I agree Susan. And I think the slow (glacial) tempo of some of the songs combined with Joni's short phrasing makes it even more apparent. I think her choices are concious and well thought out - perhaps they reflect her current vocal strengths and weaknesses - but, she has said in interviews that her singing style incorporates short or clipped phrasing. If the tempos on some of the numbers were kicked up a bit, I don't think I would mind the phrasing as much.
Jenny --- Susan Guzzi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I guess I feel like I can analyze Joni's singing > somewhat, because I feel I am going through the > same struggles as she is with the changes in our > voices. Or shed some light on it with my 2 > cents. Sooooooooooo as much as I do love > Travelogue, and much of Joni's new voice, she has a > ways > to go in perfecting or learning her best space in > the jazzier style. Really, I think it is the > phrasing. She may not be having as much trouble as > we think with the breathing, but may actually > be making a conscious choice in her phrasing. > That's just one possibility. And I don't know if > that's better or worse than having problems with the > breathing. Cause I'd like to think she was > forced to make these choices by limitations, rather > than just making poor choices. I actually > think it is a bit of both. NOT that I think it is > all bad. Remember I had very low expectations > for this album and I am very pleased with it - I > give it a B, maybe a B+. So please don't make me > run for cover. :-D But it is not perfect. Seems I > have tried to express this here before, but > there I went again anyway! ;-) > > This I think Deb, lends itself to your frustration > with the "choppy" sound or singing. I think a > lot of people have decent or even good voices, but > it is their style, range and phrasing that sets > them apart. I have heard this over the years and I > know I heard Linda Ronstadt say something > about phrasing being the key to a good singer, many > years ago. > > And Deb you are exactly right - the snappier songs > work especially well because of her phrasing, > no matter what the reasoning or cause. > > However, I love the lushness of the orchestra! I > just wish Joni could/would use her voice more to > play more with the orchestra. That would be great - > I think. > > Peace, > Susan > > NPIMH: Zeus Must Be A Boogie Man > > -- dsk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > That's what bothers me the most, the contrast of > her choppy singing and > > downturned phrases with the flowing stringy > sound. Her inability to > > sustain a phrase is especially obvious when > listening through > > headphones. It's not a matter of wanting her to > sound like she used to > > because I like her lower voice, but why make her > limitations so obvious > > by backing it with the lushness of an orchestra? > I think the songs that > > work the best are the snappier jazz ones where the > short phrases make > > sense. > > Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up > now. > http://mailplus.yahoo.com Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
