JazzRocks
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Post by JazzRocks on Mar 2, 2011 8:59:03 GMT -5
A House is Not a Home has been sung so often on Idol. Here's Anwar Robinson from S4. It's live from the Idols Tour so the quality is not good. Cassie - what do you think? Btw - I like James very much - mannerisms and all. 
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Post by cassie on Mar 2, 2011 11:21:52 GMT -5
A House is Not a Home has been sung so often on Idol. Here's Anwar Robinson from S4. It's live from the Idols Tour so the quality is not good. Cassie - what do you think? Thanks for sharing. Parts of it I liked a lot. In the beginning, I like his tender tone and easy singing. It sounds simple and heartfelt, and the sound is warm and inviting. Parts of it I did not like so much. that riffing style is very popular, particularly with soul and R&B. When it is on, it is marvelous. When it is not on, it leaves me cold. Riffing well is very challenging. You are taking off from the melody and working up and down the scale, hitting notes along the way that should be complimentary to the base note and the backing instrumentals. It should be free-flowing and extemporaneous. But, you have to know in your head where you are going with the run, and exactly which notes you want to hit. Sometimes a singer seems to get a little lost and tentative about what note he is gliding to next, and lands in between the notes, producing something that is muddy and off pitch. It's a very difficult skill and few excel at it. I think it takes a lot of practice. I would say that this guy hasn't quite mastered it yet, but, he may. That's just my opinion --- since you asked. YMMV.
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JazzRocks
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Post by JazzRocks on Mar 2, 2011 11:40:15 GMT -5
Thanks for your quick reply!
He may have by now since that was more than 5 years ago. I don't know since I don't follow his career, but I loved the way he sang it on the show. Can't find audio or video of that however.
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sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Mar 2, 2011 11:45:14 GMT -5
I LOVED Anwar. He was a music teacher (I think in NYC) of young children. Never figured out why he didn't make it further in the competition.
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JazzRocks
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Post by JazzRocks on Mar 2, 2011 11:53:56 GMT -5
I LOVED Anwar. He was a music teacher (I think in NYC) of young children. Never figured out why he didn't make it further in the competition. IIRC he got to #7.
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Alison
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Post by Alison on Mar 2, 2011 12:05:34 GMT -5
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JazzRocks
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Post by JazzRocks on Mar 2, 2011 18:07:34 GMT -5
Interesting. I never knew he was gay and I don't think most people thought of him as gay at the time. Remember he was on Carrie's season & there was also Bo and Constantine. So not too surprising that he didn't win. But he should have been higher than #7.
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Post by rihannsu on Mar 3, 2011 0:09:03 GMT -5
Why do so many people go crazy if a singer (i.e. Siobahn, James) wails out super high notes? When did that become the measure of a great singer? Granted, a large range is impressive and unusual. But, I would hardly call that the hallmark of an extraordinary talent. I keep going back to the comment Adam made about singers who brag about their high notes: "But, does it sound good?" Interesting cassie. I'm one of the few (here anyway) that got a little tired of Adam doing the high note screams on AI. Although I recognized that he was one of the few I've ever heard that could scream/wail on pitch and that he still sounded like he was singing (for the most part) and not really screaming. I began to feel that he was doing that because he could and because he thought that was what people were impressed with and what they wanted to hear. IMO, even the judges got a little used to it and a little tired of it. Unfortunately, a lot of AI watchers in my acquaintance will not buy his album because they think it is all about those "screams". My husband tells me to turn off the FYE album because of that and the fact that he doesn't like the techno/electrtronic stuff (but that's another story). In fact there is only one friend who "got" Adam and wants to see/hear anything I show her from youtube, etc. What got me to appreciate the rock wail was WLL on AI. He sounded sooooo much better than Plant (who I do not like to listen to - at all) and ironically pretty much all I listen to on radio is classic rock. There are a few "Led Zepp for an hour segments" where I turn the damn radio off.
Don't know if it was ever brought up in our fan community, but I have the impression that those rock wails are what turned a lot of people off. Not the AMA's, not the being gay, but the fact that not everyone likes to hear that sound. Same goes for other artists that do it. I have a music geek friend who told me flat out not to bother sending him an Adam cd because he can't stand to listen to the wails/screams whether they are on pitch or not. I sent him Adam acoustic cd with some AI performances (FG, thank you very much) that I loved. He conceded that the songs were sung beautifully, but still said that he would never buy an album by Adam, but would wait for me to pick songs he might like.
