Readers frequently ask what, in my opinion, defines a great jazz vocal. I typically reply that it's a combination of the singer empathizing with the song's lyrics, vocalizing the song in such a way that the listener feels the delivery emotionally, and the singer knowing where to improvise to give the song a personal, sophisticated touch. I now have a video that captures all three of these factors, requiring no additional explanation from me. All you have to do is watch, listen and feel. The video may well be one of the finest jazz vocals captured on video by a male vocalist. Watch the nuance, the risks taken, the pauses, the feeling, articulation and the power as the vocal builds. [Photo above of Tony Bennett and Bobby Hackett in the mid-1960s]
The vocalist was Tony Bennett appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show on March 25, 1965 singing If I Ruled the World, backed by the Woody Herman Orchestra and Bobby Hackett on cornet. Tony's vocal on the show came a month before the release of his Columbia album, If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set.
Here's the video, which just went up at YouTube. Tony's flawless rendition chokes me up each time I watch it. As smooth as Renaissance sculpture. My suggestion is to expand the video to fill your entire screen so you can take it all in...
