King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings - King Pleasure with Annie Ross

Recently I watched Deconstructing Harry, a 1997 Woody Allen film.  On a sidenote, I love Woody Allen's acting persona and the plot line of this film was interesting and self-reflective as his tend to be.  Anyway, the film begins with Annie Ross' Twisted.  Not only is it catchy, it also set the scene perfectly during the opening credits.  It is the perfect example of what brings King Pleasure and Annie Ross together musically - vocalese. 

Grove Music Online (which may only be available to view through your library's subscription) gives the definition for vocalese as the following: "A term for the practice of jazz singing in which texts (newly invented) are set to recorded jazz improvisations." The entry names King Pleasure as one of the earliest and best-known in this practice, followed by Ross' trio, Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross.  It seems to me that this album should be uniting two of the best vocalese musicians in a defining moment for the this particular style.  While vocalese pretty much died out after these two and the height of bop with which it was most closely associated and borrowed from, other artists has used it sparingly including Joni Mitchell and the Pointer Sisters.

The format of this album includes a full length release by King Pleasure with and Annie Ross EP appended to the end - both easily classics in their own right.  The album personnel includes King Pleasure, Annie Ross, Betty Carter, Blossom Dearie, The Three Riffs, The Dave Lambert Singers, and Jon Hendricks for vocals; Lucky Thompson on tenor saxophone; Danny Bank on baritone saxophone; Eddie Lewis  ontrumpet; J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding on trombone; Charlie Ferguson, Teacho Wiltshire, John Lewis, George Wallington, Ed Swanston, and Jimmy Jones on piano; Ram Ramirez on organ; Peck Morrison, Paul Chambers, and Percy Heath on bass; Herbie Lovelle, Art Blakey, Joe Harris, and Kenny Clarke on drums.  Couple this with outstanding composition by greats including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Stan Getz.

King Pleasure's songs have all the bounce and fun of a Louis Prima album with a good dose of Sinatra class.  His duets with Betty Carter ("Red Top") and Blossom Dearie ("I'm in the Mood for Love") are some of the best his twelve track have to offer.  "Funk Junction" offers an instrumental interlude, that stands on its own, as an interlude to Annie Ross' tracks.

Ross has a deeper voice, more serious and matter-of-fact than I picture her female jazz vocalist contemporaries.  "Twisted" will instantly catch your ear thanks to the bebop recording of Wardell Gray's, American tenor saxophonist, from which it is borrowed.  To keep up with the instrumental line Ross rolls out lyrics with impressive speed and the phrasing and timbre of a smooth saxophone.

It would be interesting to do a comparison of the original bop recording and the resulting vocalese rendition, but that is, perhaps, an entire paper, or series of papers.  This short-lived style may not be revolutionary, but it certainly produced this highly entertaining album, brings to mind questions of the voice as instrument, and secured a place for both King Pleasure, Annie Ross, and their respective musical associations, in the center of the jazz scene and its many offshoots.