I was in a restaurant last night that played some old French songs and the vocalist had clearly absorbed Billie's Teddy Wilson era style, swinging behind the beat with a lot of implied irony.
But then a huge number of singers are falsely compared to her while sounding nothing like her.
So I am wondering where she stands today. Was she just of her time or is she timeless? Do you skip some of her phases, like I skip the Decca strings recordings except Lover Man? Is she only effective on quality songs rather than the cast-offs Colombia often gave her? Is she as emotionally engaging as Ella Fitzgerald or Aretha Franklin, despite a much narrower octave range?
But then a huge number of singers are falsely compared to her while sounding nothing like her.
So I am wondering where she stands today. Was she just of her time or is she timeless? Do you skip some of her phases, like I skip the Decca strings recordings except Lover Man? Is she only effective on quality songs rather than the cast-offs Colombia often gave her? Is she as emotionally engaging as Ella Fitzgerald or Aretha Franklin, despite a much narrower octave range?
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