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From:  "james wintle" <jameswintle@h...>
"james wintle" <jameswintle@h...>
Date:  Fri Jan 5, 2001  4:39 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Tonight on PBS


Yes, Ms. Fleming put her self through school singing jazz. But, it's not
like she was doing a week at the Village Vanguard or something.
I heard her in recital recently, and she ended with a few jazz tunes
including a scat solo on 'it don't mean a thing...'. I enjoyed it very
much, as did the majority of the people who were standing up and clapping
after it was over. I don't have a problem with singing jazz with 'classical
resonance'. I do have a problem with singers imposing their own vocal
mannerisms (be it through diction or whatever) on any music. This includes
all singers singing anything. Not just crossover performances. I believe
that Duke Ellington and Schubert deserve the same respect from a performer
and Ms. Fleming is doing that in my opinion. Maybe her schtick just doesn't
translate well onto TV.

James Wintle


>I didn't watch it, but didn't Fleming put herself thru school singing jazz?
>perhaps she's LOST the element that she had that made it work for her
>before
>her technique got so developed....
>
>Christine Thomas
>Wauwatosa, WI
><A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html">
>http://hometown.aol.com/mezzoid/myhomepage/profile.html</A>
>
>"I love to sing-a, about the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a"

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