Singers and the Song - Tapa dura

This book is a celebration of the generation of popular singers which emerged during and after the war: singers such as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughan. Universally praised as intuitive performers, Gene Lees's expert analysis also shows them to be intelligent, skilful artists, dedicated to their work. Sinatra is singled out for special praise: Lees describes him as 'our Poet Laureate, and best singer we've ever heard', and points out his technical virtuosity and his unique style of phrasing. The book also looks at some of the composers and lyricists whose material was finely tuned to suit the abilities of these new popular stars. A lyricist himself, Lees gives us an illuminating account of the language used by writers such as Johnny Mercer, their choice of subject matter, and their extraordinary gifts for rhyme and rhythm. Readership: students of music, general readers interested in popular music

About the author: Gene Lees is the author of a novel And Sleep Until Noon, The Modern Rhyming Dictionary, and editor and publisher of the influential Jazzletter. A lyricist whose songs include Quiet Nights on Quiet Stars, Someone to Light Up My Life, and Yesterday I Heard the Rain, he has also written extensively for such publications as High Fidelity, Stereo Review, American Film, and Down Beat.