Re: George Jones' phrasing (was Gag reflex)
Jon Weisberger wrote: An interesting comment. I'd say that the *technique* isn't especially a bluegrass one - Monroe and most of the other major bluegrass singers of Jones' younger days don't clench their jaws - but the emotional content of that, the physical restraint/emotional outpouring dialectic, if you will g, is a prominent feature of the style. I always feel like bluegrass tenors are singing more up in their heads, with their noses, rather than their mouths. To me, not a bluegrass expert by any means, it almost defines the style. No vibrato, either. -- Joe Gracey President-For-Life, Jackalope Records http://www.kimmierhodes.com
Re: George Jones' phrasing (was Gag reflex)
Mr. Joe Gracey Sir sez: An interesting note about George Jones, from my standpoint as a watcher of singers- he sings through the whole front of his skull. Whereas most vocalists open their mouths and project a sound from the hole, George basically sings through clenched teeth and projects the sound from every orifice in his skull, including vibrating the bones of his face. I think this is one of the things that adds such weird tension to his vocals. Try it- sing real loud through closed teeth. See? Yeah, when I wrote yesterday I was talking about his phrasing in particular, but the particular timbre of his voice is unique as well. Iv'e never thought about it in exactly the terms you use above, except to observe the clenched-teeth thing and that he does seem to really sing through his *head* chest rather the chest or diaphragm. Once, um, I sat around for the better part of an afternoon singing "Why Baby Why" over and over trying to understand how he gets that sound g. All I could ever get to was a real nasal-sounding tone that, alas, never even approached George-ness. I tried to constrict my throat and hold my mouth in odd, closed ways like he does, but never got the results Ah well. At least this practice came in handy on the "Why Baby Why" singalong in CK's room last Tfest g. There's a little of that timbre in Buck as well, no? (as opposed to Johnny Paycheck, who seems to get the phrasing but not the timbre). They both have that head-centered, closed-mouth sound, as opposed to the more "correct" resonating voice a la Faron and such. Interesting topic. I'm always fascinated by the particular "grain" of different singers' voices. Willie's a strange one that way; he sometimes strikes me as having several different phrasing-styles (with more and less of that around-the-beat thing he does) and timbres that he brings out for different purposes. --junior
Re: George Jones' phrasing (was Gag reflex)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: sing real loud through closed teeth. See? That way of singing has been his thing since he figured it our shortly after he bagan singing. He said that he knew he had a different sound when he did that. Yeah, and I also think he probably got that from guys like Bill Monroe. Seems like a bluegrass thing to me. In fact, I'd say George is very much like a bluegrass singer doing honky tonk music. -- Joe Gracey President-For-Life, Jackalope Records http://www.kimmierhodes.com
RE: George Jones' phrasing (was Gag reflex)
Joe says: sing real loud through closed teeth. See? That way of singing has been his thing since he figured it our shortly after he bagan singing. He said that he knew he had a different sound when he did that. Yeah, and I also think he probably got that from guys like Bill Monroe. Seems like a bluegrass thing to me. In fact, I'd say George is very much like a bluegrass singer doing honky tonk music. An interesting comment. I'd say that the *technique* isn't especially a bluegrass one - Monroe and most of the other major bluegrass singers of Jones' younger days don't clench their jaws - but the emotional content of that, the physical restraint/emotional outpouring dialectic, if you will g, is a prominent feature of the style. Jones has said (though it will take me a while to find just where, David g) that he was influenced by bluegrass, and there are some cuts on, for instance, the Jones/Montgomery comp that are, as far as I'm concerned, bluegrass - though no doubt some hardcore bluegrassers will rule them out by virtue of the drums. They've got good banjerpicking from Curtis McPeake, though, as well as dobro by the recently-mentioned Shot Jackson. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
RE: George Jones' phrasing (was Gag reflex)
At 05:01 PM 2/25/99 -0500, Jon wrote: Jones has said (though it will take me a while to find just where, David g) that he was influenced by bluegrass Oh you don't need to look. He's said it everywhere, over and over: as a youngun' he worshipped the Opry stars, and that meant Acuff and Monroe. BTW, I've read the Bob Allen bio that Deborah (?) recomended, I just forgot that part was in there. Allen's book ain't so hot--it wants to be new journalismy, like a Hellfire or Your Cheatin' Heart, and it falls somewhere between--but it sure as hell beats Ragged But Right, which was by, I think, Dolly Carlisle. --david cantwell
