Everyone who knows me, knows that I'm a huge aficionada of Swing and Jazz period music (from the late 1920s to the late 1950s). In fact, singing old Sinatra, Cole, Crosby, Carmichael, Fitzgerald and Holliday standards is my greatest love--I grew up listening to these old songs because my father loved them so much. In my 20s, I attended one of Ella Fitzgerald's last concerts here in Santa Clara, and in my 30s, I would perform old musical standards with a jazz trio, so I am a "jazz singer" from way back.
Although I did have a lot of experience singing these old songs, I can't say I sing these as well as others here on Smule Sing! But I have noticed, with a few exceptions, that "standards" can be the great "social" and "age" divide here on Smule. Most of us more mature singers will gravitate toward singing these great classics, while younger singers choose from the more recent pop and rock songs.
So how to "blend" the older singers (who love jazz) with the younger ones (who love current rock and pop songs)? Enter my pal Kinopamans whose Smule tag is @kinopamans.
Kino has a wicked good sense of musical style, and a lovely "ultra jazz" type of vocal that he can trot out when the song requires an almost young Sinatra, "Rat Pack" feel. Kino also has been posting some very cool songs on his site that I have been calling "Twisted Jazz." These are arrangements of current pop songs set against a background of Big Band Music from the swing era.
His first offering is "Heaven", the Bryan Adams song, set against a lush orchestra big band. The second is "Jump" by Van Halen again played by a big band and ready for jazz vocals. Finally, there is the one song that causes my son to openly scorn and that's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana set to a great jazz score.
In fact, when I told my son I would be singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (one of his personal favorites from one of his favorite bands), he was so concerned that I "get it right" that he showed me how to scream and work up an almost Cobain feel in my vocals--which, by the way, when I try to do it, I sounded like the "squeaker" inside my dog Pokey's toy...yep, it's THAT bad. Then he asked who had put up the open call or OC, and I told him it was a friend, and he asked to hear the arrangement saying "if its in the right key, maybe I (he) can sing it." So I played the OC for him. Right away, the speakers filled with the sound of a big band, and my son's eyes got big. Then the familiar strains of the beginning of the Nirvana song filled the room, and he began shaking his head "no no no."
"Wanna sing it?" I asked him.
His answer was short "no." And then he asked me to leave his room, saying that he needed time to "mourn" the spinning top that was Kurt Cobain. So I left him there. Now I haven't really sung this song yet because, seriously, the range on this one is too high/too low for me, but if you really want to hear talent, go to @kinopamans site and check out the singers who have "bridged" the divide between jazz and rock with some crazy cool jazz interpretations of these great songs!!
And since you know I love jazz, if you do happen to sing one of Kino's crazy twisted jazz songs, tag me on Smule @pokeypal, cuz you know I want to hear it!!
Tomorrow...the final results of our 30 Day Challenge!!
No comments:
Post a Comment