I just love those singing groups

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Yakov
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I just love those singing groups

#1 Post by Yakov » Wed Sep 24, 2003 5:50 pm

i am totally in love with close harmony bop singing groups... i can hardly keep from listening to those cds ALL THE TIME...

lambert, hendricks, and ross -- the hottest new group in jazz! -- two amazing amazing cds... danceable? hell yeah. listenable? hell yeah. my favorites from that cd: cottontail ("i'm a hooked rabbit! got a carrot habit!") , i don't know what kind of blues i got ("there's two kinds of woman..."), in a mellow tone, what am i here for, twisted.. too many great tracks

delta rhythm boys -- anthology vol. 2 -- "dee jay" overpriced label. awesome tracks: "take the a train" and the all time incredible "my blue heaven" jazz version

the cats and the fiddle -- anthology vols. 1 and 2 -- "gangbusters" -- need i say more? this stuff is not as good as DRB, but it's great. (it's a sparse rhythm section)

what else?

-yakov
(p.s. update -- i'm not obsessed with this music anymore)
Last edited by Yakov on Thu Apr 29, 2004 12:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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#2 Post by mousethief » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:29 am

Anything where Bill Elliott's singer open their mouths... faboo.

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Soupbone
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#3 Post by Soupbone » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:32 am

It's a fine line... Hendricks, Lambert and Ross come dangerously close to sounding like Manhattan Transfer, who come dangerously close to sounding like the cheesiest crap on the planet. ;)

But, some of the older stuff is cool, if somewhat silly -- I still can't hear vocalized versions of "Christopher Columbus" withouth belly laughing.
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Re: I just love those singing groups!

#4 Post by CafeSavoy » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:54 am

Yakov wrote:lambert, hendricks, and ross -- the hottest new group in jazz! -- two amazing amazing cds... danceable? hell yeah. listenable? hell yeah. my favorites from that cd: cottontail ("i'm a hooked rabbit! got a carrot habit!") , i don't know what kind of blues i got ("there's two kinds of woman..."), in a mellow tone, what am i here for, twisted.. too many great tracks

-yakov
LHR isn't that new, but if you like them, check out Lambert Hendricks and Bavan (Annie Ross' replacement when they wouldn't let her back in the country). Their cd At Newport '63 features Coleman Hawkins and Clark Terry on some of the tracks.

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Yakov
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#5 Post by Yakov » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:59 am

no,, that's the title of the album

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i'll look for LHB.

i actually kind of dig manhattan transfer too -- what can i say. they could definitely use a better backing band. that drummer can't swing at all.

but i disagree, anyway: LHR is totally hip, not corny at all. their phrasing, melodic lines, harmonies are the real thing. and the lyrics are awesome (imho anyway)

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Re: I just love those singing groups

#6 Post by Nate Dogg » Thu Sep 25, 2003 7:56 am

Yakov wrote:
what else?

-yakov
If you like the Delta Rhythm Boys and Cats in the Fiddle, you will probably like this CD.

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1. The Jive Is Jumpin' performed by Four Clefs - 2:29
2. I Like Pie, I Like Cake performed by Four Clefs - 2:51
3. V-Day Stomp performed by Four Clefs - 3:07
4. When I'm Low I Get High performed by Four Clefs - 3:08
5. Gang Busters performed by Cats & The Fiddle - 3:04
6. I Miss You So performed by Cats & The Fiddle - 2:47
7. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water performed by Cats & The Fiddle - 2:47
8. Nuts to You performed by Cats & The Fiddle - 2:30
9. That's on, Jack, That's On performed by Cats & The Fiddle - 2:31
10. Low Down Gal Blues performed by Lewis Bronzeville Five - 3:00
11. Natchez Mississippi Blues performed by Lewis Bronzeville Five - 2:36
12. Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer performed by Four Vagabonds - 2:53
13. Rosie the Riveter performed by Four Vagabonds - 2:22
14. Jack, You're Dead! performed by Aristo Kats - 2:50
15. Watch Yourself Baby performed by Aristo Kats - 2:57
16. That Chick's Too Young to Fry performed by Deep River Boys - 2:32
17. Elevator Boogie performed by Johnson, Bill & His Musical Notes - 2:59
18. Shorty's Got to Go performed by Johnson, Bill & His Musical Notes - 2:56
19. One O'Clock Jump performed by Delta Rhythm Boys - 2:39
20. Take the "A" Train performed by Delta Rhythm Boys - 3:02
21. I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive performed by Delta Rhythm Boys - 2:44
22. Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night performed by Steve Gibson - 2:23

