Sunday 29 June 2008

What the Caked Crusader chose to bake to this week (28 June 2008)

Lee Wiley was a popular jazz singer in the 1930s-1950s and it baffles me why she – yes, she - isn’t still popular. I can’t even recall how I discovered her recordings now but that smoky voice and perfect phrasing had me at the first note!

Lee Wiley sings in the style that I would term “supper club jazz”. I think I may have just invented this description. What I mean by it is that this is what I’d love playing while I ate a nice dinner somewhere.

The stand out track for me – because I love the song as much as Wiley’s rendition of it – is “More than you know” available on her Night in Manhattan/Sings Vincent Youmans/Sings Irving Berlin album. Beautiful and just as great songs should be performed: simply.

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