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Billie or Ella? Maria or Renata? Technique or feeling?

I stand back to no one in my admiration for Ella Fitzgerald's technique but all the vocal fireworks make for precious little emotion. Billie Holiday on the other hand makes you feel she's singing just for you.

Technique vs emotion also goes in listening to Renata Tebaldi (superb technique) and Maria Callas who like Lady Day makes you feel she's singing just for you.

David Oistrakh was a violinist who combined flawless technique with raw emotion. Sviatoslav Richter was his counterpart on piano. Their modern day successors are Julia Fischer on violin and Daniil Trifonov on piano.

chowkwan
chowkwan OP
154 posts
 

@tylermunns You are alright if you like country. For those unaware of what @tylermunns is talking about:

 

I do believe the gentleman you're talking about is not Jerry Jeff but Waylon. Y'know I just purely cannot resist.

 

 

tylermunns
600 posts
 

@chowkwan I figured it out, the guy is Bobby Bare.

calvinandhobbes
273 posts
 

With respect to Billie Holiday vs Ella Fitzgerald, I find that the emotion that Ella conveys is more subtle, but it's there. Billie Holiday can be a bit over the top for me.

starlightdiamond
42 posts
 

A late posting by me.

Billie Holliday "Lady In Satin" with Ray Ellis Orchestra.  The feeling in those aging textured vocals with marvelous backing.    IMO it was her best.

Ella's "Songbook" will always be extraordinary.

stuartk
2,422 posts
 

@tylermunns 

"I consider jazz to be that singular, unique, original music of Parker, Gillespie, Davis, Monk, Coltrane, Mingus, Roach, we could go on and on, and further on into the ‘60s and ‘70s, Coleman, Taylor, Art Ensemble of Chicago, I could go on.  I really get excited by the music of those last three, plus Don Cherry, Roland Kirk, again, I could go on.  That’s my take".

And my take is that Jazz is first and foremost an improvisatory language whose character is not defined by whether the material being playing is original to the artist. 

We can simply agree to disagree and leave it at that. 

 

 

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