While acknowledging that Al Jolson presents a thorny cultural subject to contemporary listeners, hearing The Ultimate Jazz Singer confirms his status as one of popular music's greatest vocalists (as ambiguous as that category might be), as well as a musician light years ahead of his time in terms of phrasing and rhythmic flexibility. Jolson had the luxury of working with the best bandleaders, orchestras and backup vocalists of his time, which allowed him to work in an extraordinary range of arrangements and styles. His voice, still one of the most singular and recognizable in recorded history, is commanding (he takes charge of every tune).

Given that voice's weight and general heft, it's surprising how freely he moves around. Jolson was the first white popular vocalist of note to unabashedly (and successfully) absorb black stylistic influences, recognizing that the "sound" of a word could convey as much to a lyric as its literal definition. He would also radically deconstruct melodic line — largely unheard of in the Tin Pan Alley music of the time. For example, he reinvents "For Me and My Gal," starting at the end of the 16th bar, imbuing the song with an irresistible vitality. Vitality may, in fact,… read more »