Again, I hate to make the comparison in this manner ("If you like this, you'll love that…") but here I go again – another jazz giant of yesteryear and one of today. When I finally began to research classic jazz vocalists, I remember buying a CD that was half Ella Fitzgerald and half Billie Holiday. For reasons I won't go into here, I put both artists away after comparing them on that CD. Billie Holiday was hauntingly melancholy and Ella Fitzgerald was sweet and lovely. I later pursued Ella Fitzgerald more and Billie Holiday less. Ella's voice settled on my heart almost instantly but I find the mood has to be just right for Billie Holiday. I love her with a cold glass of fruit tea on a hot dusty (and humid) day. I love her in the country. I love her on a rainy day. I would love her in Paris – for some reason I feel like her voice would be perfect on French lyrics.
The contemporary who I am comparing Billie Holiday to (as I cringe from the possibility that the act of comparison can be an insult sometimes) is new to me – but not to the Jazz World. Madeleine Peyroux sounds very similar to Billie Holiday – they both have a husky croon that sort of meanders through the lyrics of a song, seemingly to work parallel to the music instead of in conjunction with the instruments. I am making my first Madeleine Peyroux purchase today through iTunes. Because she has several albums previously released I am going to purchase a few songs from each album. If a love affair ensues, I will ensure that my collection reflects that adequately.
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