This is the music that I love...the simplicity of a small combo...lead female, keys, sweet jazz guitar in the back, great bass and nice shuffle drummer...beauty.
Oh my word...I love this song so much....and I love Maxine Sullivan so much too...I would love to have put my arms around her and thanked her for her wonderful rendition of this song !!!!
Love her voice as I've only recently discovered her. Can't get enough of her sound she's really sophisticated satin when she sings "Midnight" with Benny Carter and his orchestra.
Always thot that Maxine sang Hoagy's songs the best, with verve,tenderness,and lilting gentle swing, a superb songstress whose like we may never see again. Some of her best recordings came late in her career (some with Bob Wilbur,who was nuts about her singing too)
Gorgeous arrangement of Skylark. Keith, could/would you forward any links or directions/suggestions you might have. Are you a musician? Be very well, John Sutherland
Am an Amateur clarinetist (play a buffet crampon R13) I started listening to Sidney Bechet about 1954 and my interest just grew. (Got to know Sidney Bechet's Son, Daniel, that's him in my pic on the right) And, yes,I've always loved "Skylark",in particular the quirky changes and the bridges Hoagy wrote were something great. Thanks for your nice comment,John,I appreciate it.
@direfranchement I agree with you that Renee Olstead has to stick around longer than a couple years before anyone can start mentioning her in the same breath as Maxine Sullivan, Dinah Shore, and the like. I am a big fan of all the classic singers myself. It's also good to remember that those singers also started very young. At the very least, Renee Olstead has the talent, desire, and the GOOD TASTE to sing such great songs. More power to her~
Skylark has been sung by many. Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Helen Forrest, Maxine Sullivan, Bette Midler and probably many more. But nobody sings it like Renee Olstead.
So no one sings Skylark like Renee Olstead? Thank god, say I. It seems nowadays that slight tilts of the head , clipped phrasing & shouting into a microphone passes for interpretation.Of all the many worthy performances of this song Dinah Shore, Helen Forrest etc. I think this version by Maxine Sullivan must rank as one of the best. For my money it is the best & a delightful discovery.
@marykmusic - I agree. Hardly a popular singer from today would have been given a 2nd look in an audition back in the days before vocoders and autotuning.
@zuluti - this goes for me to, do't stop I have about 3,000 Jazz and Salsa plus standards I have this one and so many standards. If and when I can load some of them on to "youtube" I will be the "Son of direfranchement" when can have a music duel, ha ha hehehe I do not have this version of Ms. Sullivan I have about two or three different versions. Thanks a cool version I have played about 8 times now and even sent it as a present to a friendl .....Keep up the good work...thanks
Great voice -too bad that she has been largely overshadowed by Ethel Waters, Billie Holliday and Ella. Her "Hundred years from today" in what would be 'old age' is terrific!
Every singer other than Renee Olstead sings Skylark with their own distinct styles. The people saying Renee Olstead's version is the best they've heard are either tone deaf or related to Renee Olstead.Granted we each have our own tastes, but Renee Olstead isn't even in the same league as the others. I'll take Ella Fitzgerald's version anyday
@erjoh1 There is nothing musically remarkable about Olstead (who the hell is she anyway?), and, judging from the performances of the song available on RU-vid, rating her ahead of or even amongst any of the vocalists you've cited is like some flake of dark comedy--but it's not funny.
If only today's producers would stop all the over-amplified and over-produced recordings kids would learn to appreciate a good voice and not screaming noises...
Renee Olstead is a joke. Just because someone let her record some "jazz" doesn't make her good. She is not even remotely in the same league and shouldn't even be mentioned in comparison to real singers like Maxine or Ella. Anyone claiming their liking Olstead is a "matter of taste" obviously doesn't have any.
