Hi David, With your subject line I'm having visions of Joni waiting tables at IHOP ;-)
I've never heard Joni as flat - always thought she (to put it clumsily) invented new pitches. Felt the same about Sarah and Laura Nyro and that is one of the prime reasons they have always been in my top three (or maybe four since recently adding Julia Fordham). Their distinctive and original vocals is what caught me from the beginning, and (for better or worse) from listening to them, tend to bend pitches myself when singing. I don't know much about Betty Carter but now I have your recommendation to check her out, too ;-) Kakki > Joni flat? I don't think so. Joni's pitch bending is at times even > miraclulous. If she is flat, I guess so was Sarah Vaughn......and Betty > Carter was just plain tone deaf.
