Lil Greenwood: Voice of Class and Experience
The first time I heard Lil Greenwoods voice, I knew it was the very best singing voice, I had heard in ages. Wow! You can hear the class and experience of a giant artist in her performance. She first sang publicly at her father’s Baptist Church.
This fantastic singer is from Prichard, AL in Mobile county. She has recently released a new album entitled Back to My Roots, with David Amram who is a legend in his own right.
She says she learned to dance at a Holiness church in Prichard, according to her interview with Ravi Howard in the June 2007 issue of Zalea. She goes on to say that the first club she sang at was a local club owned by Mr. Crouch.
In 1948, she made her way to San Fransico and some friends took her to a club, where she was hired at a substantial rate for that time. So Duke Ellington saw her at The Purple Onion and his ears were agog with delight.
Here is the quote by Ellington in the April 1960 issue of Ebony:
“This girl has a voice that’s a mixture of Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson; and I don’t know but what she’s better on spirituals than when she’s walking and singing the blues.”
Ellington invited her to sit in at a recording session and nicknamed her “One Take Lil.” After this, she toured with the Ellington Orchestra in Boston and at the Newport Jazz Festival and beyond. She and Ellington performed their last concerts in cathedrals around the world. She is featured on Ellington’s album My People.
As an aspiring jazz diva, Lil quickly learned many more secular songs because unfortunately the hymns and spirituals she knew weren’t popular with the San Fransico jazz fans. She also started writing her own songs such as Walkin’ and Singin’ the Blues included on her new CD Back to My Roots, which features Jazz, spiritual/gospel, and blues tunes.
During her long career she performed and socialized with Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, and others. She never smoked, drank, or did drugs because of respect and love for her father. She sang on the album Cryin Time by Ray Charles.
Lil recorded many R&B sides for Modern and Federal in the early 1950’s. Richie Unterberger of All Music Guide reports that “Greenwood was one of many California-based singers in these years recording in a style intersecting jazz with blues and a bit of gospel, forming a dominant part of post-war R&B before that gave way to doo wop and rock’n'roll.”
She also recorded for NRC, Reprise, and Tangerine. She appeared on The Tonight Show, Good Times, and The Jeffersons continues Unterberger.
When asked by Ravi Howard of her opinion of younger artist today she said:
“I notice that they are getting into so much trouble. They’re making more money than I had made in those years. Yet their lifestyle is just unbecoming to what their artistic values are, and that bothers me quite a bit. The thing I detest most is the lyrics most people put in their songs. This talking about women is nothing that has anything to do with the culture of our life.”
I couldn’t agree more with Lil Greenwood’s assessment of some of the song lyrics written today and for quite a few years passed. That is why when I review an artist I don’t write about the songs with objectionable lyrics, if I review that artist at all.
The song Cry As Children Do, has a wonderful fifties ballad sound, Hello Little Boy is a jazzy tune with bopping piano, jumpin’ sax, shimmering cymbals, and great organ sounds… of course Lil is hoppin’ on the tune too. You’ve Changed is classic piano bar music with nice lead guitar licks softly played.
For a great bossa nova sound listen to Keep a Light Showering Down. A classic spiritual theme and sound is heard in God Is My Candle…it runs chills through the body. The organ, and the hi-hat dominate the music is a fine way, but Lil’s voice is powerful throughout…and the sax blows like the notes of soul…while the piano rings out New Orleans flavor.
With That’s the Truth Daddy, Lil gets sassy and the sound is pure jazz greatness. The call and response back up vocals have a jivin’ swing thing happening.
Her rendition of Summertime recalls the “American Folk Opera” Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, from which the song originated. Her performance is rich with drama and emotion..she strongly belts the song out. Lil is accompanied by moving piano work that is perfect for the mood her voice sets.
I Laughed At Love is opened with groovin’ flute work that reminds me of where Jethro Tull and The Marshall Tucker Band got their flute playing inspiration from, that being in jazz.
The drums and flute rock–I mean really roll in I’m Blessed and I’m Proud. It starts with a commanding statement by Lil Greenwood, then the flute and drums kick in and the cowbell jams. This a song to make your soul sing. Lil does this howl, howl, howl routine that you just have to hear to know what I’m talking about.
She sounds wonderful singing I’m In A Holiday Mood… a good Christmas song.
Last, but still good is Going Down to Mobile sung by David Amram and is a grand tribute to Lil Greenwood and her ability to inspire with postive feelings, thoughts, and actions.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Back to My Roots and buy it for future listening pleasure.
References:
Zalea, Mood Music, Ravi Howard, June 2007
http://www.lilgreenwoodmusic.com/
About The Album, Harold (Buz) Rummel, January 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porgy_and_Bess
http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/
All Music Guide, Biography, Richie Unterberger
Hear Lil Greenwood at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/greenwoodamram1
Burn Lil Greenwood MP3’s at:
http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com