I think you have a valid point about many people NOT liking the "wailing." My sister is a classical singer and pretty much says that about his singing. I guess one reason that I feel fine about Adam doing it is that it sounds so effortless most of the time. So many others sound like they are working hard and straining. That prejudice that people have toward the rock wail is similar to the prejudice that many have toward the OTT gospel style of Jacob Lusk or Fantasia Barrino for that matter. Fantasia is a hell of gospel singer but that style is nowhere near mainstream which is why she never had the huge sales that other idol winners did. I can appreciate Fantasia's gospel style performances as being fantastic for the genre but it is not a style that I am drawn to for regular listening. I also couldn't really stand the rock wail style vocals in general until I heard a few singers who could really nail those screams appropriately, like Steven Tyler. ST is I think the one that I first connected with and only because I came across something that showed him doing some amazing jazz scat and his voice in that context finally clicked for me. Also it has to make sense for the song not just be there to show off. I have to believe that the singer is really feeling it that way and not calculating a dramatic effect. Come to think of it I didn't really appreciate hard rock music at all until I found people like Plant, Daltrey and Bowie who actually had legitimately strong voices. I've never got what was so great about the Rolling Stones cause I never was all that impressed with Mick.
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aloha
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Post by aloha on Mar 4, 2011 16:33:22 GMT -5
Cassie, forgive me if you've answered this question before.Perhaps you can just cut and paste? Or just point me to the page where I can find it..
Is vibrato natural to a singer? What makes it happen? I assume training can help a singer manipulate it.. but if it's not there to begin with can it be learned?
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Post by cassie on Mar 4, 2011 17:15:48 GMT -5
Cassie, forgive me if you've answered this question before.Perhaps you can just cut and paste? Or just point me to the page where I can find it.. Is vibrato natural to a singer? What makes it happen? I assume training can help a singer manipulate it.. but if it's not there to begin with can it be learned? I have been asked what vibrato is, but not what causes it. As I understand it, it is caused, naturally, by the vocal cords naturally vibrating or oscillating --- slight differences in the movement or tension. Some say that all singers have the capacity for a natural vibrato, but because they do not sing properly with the right support, they may not achieve that sound. Others say some have a natural vibrato and some do not. There are a variety of techniques taught to create and control vibrato, some of them good, some of them not so good on the voice production. Working with a good coach is important. Adam certainly seems to have complete control over his vibrato. He can sing a straight tone and then gradually add the vibrato when he wants it and to the degree he wants. Sometimes he chooses a very slight fluctuation in the pitch with a rather fast oscillation. Other times it is more pronounced and wide. But, I have never heard him do the too fast vibrato that sounds like a goat bleet, or the too wide, slow vibrato that is referred to as a wobble. Like so many things, he gets it just right.
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Post by seoulmate on Mar 5, 2011 5:06:23 GMT -5
Cassie, there were a couple of comments in the past few days about "wouldn't it be great to hear Adam singing opera." I think Adam singing "We are the Champions" gave us a tiny little taste of what he might sound like. During the opening verses, when he and Kris are standing behind the judges, Adam sings: "And bad mistakes, I've made a few, I've had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I've come through..." The huge power of that last line, especially the word "through" makes my hair stand on end, every single time I hear it. Un-friggin'-believable. That is all. Do you think this is an operatic voice??
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JazzRocks
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Post by JazzRocks on Mar 5, 2011 11:15:46 GMT -5
seoulmate - I hadn't watched that performance with Queen for awhile and I'm so glad you posted it. OMFG - Adam sounds incredible! I had forgotten just HOW incredible. Kris sounds good in the beginning but then Adam sings and just BLOWS him away. Thanks! I wish he's do more of that.
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Post by cassie on Mar 5, 2011 12:20:22 GMT -5
Cassie, there were a couple of comments in the past few days about "wouldn't it be great to hear Adam singing opera." I think Adam singing "We are the Champions" gave us a tiny little taste of what he might sound like. During the opening verses, when he and Kris are standing behind the judges, Adam sings: " And bad mistakes, I've made a few, I've had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I've come through..." The huge power of that last line, especially the word "through" makes my hair stand on end, every single time I hear it. Un-friggin'-believable. That is all. Do you think this is an operatic voice?? Thanks for bringing that over. That little clip in the beginning verse is perfect for demonstrating the difference between Adam and just about every other pop singer out there today. Kris sings on pitch, in a very pleasant pop voice, and with power, and the listener says "He sounds good." Then Adam sings the next phrase and it's a totally different ball game. His voice cuts thru with this ringing resonance and effortless power that makes you realize the strain in Kris' voice that is totally missing from Adam's voice. I wouldn't say it was operatic in style, any more than Soaked is operatic. But, they both call to mind an operatic style. Both also show the technique of breathing, projecting, support, sustain and power that would be used in opera. The resonance he employs is not as pure crystal as I might imagine if he were singing opera, nor is the pronunciation operatic. For that, you can listen to "My Conviction". In that song he sings in an operatic style in parts, then lapses (intentionally) into this broad articulation that spills the classic tone into something of a parody. Granted, he is singing as a mezzo-soprano opera singer, but, combine that with the Queen number or Soaked, and you get the idea. The sound of a male voice, with the technique of the mezzo. While many people are talking about how Adam COULD sing opera, and a few have mentioned that he had vocal lessons in opera in the past, I base my belief that he could do legitimate opera on two things: first, that he has done it. He said in one interview that he used to do these corporate gigs as a singing waiter where they did some light opera and arias. Secondly, I have traded a couple of emails with Angelina, and she said (hope she doesn't mind me quoting her here) "I know he's singing the music that calls from his soul, but with his voice, he could reach new heights in opera - of that I'm very sure!" So, if the professional opera singer hears that in his voice, who am I to argue?
