Art Deco: The Crooners

Fascinating twin brother to 2 CD collection "Art Deco: Sophisticated Ladies" this is collection of male radio stars of 1920s and 1930s from the time when slick-haired gentlemen were musical equivalent of suave, seductive movie stars who drove female audiences crazy. 

"Crooners" was more-or-less right description of the style popular back than, since guys gently crooned their lovelorn ballads (gently swinging) and if the critics occasionally complained of this approach, well this obviously worked on pop charts - people like Gene Austin and Seger Ellis were perfect reflection of the times and what audiences wanted. And it's a irony that their female contemporaries sometimes turned even better versions (The Boswell Sisters recorded far more muscular and harder "Shine On, Harvest Moon" than Seger Ellis who truly sounds emasculated). Of course, everything changes once Bing Crosby enters the picture - his baritone is like thunder and lighting, real man between these school boys - no wonder that everybody after him sounded like Crosby imitator, from Sinatra to Dean Martin and yes, Elvis Presley. 

What this compilation unearths, covering years 1926-1941 are names long forgotten, like black Crosby, Harlan Latimore who is so close to the original that it could fooled me easily, Russ Columbo who was a huge star in his time and died under strange circumstances at the age of only 26, ukulele star Cliff Edwards (here singing and not clowning) and balladeers like Buddy Clark, Eddy Howard and Dick Haymes who were in the same league with young Sinatra (also presented here). For every Al Jolson or Rudy Vallee absent here, there are wonderful surprises like Red McKenzie who recorded "Georgia on my mind" in 1931. (and his gentle, moody version I found definitive) or Pinky Tomlin with his adorable novelty "The Object Of My Affection". Very interesting overview of long forgotten pop music and how it have changed, grown and adjusted to newer times. That crooners stayed in fashion much longer shows in careers of people like Al Martino, Andy Martin, Jerry Vale and Jack Jones who basically followed the same path, each one of them crooning love ballads in their own way - just look what Michael Boublé is doing today so successfully. After all,we all sing in the shower like Bing Crosby.