Interpreters

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Nina Simone was the greatest interpreter of other people’s songs I’ve heard. She could take a song you’ve heard a million times and give it an unexpected twist (like the downcast but elegant tone on Dylan’s “Tom Thumb Blues,” or the gospel of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.”) Her sad death got me thinking about whether vocal interpretation is a dying art. Which living singers are carrying the torch?

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

robert wyatt

― JasonD (JasonD), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

check out Chris Whitley's Perfect Day album.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Norah Jones, natch. Like or not (and I don't), she is promoting that paradigm.

Kurt Elling and Cassandra Wilson have their moments. I know there is someone key that I am forgetting though.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Rod Stewart

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Marc Almond.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Bob Mould.

― rexJr, Tuesday, 22 April 2003 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

There are a lot of great ones in the country/alt-country realm. Kelly Hogan and Neko Case both do great renditions of other people's songs; Emmylou Harris has always been primarily an interpretive singer; ditto Alison Krauss.

I thought about this when I saw Kelly Hogan last year, and again when I saw Neko. Kelly did some beautiful things, including a Magnetic Fields song, and I was thinking that it'd be cool if someone did kind of an updated version of Ella Fitzgerald's "Songbooks" series -- matching singers with songs from the past few decades. A way of showcasing both the writers and singers. It'd be a good project for an enterprising label.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Cat Power.

― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Carla Bozulich. early on the Geraldine Fibbers did some great c&w standards, plus a kickass cover of Can's "Yoo Doo Right", and more recently she's sung amazing interpretations of Dylan's "Masters of War" (w/ the Scott Amendola Band), Marrianne Faithful's "Times Square" (w/ Scarnella), and Willie Nelson's entire "Red-Headed Stranger" album.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

so, uh, women, in general then?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)

P Diddy

― scott m (mcd), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

jonny cash.

i can easily listen to one of his modern-alt-rock covers, but if i heard the originals i'd have to hold back spew

― JasonD (JasonD), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

jason is otm...

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 23:27 (twenty-two years ago)

i agree with y'all, specifically: k. hogan, c. marshall and j. cash.

i've been thinking of this lately while listening to female brits of the sixties & seventies, especially: dusty springfield & sandie shaw. a timely revisit with the new stripes album, check out dusty's version of b. bacharach's 'i just don't know what to do with myself'. or, dusty's cover of j. brel's 'ne me quitte pas' / 'if you go away'. re: sandie shaw, search her cover of zeppelin's 'your time is gonna come' and of course the smiths' songs (i.e. 'jeanne').

― j.a.e., Wednesday, 23 April 2003 06:06 (twenty-two years ago)

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