Saturday, July 29, 2006

Yours truly, Johnny Holiday

I have just heard some brand new unreleased 2006 tracks (more than an album's worth) by singer Johnny Holiday, who has been recording since 1954. He has never sounded better. In even stronger voice than on his (allegedly 1998 but actually 1992) recording for Contemporary Records released in 2004. This guy is amazing. Not that there's anything wrong with "sounding" your age ---witness the new Page Cavanaugh CD---but Holiday comes off like 22, not 82.

In the liner notes for the re-issue of his '57 Mode LP, Holiday is quoted as saying, "I've been fortunate that I've always taken care of myself. I never drank, smoked, or did drugs, and I wasn't a screwball with ladies." I would say, based on the evidence of these new tracks---which will surely see the light of day soon--- that the tradeoff was definitely worth it! "Dirty work," but someone hadda do it. This guy is a living, breathing master class! Just listen to him wailllllll!

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