The Slipped Disc daily comfort zone (192): Perry Como sings Kol Nidrei
mainAmazing rendition by an Italianat baritone.
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Nicely done. He also recorded “Eli Eli.” He was not a trained singer but he was a trained musician.
Perry Como had a beautiful voice…. but there was no “there” there. It’s always been just empty vocalizing with Como.
Como had a pretty voice and a nice face, but was a truly boring singer. He might be fine singing at your daughter’s wedding – the nonnas and zias would just love him and he would ruffle no one’s delicate sensibilities. He sang just like Andy Williams. *yawn*
Norman – you couldn’t find a tape of Mel Torme singing the Kol Nidre? Now THERE was a great Jewish-American “popular” singer.
Take it from me: Sinatra and Bennett were the absolute gold standard for male Italian-American “popular” singers of the day.
Capisce?
Greg, why in the world would anyone ‘take it from you’??
Ha ha. You’re absolutely right.
Charlottenburger, your point is…. taken.
Boring singer?
Sorry, please listen And I love you so… He was one of the greatest singers on the would. Unique voice, people loved him a lot.
Notwithstanding that Tony Bennett is Jewish not Italian American, you are dead right about Mel Torme.
You’ve got that backwards.
Tony Bennett (born Anthony Dominick Benedetto) is Italian-American but he is not Jewish.
Aren’t you thinking of Tony Martin, husband of Cyd Charisse? He was Jewish but we always thought of him as an Italian singer. Tony Bennett was born Benedetto.
The Johnny Mathis version is even better….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrS3H0Li7yo
Here’s how he prepared for it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGJ4WS1h9YI
Thank you so much for sharing Johnny Mathis’s interpretation and how he prepared for it. It was inspiring.
Entertainers of Como’s generation sang every kind of song, regardless of their own ethnicity/religion. Consider “My Yiddishe Momma,” for example, recorded by Billie Holiday, Tom Jones, Connie Francis, etc., etc. Happy New Year Norman!
Jan Peerce’s version is the best I have ever heard. I still have the old LP vinyl disk from which I first heard it. He was also a cantor, as was his brother-in-law, Richard Tucker, and there are probably some people around that remember Peerce singing at the High Holy Day Services. Speaking of that, I was shocked to see a degenerate protestor blowing the shofar and harassing a Jewish couple out dining in Florida recently. I have not heard a single civil rights leader comment on how wrong this was. I also wish that protestor could have had his ass whupped. I would have enjoyed that.
Never has Yom Kippur sounded so smooth…