Ted opens his article by reminding readers that there is already proliferation of good jazz than the public can consume. He calls this scenario the ‘abundance of the right stuff’. This opening remark is supposedly meant to convince a reader that jazz is not in any way in disarray that a knee-jerk experimentation is necessary. It serves as a foundation to his scathing article about the increasing involvement of lovely women in the business. He begins right away by a reference to a hypothetical humorous wince of the boys at the sound of a ‘young lovelies chirp’. But it doesn’t stop there, Ted talks about theories that have been advance to justify the increasing engagement of women in Jazz bands. Both are not good, none of these two claims are meritorious in a strict consideration of the vocal prowess of the women. The bottom line is that their presence in the bands is more aesthetic than functional.
A Good Vocalist
These girls aren’t singing jazz. Listen to his description of the genre; ‘real jazz was originally sounded in the form of blues, which was (and still is) a purely emotionally inspired uncultured outpouring of words and vocal sounds expressing a mood’. From this description anything contrary wouldn’t qualify. I can make this deduction; Ted considers a good Jazz vocalist to be someone able to employ their vocals to pass an emotion-laden piece of music, backed by instruments in an attempt to express a mood. In this regard, a well-cultured voice, probably trained in light classical and opera cannot render an appealing piece of jazz. And lending such a vocal with the jazz idiom backed by instruments is a musical catastrophe.
Ted points out some women with notable voices; and Billie Holiday is one of them. I think this is an attempt to justify that women have to be immensely talented or in possession of the required vocal ranges to be counted. But he considers such a group to be an inconspicuous minority.
However, a consideration of Dave Dexter’s interview with Billie Holiday reveals a more vivid picture of the true nature of the game to even the most talented female vocalist. The topic is Holiday’s assertion that she is done playing with the boys. While immensely talented, starting her career at the age of 15 years; she has not broken even after 9 years in the industry. As a matter of fact she is considering quitting all together if things do not improve. Billie gives a deeper insight of the unfair treatment of women in the jazz industry. Whilst she does acknowledge having a good relationship with Count Besie, unlike Artie Shaw; she points out the control elements from managers and the forces behind the success of the industry. This gives us a clue that the field is still predominantly male and going it alone would be a bumpy ride. Despite the potential she holds, notably from the success she enjoys in Any Old Time it’s a tough world. Ted’s description of her kind’s involvement in jazz wouldn’t be more scathing; ‘like drinking cream in your beer. They just don’t jell’.
But is there any veracity in this attack? Does Ted convince the readers that ‘Gals Not Singing Jazz’ is clearly justified? This is debatable. While I acknowledge that genres have distinct features that delineate them, with ample training both genders are able to fit. More specifically for jazz, the pertinent characteristics that he points out can be aptly brought out by both genders in equal measure. Personally, I do believe that women are able to bring out an emotional connection to a song in a better way.
Music is always an expression of deep seated emotions and can be used to tell a story. While a particular genre can trace its origin to a community or race as a reflection of their feeling, any person who really wants to learn will learn, become good, and even better. Indeed Ted unwittingly acknowledges this when he gives an example of the white musicians who are able to exactly emulate the musical expression of the ‘American Negro’ of the time. It takes influence. Indeed, Ted points out that the American girl has not had an opportunity to surround themselves with the jazz environment. Ideally, what they lack is a training ground. It is not about an intellectual handicap. This also works against his general notion that they are pathetic jazz vocalists.