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Post by evergreen on Mar 6, 2011 0:31:16 GMT -5
Cassie,
Don't come here every day, and just found your post of the two CTMBTMs. It really is amazing how Adam's voice makes me *feel* - emotionally and physically, even without the best speakers! I am forever grateful to the person who recorded that performance!
Someone mentioned in passing the other day that she doubted that Adam's voice is quite the same as it was when he sang CTMBTM several years ago, and didn't think he could sing it like that now. That comment came to mind when I saw your post.
What do you think?
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Post by cassie on Mar 6, 2011 1:52:36 GMT -5
Cassie, Don't come here every day, and just found your post of the two CTMBTMs. It really is amazing how Adam's voice makes me *feel* - emotionally and physically, even without the best speakers! I am forever grateful to the person who recorded that performance! Someone mentioned in passing the other day that she doubted that Adam's voice is quite the same as it was when he sang CTMBTM several years ago, and didn't think he could sing it like that now. That comment came to mind when I saw your post. What do you think? I have read that comment a couple of times and I am puzzled at why they have that opinion. I think one person was basing it on the type of singing Adam is doing now with the rock wails, sky high notes, and more rock sound. The conclusion was that such singing would cause damage to his vocal cords so that he couldn't sing as he had earlier. I understand why one might fear that. There are aging rock stars galore(and some not so aging) who have blown out their voices and can sing only a shadow of what they once did. And not just rock stars: think of Whitney. However, I have heard no indication that that has happened to Adam's voice. I strongly suspect (and hope) it has not. And here is why. 1. Adam's rock wails and stratospheric high notes are produced differently from the typical rock singer. First off, he is a natural high tenor, when most others are baritones. They have to push and strain to hit those notes that are naturally within Adam's range. Take, for instance, that wonderful note he hits in Fever. You know the one. There is no push there. No raspiness. No gruff, flat tone. He hits it and it just rings out. Pure tone. That's because he is using proper vocal technique. Proper placement of the tone in his head accompanied by proper breath support to produce the power, rather than brute force. It sounds very different from, say Robert Plant. 2. Adam knows technically how to use his voice in his different registers, and how to shift seamlessly between them. Most rock/pop singers don't have that training. And, frankly, there is little chance that they will stumble upon the correct technique without it. You can hear the obvious breaks in their voice from their chest register (low) to their falsetto. The chest may be thick and powerful, possibly raspy, and the false is thin and very light with no power. That doesn't work for power rock/pop. So, instead, they force their chest voices into those upper notes, like trying to squeeze your feet into a shoe that is two sizes too small. That puts enormous strain, tension, and stress on the vocal cords and can eventually cause permanent damage. (Like when you scream at an Adam concert and can barely croak out a sound the next morning. Don't worry. Unless you go to Adam concerts on a daily basis.) Adam's technical training and mastery allow him to hit those high notes in what many people have described as an "effortless" manner. Even someone who knows nothing about singing technique hears that lack of strain. It is "effortless" in that it does not tax his voice, but it takes a lot of effort in terms of practice to master the techniques. 3. Adam is aware of his voice and its limits. We know, for example, that for the tour, many of the songs were pitched in a slightly lower key than on the recording, so as to allow him to sing them nightly without causing damage. 4. Adam takes very good care of his voice. He says he does not obsess about it, but we know he is mindful of it. For example, in the pre-show schedule someone recently posted, he had I think a half an hour set aside for vocal warm up. And, because he is often late starting his performances, I think we can trust that he doesn't scrimp on that, even if M&Gs go long. We also know of instances where he has avoided the high notes and taken things down the octave. That is evidence of his protecting his voice. We also see him sometimes with a cup of hot tea with honey on the stage, sipping it. It's not cuz he is cold, folks. It is to help his throat if he is fighting a cold or infection. We have also seen him refuse to sing when asked in interviews. Not cuz he is a prima donna but because he knows his voice is not properly warmed up. There are many more instances where we have seen him do things that singers do to protect and nurse their voices. 5. Adam works with a vocal coach. How many other rock/pop singers do that? You can be sure the coach would rake him over the coals if he were doing something potentially harmful to his voice. 6. Angelina Kalahari, the opera singer, has heard him in concert several times. She speaks about his proper classical technique, his wonderful breath support, and his wonderful tone. If anyone could hear evidence that he was straining or damaging his voice, or had already caused damage, it is someone with her extensive background and training. The Masterclass lady, who is a voice teacher and commented in her blog about the AI contestants, frequently cautioned singers to be careful of how they were singing, but noted Adam's correct technique. All this is evidence to me that Adam still has the instrument he had at 22, and if anything, it has become better and more adaptable since then. Part of it is practice, part of it is natural maturation of the voice. I think he will continue to develop, and in his mid thirties, when his voice is fully mature, we will hear even more magnificence.
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