Blue, Blue, My World is Blue
December 14, 2018 9:33 AM Subscribe
Nancy Wilson, jazz singer who turned songs into stories, passed away yesterday at 81. (No, not that Nancy Wilson.)
Nancy Wilson released more than 70(!) albums in her career, spanning a number of genres. She resisted labels, but was mostly described as a jazz singer with a commanding voice. As one of the commenters in the NYT obit said, "If you heard her, and didn't know who she was, you'd stop and listen." She was a master of inserting drama into her songs - check out some of her biggest hits, Guess Who I Saw Today, or Face It, Girl, It's Over, both with 'twists' at the end. Her biggest hit, (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am, will hook you and stay with you long after it's over. And though some might say that her cover of Ode to Billie Joe is overblown, you can't argue that it leaves you hanging on her every word. (It was the first version of the song I ever heard, and when I finally heard the original I couldn't believe how ... ordinary it sounded compared to Nancy Wilson's.)
Title courtesy of her cover of Love is Blue/L'amour Est Bleu.
I don't normally do obit posts (or many posts at all, for that matter), but Nancy Wilson was my mom's favorite singer and one of the precious few things in our life that we could both agree on, so I'm posting this to honor two strong, feisty women. RIP mom. I hope you finally get a chance to hear Nancy Wilson sing live again.
Nancy Wilson released more than 70(!) albums in her career, spanning a number of genres. She resisted labels, but was mostly described as a jazz singer with a commanding voice. As one of the commenters in the NYT obit said, "If you heard her, and didn't know who she was, you'd stop and listen." She was a master of inserting drama into her songs - check out some of her biggest hits, Guess Who I Saw Today, or Face It, Girl, It's Over, both with 'twists' at the end. Her biggest hit, (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am, will hook you and stay with you long after it's over. And though some might say that her cover of Ode to Billie Joe is overblown, you can't argue that it leaves you hanging on her every word. (It was the first version of the song I ever heard, and when I finally heard the original I couldn't believe how ... ordinary it sounded compared to Nancy Wilson's.)
Title courtesy of her cover of Love is Blue/L'amour Est Bleu.
I don't normally do obit posts (or many posts at all, for that matter), but Nancy Wilson was my mom's favorite singer and one of the precious few things in our life that we could both agree on, so I'm posting this to honor two strong, feisty women. RIP mom. I hope you finally get a chance to hear Nancy Wilson sing live again.
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thanks for the post, and for the story about your mom, widdershins.
posted by allthinky at 10:03 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
thanks for the post, and for the story about your mom, widdershins.
posted by allthinky at 10:03 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
That's a fine cover of Ode to Billie Joe, and the band really drives it home.
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posted by MovableBookLady at 10:05 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by MovableBookLady at 10:05 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
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She also hosted Jazz Profiles, an incredible, long running jazz documentary program on NPR. If you haven't heard it, archives here.
posted by gyusan at 10:24 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
She also hosted Jazz Profiles, an incredible, long running jazz documentary program on NPR. If you haven't heard it, archives here.
posted by gyusan at 10:24 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
My favorite Nancy Wilson performance is her rendition of The Song is You.
Thank you for posting this. She had a legendary style and voice and could make any song her own.
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posted by fuse theorem at 10:35 AM on December 14, 2018
Thank you for posting this. She had a legendary style and voice and could make any song her own.
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posted by fuse theorem at 10:35 AM on December 14, 2018
Nancy Wilson was my grandfather's favorite. Only recently did I know this while going through my parents' record collection. When my grandfather died they merged his collection into theirs, and it was mostly Nancy Wilson. My dad didn't much like it -- I mean, his dad's music -- but I started listening to her, and damn she had a fine voice.
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posted by dw at 11:18 AM on December 14, 2018
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posted by dw at 11:18 AM on December 14, 2018
She recorded my favorite version of What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve.
💿
posted by fedward at 11:28 AM on December 14, 2018
💿
posted by fedward at 11:28 AM on December 14, 2018
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posted by jim in austin at 12:49 PM on December 14, 2018
posted by jim in austin at 12:49 PM on December 14, 2018
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posted by oneswellfoop at 2:04 PM on December 14, 2018
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:04 PM on December 14, 2018
Her version of The Christmas Waltz is my favorite holiday song. I'll do my best to croon it like her on uke tonight.
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posted by youarenothere at 3:47 PM on December 14, 2018
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posted by youarenothere at 3:47 PM on December 14, 2018
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The only Nancy Wilson music I know is the Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderly album. It's an excellent music all around, but Ms Wilson's voice is the best part of it.
posted by Loudmax at 5:30 PM on December 14, 2018
The only Nancy Wilson music I know is the Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderly album. It's an excellent music all around, but Ms Wilson's voice is the best part of it.
posted by Loudmax at 5:30 PM on December 14, 2018
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