[JPL] Scott Yanow's JAZZ SINGERS

[Len Dobbin]

THE JAZZ SINGERS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

By Scott Yanow - Backbeat Books

I found this a helpful and informative book but ULTIMATE GUIDE, I think not.  Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross are mentioned individually in the book's main section as well as a trio in "The Jazz Vocal Groups" section yet Jackie and Roy and the Bug Alley band are in that section but neither Jackie Cain, who Mel Torme was in awe of, Karen Young or for that matter, her daughter Coral Egan are in the main section.  In the "Others Who Have Also Sung" section, Red Mitchell, Clare Daly, Joan Stiles and Zoot Sims are missing.  In the main section, which includes people like Giacomo Gates, Janice Borla and Carol Fredette, is missing singers like Marc Pompe, Jessica Molaskey, Theo Bleckmann, David Linx, Eric Comstock and Marcus Goldhaber.  Canadian singers like George Evans, John Labelle, Ranee Lee and Maureen Kennedy are here but there is no mention of Eve Smith (aka Yvonne Lanauze) who recorded with Ellington, veterans Arlene Smith and Lorraine Foster, Kenny Colman, Dorothee Berryman, Diana Panton, Stevie Vallance, Hilary Kole, Stephane Laliberte, The Tone Poets and Monique Fauteux (OK, the last is little know outside of Quebec and remains unrecorded as a jazz singer) and it's Beverly Kenney not Kenny.

 

I do think this is valuable as a reference book with many little known but important singers covered, but the ULTIMATE GUIDE ????

 

Len Dobbin