Jazz Covers Motown

[splanky]

It's become quite common over the last decade or so for several jazz singers and musicians to cover Motown hits and no I'm not talking about that Blue Note compilation of a few years back which did nothing for me. Not that Motown songs were never done before 2000 but I remember well it was mostly folks putting their own spin on Stevie Wonder's tunes and even today he is the most covered Motown artists amongst the jazz
set. Still, it looks like more are getting around to the songs of the other artists on the label and I always get a kick out of Temptations covers. I think Regina Carter and Cassandra Wilson really set it off with their Papa Was A Rollin Stone way back in 1999
but I've enjoyed few followers quite a bit since then.

Diane Reeves :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTkfR9wrtlY

Rene Marie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZY9B_6aVJo


The full Rene Marie is over 10 minutes long but I just posted the intro....

[theboyfromxtown]

An interesting post. Thank you

Seems Temps songs are popular.

I have an Ella Fitzgerald album where she covered Motown songs. I remember her doing a great version of Get Ready and if memory serves me right, Hunter Gets Captured By The Game was on it too.

I guess the Joe Harnell and Jonah Jones Motown albums would count as jazz versions and I thought Barbara McNair did jazzy versions [[to me) on some of her Motown covers like on Hunter Gets Captured by The Game.

[marv2]

Ella's version of "Hunter Gets Captured By The Game " was superb!