More than 70 years old when he recorded this album, Jimmy Scott is a little heavier of voice than he was when he started his career (about 50 years before this album was cut). However, his continues to be a readily distinguishable instrument. A childhood disease called Kallman's Syndrome, which prevents the voice from breaking, left Scott as a soprano. His pure voice, his tender way of dealing with a ballad, as well as an ability to swing, allowed him to perform with some of the jazz greats, including Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles, Richard Davis, Billy Cobham, Junior Mance, and Ron Carter. But, despite his long career, Scott has never achieved great notoriety. Except for a Grammy nomination in 1991, he's been almost a cult figure. On this album for Warner Brothers, Scott is asked to bring to bear all the pathos his voice is capable of delivering (and it is considerable) and apply it to a set of gospel tunes. This is not the driving type of gospel music usually associated with traditional black churches. Rather, it is very subdued and somber, including not only traditional but contemporary material, like Bob Dylan's "When He Returns" and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." Scott's voice wavers from time to time, but his emotional timbre and vocal sincerity never falter. Jacky Terrasson's appropriately somber piano lends support (Terrasson is also credited with the arrangements). Percussionist Joseph Bonadio and bass player Hilliard Greene are barely audible, drowned out by voice and piano. This album is for devotees of either this kind of music or of Jimmy Scott. Collapse ↑ More than 70 years old when he recorded this album, Jimmy Scott is a little heavier of voice than he was when he started his career (about 50 years before this album was cut). However, his continues to be a readily distinguishable instrument. A childhood disease called Kallman's Syndrome, which prevents the voice from breaking, left Scott as a soprano. His pure voice, his tender way of dealing with a ballad, as well as an ability to swing, allowed him to perform with some of the jazz greats, including Lionel Hampton, Ray Charles, Richard Davis, Billy Cobham, Junior Mance, and Ron Carter. But, despite his long career, Scott has never achieved great notoriety. Except for a Grammy nomination in 1991, he's been almost a cult figure. On this album for Warner Brothers, Scott is asked to bring to bear all the pathos his voice is capable of delivering (and it is considerable) and apply it to a set of gospel tunes. This is not the driving type of gospel music usually associated with traditional black churches. Rather, it is very subdued and somber, including not only traditional but contemporary material, like Bob Dylan's "When He Returns" and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." Scott's voice wavers from time to time, but his emotional timbre and vocal sincerity never falter. Jacky Terrasson's appropriately somber piano lends support (Terrasson is also credited with the arrangements). Percussionist Joseph Bonadio and bass player Hilliard Greene are barely audible, drowned out by voice and piano. This album is for devotees of either this kind of music or of Jimmy Scott. Collapse ↑ false 2022-11-16 19:56:07 1996 1996-01-01 1996-01-01 47 Jazz 116953 2341068 ba2ea4af-fc55-4c6c-a8e5-ea1a5c45321a 37868418-e2f2-4a1b-9517-165abac8b02b 33b32c73-9150-31c1-bec4-0e48ce5b4155 /media/data/media4/Music/Jimmy Scott/Heaven (1996)/folder.jpg Jimmy Scott AlbumArtist Jimmy Scott Artist Jimmy Scott Jimmy Scott 1 05:00 2 05:08 3 07:10 4 02:49 5 06:41 6 06:29 7 04:33 8 04:31 9 04:22 James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. After success in the 1940s and 1950s, Scott's career faltered in the early 1960s. He slid into obscurity before a comeback in the 1990s. His unusual singing voice was due to Kallmann syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that limited his height to 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm) until the age of 37, when he grew by 8 inches (20 cm). The syndrome prevented him from reaching classic puberty and left him with a high voice and unusual timbre.