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Fly me to the croon – the style that never goes out of fashion Fly me to the croon – the style that never goes out of fashion
(about 1 hour later)
Last week Michael Bublé knocked out one of his teeth with his microphone, live on stage in Sydney. What stuck in the mind from this news snippet was not just the guilty pleasure of imagining the big "ouch" as Bublé reached the climax of his second number ("I just haven't met you – oof!") – but the second paragraph news that the crooner seems to have been on a world tour for a decade, consistently packing them into the arenas since 2004. Last week Michael Bublé knocked out one of his teeth with his microphone, live on stage in Sydney. What stuck in the mind from this news snippet was not just the guilty pleasure of imagining the big "ouch" as Bublé reached the climax of his second number ("I just haven't met you … oof!"), but the second-paragraph news that the crooner seems to have been on a world tour for a decade, consistently packing them into the arenas since 2004.
Crooning is the jazz form that never goes away. Next month Midge Ure releases a solo single (Taking Back My Time) that "harks back to the crooners of old". This month, the horrifically-named quartet of crooners, Jack Pack, made it to the final of Britain's Got Talent; Jamie Cullum continues his one-man domination of the British jazz scene and Kevin Ahart, a new crooner in the mould of Harry Connick Jr, visits these shores for the first time this month for a couple of live dates ahead of the release of his debut album, which is tipped to give Bublé a good run for his money, while still pleasing jazz purists. Crooning is the jazz form that never goes away. Next month Midge Ure releases a solo single (Taking Back My Time) that "harks back to the crooners of old". This month, the horrifically named quartet of crooners, Jack Pack, made it to the final of Britain's Got Talent. Jamie Cullum continues his one-man domination of the British jazz scene and Kevin Ahart, a new crooner in the mould of Harry Connick Jr, visits these shores for the first time this month for a couple of live dates ahead of the release of his debut album, which is tipped to give Bublé a good run for his money, while still pleasing jazz purists.
Even Conchita Wurst, who stormed Eurovision, can be seen as part of a crooning tradition that goes back to the 60s with her big number Rise Like a Phoenix owing as much to the Bond themes of John Barry as Make It Easy On Yourself-era Bacharach. Even Conchita Wurst, who stormed Eurovision, can be seen as part of a crooning tradition that goes back to the 1960s with her big number Rise Like a Phoenix, owing as much to the Bond themes of John Barry as Make It Easy on Yourself-era Bacharach.
"You need to distinguish between pop-crooners and jazz-crooners," says the 32-year-old Ahart, whose debut album was recorded with Jane Monheit (herself a Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist) and Jeff Franzel (who provides the link with the past, having accompanied Frank Sinatra). "You need to distinguish between pop crooners and jazz crooners," says the 32-year-old Ahart, whose debut album was recorded with Jane Monheit (herself a Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist) and Jeff Franzel (who provides the link with the past, having accompanied Frank Sinatra).
"Jazz crooning, for me is all about singing the standards of the great American songbook – and that, together with jazz and blues are the true American art forms.""Jazz crooning, for me is all about singing the standards of the great American songbook – and that, together with jazz and blues are the true American art forms."
Jamie Cullum reacts more defensively, "I'd be worried if I was put in the same category as Michael Bublé! I'm trying to sound like a young man for starters."Jamie Cullum reacts more defensively, "I'd be worried if I was put in the same category as Michael Bublé! I'm trying to sound like a young man for starters."
To complicate matters further, in addition to the jazz crooners and pop crooners there are the neo-crooners, such as Norah Jones and the "neo-soul crooners" like John Legend, with his nine Grammy awards, who continue to press for world domination.To complicate matters further, in addition to the jazz crooners and pop crooners there are the neo-crooners, such as Norah Jones and the "neo-soul crooners" like John Legend, with his nine Grammy awards, who continue to press for world domination.
