Singers and the Song
Published on 25. January 1990
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-0-19-506087-4 (ISBN)
Description
This book is a celebration of the generation of popular singers which emerged during and after the war: singers such as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan. Universally praised as intuitive performers, Gene Lees's expert analysis also shows them to be intelligent, skilful artists, didicated to their work. Sinatra is singled out for special praise: Lees describes him as 'our Poet Laureate, and best singer we've ever heard', and points out his technical virtuosity and his unique style of phrasing.
The book also looks at some of the composers and lyricists whose material was finely tuned to suit the abilities of these new popular stars. A lyricist himself, Lees gives us an illuminating account of the language used by writers such as Johnny Mercer, their choice of subject matter, and their extraordinary gifts for rhyme and rhythm.
The book also looks at some of the composers and lyricists whose material was finely tuned to suit the abilities of these new popular stars. A lyricist himself, Lees gives us an illuminating account of the language used by writers such as Johnny Mercer, their choice of subject matter, and their extraordinary gifts for rhyme and rhythm.
Reviews / Votes
`A book to be enjoyed...I recommend it' Gene Kelly 'Lees is a superb writer, erudite, compassionate, sensitive and knowledgeable.'Ray Comiskey, Irish Times 'a treasure of essays that explores the technique of lyric writing.' Newsday 'Lees is writing some of the best popular commentary on jazz, classic American popular song, their practitioners, and their milieu that ever has been written.' Booklist 'A collection of fascinating personal essays that have appeared in Jazzletter.' Library Journal 'The way the essays flow together, Singers and the Song has the sweep of a jazz-orchestral suite organized around recurrent motifs.' The New York Times 'Gene Lees, a lyric writer himself, is not only an extraordinarily perceptive reporter and analyst of jazz performance, jazz history and jazz people, but also one of those writers who's a joy to read on any subject at all.' Bookworld 'the best book on popular singers that I have ever read ... he writes like a dream, combining scholarship with insight, musicianship with approachability for the layman'
Stage & Television Today 'Lots of amusing and fascinating stories emerge about the creation of particular songs'
Colin Cooper, Beat Scene 'beautifully crafted essays ... Few rock writers begin to approach his grasp of the evolution of his chosen music.'
Q 'Gene Lees shows how our anemic language can be transfused with emotion by turning words into song ... he cherishes words as much as he loves music'
New York Times Book Review
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
388 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-506087-4 (9780195060874)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Lees is a leading lyricist, singer, and writer on popular music.