers.By Priscilla StilwellThis book is not meant to be a complete history of jazz singing and singers; or a textbook in jazz singing technique. Instead; it is somewhere in between. The historical accounts are presented in an easy-to-understand manner; and the ideas on technique are essentially presented as if the singer was there telling you in person.It is one of the most basic; yet clear books on jazz history I have read(and I have read several). And while it is focusing primarily on vocal jazz; the information provided is helpful to anyone interested in jazz in general.One of my favorite portions of the book is the index of singers. This includes singers who are categorically jazz singers; as well as those who are seen as contributing to and those who are strongly influenced by the music. Provided are great suggestions of recordings to purchase in order to enjoy and study the various vocal techniques. Im slowly working my way through them in order to further my education!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Elijah RockGreat read!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Interesting and Accessible Analysis of Jazz SingingBy Jim BrownThis book; by two writers Ive never heard of; turned out to be a bit better than I expected. I found it in the used bin of a local bookstore. The organization of the book is what makes if most interesting -- while a dozen or more singers were interviewed; their thoughts are presented not as profiles or analyses of them in one chapter or section; but rather scattered throughout the book to reinforce or illustrate analytical ideas developed by the authors. Nonetheless; I found myself learning more about each of those being interviewed as I encountered their comments throughout the text. Especially poignant were the always optimistic comments by Susanah McCorkle; a wonderful singer who subsequently took her own life in 2001; four years after the publication of this book.The organization of the book is primarily historical; with early chapters devoted to the period of Armstrong; Holiday; Crosby; other early singers; the blues singers. There follows analyses of the band singers; and those bands as breeding grounds and academies for those singers (as they were for all the musicians in the bands). Throughout; influences are noted; often as direct quotations by the artists to the authors or another interviewer. Ensuing chapters are devoted to singers of later generations; observing how they developed without the training ground of the big bands; and to how singers of the future might likely develop their craft.Throughout; attention is paid to the music that singers of each generation were singing. I also found myself introduced to singers whose names I had heard but whose music I did not know. In an older time; I would have browsed for CDs in the local record store; later on the internet; but this time around (2014) I was able to find historical recordings; and often film or video clips; on youtube.This book is much more about the musical and stylistic techniques of jazz singing than about the singers themselves. Important jazz singers are omitted; or mentioned only in passing -- Andy Bey; Bill Henderson; Johnny Hartmann; Art Prysock; David Allyn; Matt Dennis; Johnny Mercer; Jack Sheldon; Jimmy Scott; and that very influential vocal group; the HiLos are a few who come to mind. The wonderful Irene Kral is mentioned only as an influence by Stacy Kent; and in the appendix of capsule biographies.