Emergence Of A Legend

Emergence Of A Legend

This CD truly lives up to its title: the voice is obviously that of a very young Kate Smith. One can hear the origins of her working (experimenting?) with different styles of delivery, although the early closing of voiced consonants is already in place, along with her crystal-clear diction. The center of her voice is still on the high side, and thus her rich, round, more mature sound with which we associate her is still forming. On the plus side, she sings some gorgeous head tones, of which she was capable for many decades, although seldom used. The CD is a fascinating glimpse at Kate in her formative years, and how she must have sounded on her many 1930's radio shows.