In addition to an article in the September issue of Swing Journal (Japan) and coverage in a recent Mainichi Shinbun, here is a nice entry about SSJ's Carole Creveling CD that has just appeared on the Japanese blog of distinguished jazz critic Makoto Gotoh . It is followed by an English translation.
音楽的な興味に加えて、将来の養老年金のためにも是非1枚入手したい（ビル・リード） たった１枚のレコードを残して消息を絶った女性歌手。その消息を探す旅というのは、マニアにとってワクワクするような企画だ。ライナーを書いたビル・リードは、アマゾン秘境を探検する川口浩か、埋蔵金を求め巨大ブルドーザーであちこちを掘削し続ける糸井重里のように、可能な限りの証言と資料を求めて放浪するが、結局、彼女の居場所はつかめない。《それは、才能的にトップクラスとはいえなくとも（実際にはかなり上手いシンガーだったが）、彼女のアルバム“Here Comes Carole Creveling”がコレクター市場に出ると相当の値段になるからである。タイトルには“Volume One”とついているが、続編は作られなかったはずだ。もし存在するなら、音楽的な興味に加えて、将来の養老年金のためにも是非1枚入手したいところだ。（中略）現地の公立図書館へ行き、1955年ごろの電話帳にCarole Crevelingを見つけた。そして同じ住所にGeorge W. and Florine Creveling。キャロルの両親だろうか？ しかしその住所にCreveling姓の家は存在しなかった。アルバム・カバーのように、キャロルが海から現れることを半分期待していたが、願いは見事に打ち砕かれてしまった》 1955年に録音された唯一？のアルバムに、その翌年発表されたシングル用の2曲を追加しての復刻。当時売り出し中のクリス・コナー（ほどではないが）を思わせる、ほどよくハスキーな声質、素朴な歌唱がどこか愛おしい。 こういう作品が復刻されることは、同じ名盤だけが何度も繰り返して復刻される状況よりも、少なからず意義深い。この再発で彼女に対する認識が高まり、リードも調べられなかった新事実が判明するかもしれない。リード探偵の活躍に幸多かれ。2007年8月22日発売。XQAM-1021
"Besides the Musical Interest, I Would Love to Find a Copy [of v.2] for My Retirement Plan”
By: Makoto Gotoh
Finding the whereabouts of a female vocalist who vanished completely after leaving one record behind can prove a real challenge for an otokichi [Japanese slang for a sound maniac]. Bill Reed, who wrote the liner notes for this CD, like [actor and explorer] Hiroshi Kawaguchi, who explores deep in the Amazon or [notable essayist and ad copy writer] Shigesato Itoi, who uses a gigantic bulldozer in his attempts to hit a jackpot of buried treasures here and there, Reed meanders hither and yon in pursuit of witnesses and materials relating to singer Carole Creveling. Nevertheless, he was finally unable to find her.
Reed writes that Creveling is of interest: “If not by dint of talent (although she‘s quite good), then by virtue of the relatively large sums of money that her lone LP, Here Comes Carole Creveling, from 1955, have fetched in recent times on the collectors’market. . . The album jacket bore the legend “Volume One,” implying that a sequel was forthcoming. But there was never, to the best of my knowledge, a volume two. If there was, I’d love to have a copy, not only for its intrinsic musical value, but also for the nice addition to my retirement fund its eventual sale would unquestionably provide.“
Reed visited a local public library: “ First off, I checked old phone books (circa 1955) in the public library. Sure enough, not only was there a Carole Creveling listed (without question the dame---to employ a bit of Chandlerian argot---I was looking for), but there also resided at the same address George W. and Florine Creveling. Daughter, father and mother? Today, however, there is no longer a sign of any resident bearing that family name in Laguna Beach. (I’ll confess that I half expected her to come wading out of the Pacific Ocean a la the cover of “Here Comes. . .“).
What we have here is the only album (?) recorded in 1955 along with two sides of a 45 that came out the next year and have been re-discovered. Her style reminds us of Chris Connor (but not quite), nevertheless the husky voice, not overwhelmingly so, is quite lovely and subdued.
Unlike the classic albums that keep getting re-issued over and over again, such works being re-printed have great significance. With Carole Creveling’s release, we may see more interest in her and may find out some new facts Reed could not uncover. I wish Detective Reed the best.
translated from the Japanese by J.