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#7 Post by CafeSavoy » Thu Sep 25, 2003 8:44 am

Yakov wrote:no,, that's the title of the album

i'll look for LHB.

i actually kind of dig manhattan transfer too -- what can i say. they could definitely use a better backing band. that drummer can't swing at all.

but i disagree, anyway: LHR is totally hip, not corny at all. their phrasing, melodic lines, harmonies are the real thing. and the lyrics are awesome (imho anyway)
Ah. i haven't seen that album before. I'll have to give it a listen. Have you looked into any of the other vocalese artists like Eddie Jefferson and King Pleasure who were major influences on LHR? Another related group is early Mills Brothers before they went pop. Jazz Archives (EPM) has a compilation of their early recordings including those with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Don Redman.

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Re: I just love those singing groups

#8 Post by Shanabanana » Thu Sep 25, 2003 1:32 pm

Nate Dogg wrote: If you like the Delta Rhythm Boys and Cats in the Fiddle, you will probably like this CD.
Great album, but it's been out of print for years, and it's nearly impossible to find.

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Yakov
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#9 Post by Yakov » Thu Sep 25, 2003 1:59 pm

I just bought a copy of "The Jive is Jumpin'" from Amazon.com for $9.84 postpaid. :D They have one more copy. It's also on amazon.com.

any king pleasure album recommendations?

regarding LHR "Hottest New Group" : ok it's probably the album to get by them. It's light years beyond their early stuff (the Basie discs). It's a double-CD that contains 3 LPs, one of which is a collection of Ellington vocalese.

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#10 Post by djstarr » Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:26 pm

I'm really enjoying the Basie/Mills Brothers CD Rayned turned me onto (Board of Directors/Annual Report). And I have a Louis Armstrong version of "Marie" that has the Mills Bros backing him up.

I also like the Inkspots and play their classic version of Java Jive.

I used to love Manhattan Transfer Vocalese and dj'ed off of it a little until people yelled at me! (and when I got a lot better music). I agree LHR is much better to dance to.

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#11 Post by julius » Fri Sep 26, 2003 11:28 am

LHR is a little too over-arranged for me to enjoy dancing to it. (See, if you recreate a spontaneous solo, I think you necessarily lose some of the effect.) However, "Everybody's Boppin'" and "Cloudburst" are some of the most amazing feats of human vocal dexterity I have EVER heard in my life. I could listen to them on repeat for hours.

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#12 Post by Nate Dogg » Fri Sep 26, 2003 11:42 am

I have one LHR CD, it was a Basie album, I forget the name. In any case, I can't bring myself to play anything off. Something about it just annoys me. Too much vocal dexterity, I guess.

Another group that has not been mentioned is the Real Group. Of course, the have the popular version of Splanky that you hear from time to time. That is the only song I have from them and people really seem to enjoy dancing to it.

Does anybody on the list have their CDs, are there good dance songs on them?

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#13 Post by yedancer » Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:22 pm

Soupbone wrote:It's a fine line... Hendricks, Lambert and Ross come dangerously close to sounding like Manhattan Transfer, who come dangerously close to sounding like the cheesiest crap on the planet. ;)

But, some of the older stuff is cool, if somewhat silly -- I still can't hear vocalized versions of "Christopher Columbus" withouth belly laughing.
HAHA. I agree with you.
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#14 Post by Greg Avakian » Fri Sep 26, 2003 10:16 pm

I think someone who likes vocalese would also like someone like Joe Carroll...?

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#15 Post by julius » Sat Sep 27, 2003 10:44 am

Also try out Kurt Elling. He's probably the best male vocalist in jazz today. (Name another...right.)

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