Search - Ethel Waters :: Ethel Waters 1926 to 1929

Raunchy Songs, Fine Singing!

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 09/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ethel Waters is best remembered now as an actress, but in the 1920s she was second only to Bessie Smith as the most popular African - American woman singer. Where as Smith was primarily a blues singer (and even when she performed up - tempo vaudeville numbers her renditions were still blues - drenched), Waters was more at home with the popular song genre. Her voice was lighter than Smith's electrifying contralto, but she had great timing and a raunchy sense of humour (see "Take your Black Bottom Outside" and "My Special Friend Is Back In Town).Of all her recordings, this CD is my favourite, thanks to the four outstanding 1928 tracks (15 - 18) Waters cut with the great jazz pianist James P. Johnson. Johnson, who also recorded extensively with Smith, was an outstanding accompanist, and these tracks are effectively vocal / piano duets. Johnson's characteristically driving two handed piano style is seen to best advantage on "Guess Who's in Town", where his solo is simply sensational. Wonderful double entendre lyrics by Andy Razaf delivered with enormous gusto by Waters make these among her finest recordings.Just to demonstrate how great Johnson was, the next four tracks (19 -22) are accompanied by the jazz publisher, dubious entrepreneur and mediocre pianist Clarence Williams. Once described as playing piano as if he was wearing mittens, his pedestrian renditions contrast embarrassingly with Johnson's virtuosity.Recommended!"