Ray Charles' and Cleo Laine's "Porgy & Bess"

[Miranda3]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 1:54pm

I recently saw on BW TV Audra's and Norm's version of "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," which I liked very much, though I thought Norm sounded a little lowkey, but maybe that is part of his take on Porgy. I went back and found this version of the same song that Cleo and Ray did on their "P&B" album years ago. Maybe this is a minority opinion, but I love their version and am surprised that their such different styles work so well together here. I think the blend is beautiful and very moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2PfBTDCpmw

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:07pm

Really fantastic. Thanks for sharing. God, Cleo Laine's voice kills me. (FYI, Norm was sick when that video was recorded. He sounded much better when I saw him in the theatre. Audra was sick too, she just hid it better.)

[Miranda3]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:12pm

AC: Thanks for that info. I had not heard Norm before except for his singing as Javert, which I thought was so forceful and great. I am glad to know his seeming weakness in the P&B video was due just to a temporary illness. I would have loved to have seen Cleo do Bess onstage in the day. She has the acting chops along with the voice, IMO.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:46pm

I love their Porgy and Bess.

I also love the jazz version by Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte:

http://youtu.be/6Xbg5rBq8yY


There is also the great jazz version of the score by Ella and Louis and a lesser jazz version by Mel Torme and Frances Faye.

And there is also the great jazz instrumental version by Miles Davis and a lesser one by Gil Evans.

[Miranda3]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 8:29pm

Joey: Thanks for posting the link to the lovely Lena/Harry version, which I'd never heard before. You are a great historian. Each of the four women really make Bess their own. Re the Cleo/Ray version: Ray was the driving force behind it and initially wanted Gladys Knight as his Bess, but she was unavailable. He wanted a folksy, down-to-earth sound, not operatic. He then chose Cleo, and they got on very well, but he initially found some of her recorded solos a little too lush and high-toned, and she then redid them. However, though it seems hard to see how this could happen, when the album was put together some time later, a few of her "wrong" versions were mistakenly put on the final. I think one might be her "My Man Is Gone Now." If you listen to that, it has a different tone from the rest, but their duets together, especially "I Got Plenty of Nothin'," are wholly wonderful. I find that impressive as their individual styles are so different.

Updated On: 1/23/12 at 08:29 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 8:41pm

Are they going to record the revival?!? I'm bummed that it hasn't been announced yet.