Name your lame duck artist........

J Buffet has always been lame, and I have never understood the attraction. But back to an earlier post regarding Norah Jones-Diana Krall-et all(very similar). Yes their music is boring, I agree, but the first Norah Jones album was something different to me, especially with the crap that's been on the radio the last 15 or so years. I still enjoy her first album, and it made me pick up Diana Krall (really like The Girl in the Other Room, her other albums are elevator music), Madeliene Peyroux (love Careless Love), Jane Monheit (not a fan at all), Melody Gardot (nice, like her) Teirney Sutton (one great album, Dancing in the Dark, what a voice, the rest has been forgetable) and that led me to other places:

Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, and on and on. Man, my parents and grandparents had some great singers. I would have never found these recordings without their lesser modern day equivilants.

So yes, many of these contemporary light jazz singers are pretty limited, and just re-hasing material previously released by the masters, but in many instances it can lead you to the well of great material.

I really didn't know much about Ella or Billie Holliday before Norah Jones or Diana Krall, and now they are constant and well loved companions.

You've got a good point, Mac, considering those unfamiliar with the classic artists will never get a chance to hear them on popular radio. So, anyone that opens the door to these by paying tribute, has to be given some credit.

That's why I've never been too hard on Harry Connick, jr. He always gave credit where, and helped introduce a new generation to jazz, no matter how lite his own stuff may be.

Diana Krall the gateway drug to Ella. Hmmmm....very interesting concept there.

Since I have flogged pretty much all of the jazz lite vocalists, except for Norah, I will throw in a contemporary singer that I really like and take my lumps. Cassandra Wilson seems to pay homage to the great vocalists of the past, not that she is in their class, while still having her own style and voice. Some of her material has been variable, but at her best, she has a lot to recommend her. And yes, I still have no taste.

But back to our regularly scheduled post roasting lame ducks. Did Natalie Merchant take a wrong turn on the freeway and just keep driving into the ditch? Or what? She seems to have found Sting and Crow there along with Clapton.

OOPS forgot about All-American John BJ

Undestatement of the year -
Phil Lesh........."well maybe I'm not the greatest singer in the world"