YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Not at all idiomatic, especially the piano playing. She sounds great though.

RIP Bella.

She was always a jewel. AND "Play that funky music white boy"!!!

amazing!!!

Had the honor of working back stage at Ms. Verrett's recital at William Jewell College in 1973, I believe. She was stately and beautiful, gracious, and sang marvelously. This piece brings back great memories.

drmalone 1 year ago 2

R.I.P. beautiful Shirley 11/5/10 ♥ Always in our hearts.

mtrbayo 1 year ago 2

R.I.P. beautiful Shirley 11/5/10 ♥ Always in our hearts.

mtrbayo 1 year ago

Love her!!!!!!!

silvereagle23 1 year ago 3

Wonderful!!!

FloreoShortia 2 years ago 4

Lord Thank you Jesus for Miss Verret's talent!!!!...I am so glad to be a witness for her gift!...I am moved...I needed this today!!!...One of my Mom's favorite Singers...Thank God for my Mother who taught me what good music was whether Pop or Classical...music that moves you to dance to sing to think to joy to cry to inspire....this music is spirit filled...thank you so much for sharing!

susuemikado 2 years ago 3

who is this arranged by

bbllaa 3 years ago

She's singing Hall Johnson's vocal arrangement and the accompanist is playing a completely different accompaniment from the score

tenor2bass 3 years ago

THIS GIRL CAN SWING!!!!

Bigman240 3 years ago 4

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her voice is not that spectacular to me seems as if she has alot of vocal issues... i mean dont get me wrong she is a fiva but just not mine lol

immature0916 3 years ago

vocal issues? you must not know what you are talking about. view her other videos and listen for her "vocal issues" the only vocal issue she had was that she was an awesome singer.

pechorin1841 3 years ago 7

Ms. Verrett's "issue" is that she had the phenomenal NATURAL ability to COLOR her voice and naturally add so many textures to her performances that she would never practice vocalizing all of the time. Unfortunately for purely academic musicians who primarily rely upon learned technique to sing well, to accept that well-trained natural singers can improvise circles around them in other styles can be a rather uncomfortable pill to swallow...

wotanman 2 years ago 3

i mean dont get me wrong i think she a talented artist i just thought for 1 it was a horrible take on the song just my opinion

immature0916 2 years ago

this is still funny to me.

ajpaige 3 years ago

haha!

ajpaige 3 years ago

Folks relax, she is simply presenting a stylized verzion of a spiritual. Pavarotti stylized folk music and art songs as well as arias when he sang,Callas often added to her intrepretation of arias. its ok.

mm9913 3 years ago

Ah, indeed i do know that the spiritual, jazz, blues, rap and other forms of music have traces back to the "black soul" (as u call it). i won't further delve into the specific characteristics of the arranged spiritual. If u wud like a history lesson, u must go elsewhere.

ajpaige 3 years ago

You're pathetic! Anyone who doesn't see the greatness in this, shouldn't refer to themselves as a musician. You have a lot to learn...foremost thinking before you speak!

Operafiend22 3 years ago 2

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Shirley what the hell?!!! I understand that the rhythms in this spiritual (as in most spirituals) but who in the hell gave you the notion to start snapping yo old ass fingers? You have completely defiled a spiritual into some sick twisted jazz mess up. Thank you.

ajpaige 3 years ago

Please wash your mouth with soap. Who the hell are you to tell the GREAT Shirley Verret what to do with her fingers??

TheAleph74 3 years ago 5

Great as she may be, its still GREATly inappropriate to do.

ajpaige 3 years ago

ajpaige-You and your impertinence and complete disrespect for great artistry is appalling. I would love to see you less-than-mediocre singing here on youtube.

nichtsleezy 3 years ago

Please post your version and let us judge which would be the better of the two.

Thank you.

violageo 3 years ago

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I dont need to. I think she has embarrassed us enough. Your welcome.

ajpaige 3 years ago

LOL!

violageo 3 years ago

Jazz came from the black soul, as did the great Negro spirituals. Sorry to say, but you clearly have no idea what you are talking about. And to disrespect such a monumental artist ... it leaves me speechless.

gyorgy11 3 years ago

Yea, this really is brash of you. It sounds as if you've never heard sorrow songs in worship service, where they're meant to be sung. Ostinato syncops are a basic part of the form. Shirley Verrett presumably would know this well -- she grew up in a strictly observent Adventist family.

traydb 3 years ago 3