"There have been many great performers, but only four great stylists—Al Jolson, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, and Jerry Lee Lewis." said Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the four great stylists. Now, I love Jerry Lee Lewis's music, and I do think he is a great stylist. I'll take any of his boasting if his music is part of the package, and he really does make just about any song sound like a Jerry Lee Lewis song. But I take issue with the number of stylists he cites. C'mon, four? I guess the Killer's criteria is different than mine.
Out of curiosity, I decided to listen to the Hank William covers I knew that he did, back to back with Hank Williams's versions. Great stylist versus great stylist. It doesn't work. It's total apples and oranges, each with their own different distinctive style. Then I tried the same exercise with a Jimmie Rodgers song. This was a little tougher because Rodgers was a god of yodeling, and that shit's hard to do convincingly. In that regard the Killer ain't Rodgers, nobody is, but he yodels just fine. It sounds like a Jerry Lee Lewis song. The stylists job is done.
I've no idea if Jerry Lee Lewis ever covered Al Jolson. I did a cursory search, squat. For now, step one is done. I still have to go find a fifth great stylist.
Out of curiosity, I decided to listen to the Hank William covers I knew that he did, back to back with Hank Williams's versions. Great stylist versus great stylist. It doesn't work. It's total apples and oranges, each with their own different distinctive style. Then I tried the same exercise with a Jimmie Rodgers song. This was a little tougher because Rodgers was a god of yodeling, and that shit's hard to do convincingly. In that regard the Killer ain't Rodgers, nobody is, but he yodels just fine. It sounds like a Jerry Lee Lewis song. The stylists job is done.
I've no idea if Jerry Lee Lewis ever covered Al Jolson. I did a cursory search, squat. For now, step one is done. I still have to go find a fifth great stylist.
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:Jerry Lee Lewis - Jambalya mp3 at Internet Archive
Hank Williams - Jambalya mp3 at Internet Archive
Jerry Lee Lewis - You Win Again mp3 at Internet Archive
Hank Williams - You Win Again mp3 at Internet Archive
Jerry Lee Lewis - Waiting on a Train (streaming) at YouTube
Jimmie Rodgers - Waiting on a Train (streaming) at YouTube
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