Time to revisit some old classics

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 10:17 am

I was listening to the Today program today and heard Tony Bennett and KC Laing doing a duet of the old Louis Armstrong classic "What a Wonderful World". For some reeason, I immediately reached for the Overton Low D and started playing with it. I haven't got it all yet, but what I have sounds awesome.

I'm gonna have to go back for a look at some of Satchmo's other work. I have a feeling I'll find more.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 10:26 am

A question (discussed a little in the chat room last night): What is this style of music called? I mean the "oldies" like Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Durante, Nat King Cole, etc. My 20 year old daughter surprisingly loves this music and has asked me in the past what type of music it is and I can't think of an answer.
Susan

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 10:51 am

The name of the type is easy. It's 'good' music.

tuaz · Post by **tuaz** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 11:11 am

what do you call them?

Old but nice love songs/ballads/standards that cause too many people nowadays to be called jazz musicians/singers merely because said persons play/sing them

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 11:28 am

Okay...agreed...but where do I look in the music store for CDs??? I found said daughter a Jimmy Durante CD in the "easy listening" section recently.
Susan

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 1:13 pm

Why not search by artist name - online or in a store? You might be surprised how popular some of the old dead guys still are.

If it's the music she likes and not just the old singers, I really love the CD Natalie Cole did "with" her father a couple of years ago. And Tony Bennett is still around. His voice may not be what it once was, but his styling is like a fine old brandy - it only improves with age.

[ This Message was edited by: Chuck_Clark on 2002-11-06 14:16 ]

earthmom · Post by **earthmom** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 1:27 pm

I also like this style of music and most often find it in the section called "Easy Listening". I have also run across larger music stores that have a section for "Great Standards".

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 6:18 pm

People like Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby etc used to be called Crooners. I don't think Louis Armstrong falls into that category, tho.

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 8:44 pm

On 2002-11-06 11:26, susnfx wrote:
A question (discussed a little in the chat room last night): What is this style of music called? I mean the "oldies" like Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Durante, Nat King Cole, etc. My 20 year old daughter surprisingly loves this music and has asked me in the past what type of music it is and I can't think of an answer.
Susan

Easy listening, folk music, soft rock. All are viable categories. A lot of the songs you describe came from the sixties and the vietnam war era. You can find them on movie soundtracks, and "decade" collections, especially the more popular ones.

Aodhan

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 12:22 am

It's hard to find a category because some of these singers were first known and sometimes even better known for their work in other styles. I would call the songs you have in mind 'easy listening' or 'middle of the road'. The smooth ones were crooners. IMO, they have absolutely nothing to do with rock. Whilst the songs are undeniably pleasant, many people at the time thought that Cole and Armstrong had sold out because these efforts are incredibly lightweight and bland compared to their own ground-breaking jazz efforts and compared to the rock, soul and R&B of the time. I myself think it's a terrible pity that Armstrong is primarily remembered for pleasant but mildy geriatric performances of popular songs rather than for his earth-shattering Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings of the '20s that changed the face of not just American but world music. I don't think that either Cole or Armstrong sold out. Both wanted to be widely popular entertainers and did what it took to achieve that.

[ This Message was edited by: Wombat on 2002-11-07 01:23 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Wombat on 2002-11-07 02:00 ]

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 1:50 am

I really liked Perry Como, who died
recently--gee what an impeccable
singer. I used to watch his tv show,
and he would do a section on
music from different spiritual
traditions. Once he came out
in a yamulka and prayer shawl
and did some stuff in Hebrew...

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 3:04 am

On 2002-11-07 01:22, Wombat wrote:
I myself think it's a terrible pity that Armstrong is primarily remembered for pleasant but mildy geriatric performances of popular songs rather than for his earth-shattering Hot Fives and Hot Sevens recordings of the '20s that changed the face of not just American but world music.

Absolutely. It seems that people don't even know about this music or Armstrong's role in the evolution of jazz. Jimmy Durante started out as a jazz musician too but I remember him (I do remember him too) mainly as part singer (not that good IMO) part piano player and part comedian. "King" Cole also started out as a good jazz piano player but went toward singing. Probably his biggist hit was Nature Boy. Prior to the advent of rock music singers like Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Cloony etc were just assigned to the category of "popular music" although the men singers were sometimes called crooners.

Steve

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 10:01 am

Nature Boy perhaps, but I most remember Nat King Cole for Rambling Rose and his unforgettable rendition of Mel Torme's The Christmas Song!

~Larry

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 10:53 am

There was also Mona Lisa and Unforgettable-both big hits for Nat. You can get a quick overview of his life here:

http://www.tip.net.au/~bnoble/natkcole/nat_cole.htm