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Billy Eckstine - Why This Man Is So Damn Hideously Underrated? Considering how he put alot of people on the map like Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and the list goes on, it seems that he only gets dismissed as a balladist.
From a personal point, he ruled the baritone territory,,,esp when you put his standard "Jelly, Jelly" in mind. If I'm not mistaken, he's also one of the earliest founders of the genre now glorified as 'R&B'. | |
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I surely don't know why he would be underrated unless it's because people are just too young to know, but he certainly deserves to be as highly thought of as any of the ones you mentioned. I don't know that I would say that being considered a balladist as a "dismissal." Don't you think that that's what he's mostly known for? In any case, I can hear that voice in my head right now and it stands alone! Never trust anything spoken in the presence of an erection.
H Michael Frase | |
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Yeah, but it seems like they made being a balladist as the only thing he did. He made his presence known on other areas as well. | |
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Harlepolis said: Yeah, but it seems like they made being a balladist as the only thing he did. He made his presence known on other areas as well.
OK, I won't disagree with that. Well, at least WE recognize the deal!  Never trust anything spoken in the presence of an erection.
H Michael Frase | |
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Great voice.
I'd have to agree with NewPowerSista. Anybody that has any knowledge of Jazz history would credited Mr.B as being one of the influential vocalists. I Apologize is one of my favorites by him. tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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Harlepolis said: Yeah, but it seems like they made being a balladist as the only thing he did. He made his presence known on other areas as well.
Not sure who "they" are, but this is my dad's favorite singer. He saw Eckstine several times in concert and has a bunch of his records (on 78's, too!--we have a victrola that we play them on--and alot of other good stuff). My dad said people way back in the day didn't just think of him as a ballad singer. My dad's 82 years young, BTW. | |
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NuPwr319 said: Harlepolis said: Yeah, but it seems like they made being a balladist as the only thing he did. He made his presence known on other areas as well.
Not sure who "they" are, but this is my dad's favorite singer. He saw Eckstine several times in concert and has a bunch of his records (on 78's, too!--we have a victrola that we play them on--and alot of other good stuff). My dad said people way back in the day didn't just think of him as a ballad singer. My dad's 82 years young, BTW. They, as in music critics. I should've made that clear. | |
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He was certainly a major 'enabler' for be-bop musicians back in the '40s, as well as a good individual singer.
I've read he was a little rough with the ladies, etc, but that doesn't stop many other jazz artists being valued today, so I'm not sure why he's undervalued these days. He didn't die of drugs tho, which is often a good career move.  | |
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Harlepolis said: NuPwr319 said: Not sure who "they" are, but this is my dad's favorite singer. He saw Eckstine several times in concert and has a bunch of his records (on 78's, too!--we have a victrola that we play them on--and alot of other good stuff). My dad said people way back in the day didn't just think of him as a ballad singer. My dad's 82 years young, BTW. They, as in music critics. I should've made that clear. Oh. But who listens to music critics???  | |
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