Crooning, though, in its purest sense is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "to sing popular sentimental songs in a low, smooth voice, esp into a closely-held microphone," (note to Bublé – not that close, Michael). Classic crooning, which includes everyone from the populism of Bublé to the dirtier, blues-influenced singing of someone like Ahart, stands in a tradition that traces its roots back to jazz and the reflected glamour of the Rat Pack, to the standards of the great American songbook and a time before life was too complicated: the Mad Men-era of chain smoking, three-Martini lunches and bourbon from 11am. It is a seductive world of great tunes, big arrangements and sharp suits. For many, a stress-reducing harking back to a simpler era when a great voice and a timeless lyric provide the comfort that can best be summed up in the almost interchangeable label: "lounge." Crooning, though, in its purest sense is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "to sing popular sentimental songs in a low, smooth voice, esp into a closely held microphone," (note to Bublé – not that close, Michael). Classic crooning, which includes everyone from the populism of Bublé to the dirtier, blues-influenced singing of someone like Ahart, stands in a tradition that traces its roots back to jazz and the reflected glamour of the Rat Pack, to the standards of the great American songbook and a time before life was too complicated: the Mad Men-era of chain smoking, three-martini lunches and bourbon from 11am. It is a seductive world of great tunes, big arrangements and sharp suits. For many, it's a stress-reducing harking back to a simpler era when a great voice and timeless lyric provided the comfort that can best be summed up in the almost interchangeable label: "lounge".
Tony Bennett, one of the last remaining original practitioners of the crooning craft (who puts Bublé into the shade with his almost permanent state of touring since his first No 1, Because of You, in 1951), summed up the appeal and also the importance of the form in a 2010 interview: "I don't follow the latest fashions. I never sing a song that's badly written. In the 1920s and 30s, there was a renaissance in music that was the equivalent of the artistic Renaissance. Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and others just created the best songs that had ever been written. These are classics, and finally they're not being treated as light entertainment. This is classical music."Tony Bennett, one of the last remaining original practitioners of the crooning craft (who puts Bublé into the shade with his almost permanent state of touring since his first No 1, Because of You, in 1951), summed up the appeal and also the importance of the form in a 2010 interview: "I don't follow the latest fashions. I never sing a song that's badly written. In the 1920s and 30s, there was a renaissance in music that was the equivalent of the artistic Renaissance. Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and others just created the best songs that had ever been written. These are classics, and finally they're not being treated as light entertainment. This is classical music."
Despite still performing a hundred shows a year, and being a mere 88 years old, Bennett still ventures out late at night to check out the competition, and recently went to see Ahart (just 55 year his junior) perform in Austin, Texas. His reaction was pure croon, like a voice from a different era: "You sound great! I love your voice! Straight ahead all the way, young man!" Despite still performing 100 shows a year and being a mere 87 years old, Bennett still ventures out late at night to check out the competition, and recently went to see Ahart (just 55 year his junior) perform in Austin, Texas. His reaction was pure croon, like a voice from a different era: "You sound great! I love your voice! Straight ahead all the way, young man!"
Crooning will continue to throw up new stars, and fill the arenas, because, when you take away all the trimmings of sartorial style and the evocation of Vegas-era Rat Pack loucheness, you are left with songs of the enduring quality of Let's Face the Music and Dance, They Can't Take That Away From Me and Fly Me to the Moon, and without them, what would you sing in the shower? Just keep that hairbrush mic away from your teeth … Crooning will continue to throw up new stars and fill the arenas because, when you take away all the trimmings of sartorial style and the evocation of Vegas-era Rat Pack loucheness, you are left with songs of the enduring quality of Let's Face the Music and Dance, They Can't Take That Away from Me and Fly Me to the Moon, and without them, what would you sing in the shower? Just keep that hairbrush mic away from your teeth.
• Kevin Ahart's debut album, Let's Take The World, is out 23 June. Guardian readers can download the album for free here. Ahart plays Pizza Express, London, on 17 June and The Spice of Life, London, on 18 June. • Kevin Ahart's debut album, Let's Take the World, is out 23 June. Guardian readers can download the album for free here. Ahart plays Pizza Express, London, on 17 June and The Spice of Life, London, on 18 June.