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While at Monterey Jazz Festival recently where I got to see Ms Monheit peform (she does have an exquisite voice sort of like Julia Andrews who if she chose to sing the jazz music could probably do so,in a similar feel) Anyway, tower records had a booth out there selling records and advertising jazz artist and this is also where the stars go to sign the records. Right at the door of the booth there were two huge displays of Diana Krall and Jane Monheit (jazz's so called two hottest stars). If a Martian came down here on earth and landed at the festival, he would think that jazz music was a music that was dominated by white vocalist, no blacks in sight. And that is what is sooo sad to me. How the Music industry so insidiously markets whites to the mainstream and pushes them onto the mainstream and that same industry does not support blacks in the same way. Both Diana Krall and Jane Monheit were guest on CBS morning shows. While I am glad that jazz vocalists are on morning shows and are bringing attention to the relatively obsure music (to the main public that is) of jazz, I am saddened that all the attention is given almost exclusively to the white singers. Why is this?? What message is the industry sending out to black singers (who historically are the legends of this music)To me it is the same old racism in music that has been pervasive for all times. As soon as a white person becomes "popular' doing something that isn't up to par as the least gifted black person can do it. "the White industry" will move heaven and earth to push that white artist to the forefront and meanwhile push the blacks out. It happens in Rock in Roll, R&B and in pop. I don't fault the individual artists themselves, I blame the industry. Who are wielding their almighty power unwisely. Somehow blacks survive through all of this by working in the background, some becoming producers to white acts. (Brittany Spears has a lot of black producers to give her that "black sound)". Why hasn't a black act been able to rise so swiftly and gain the attention that both Ms. Krall and Miss Monheit has gained??? Most of the ones who are on top now, paid their dues for a long amount of time before, dues that both Monheit and Krall may have paid in half the time. And still the so called black stars are not there. Some have come and died down, I do admit in this fickle business of music, no body can maintain musical popularity for any length of time. Even Natilie Cole (whose Unforgettable Album) was a smash hit has cooled considerably. But then Natlie Cole's claim to fame was not that as a jazz singer, but that as an R&B singer back in the 70's and 80's. But strictly in the category of Jazz vocalist only, I am starting to see the "new face" in jazz. And I am saddened that the music industry in their push to the popular mainstream are neglecting to include a more diverse artists in their marketing efforts. Are even include artists who are doing "real jazz" not just this retro-pop standards. What about Karn Allison, who is also blue-eyed and blond and good looking and plays the piano, but like Helen Merrill in the 60's (who eventually left to Japan) isn't popular, because she is doing the true jazz. She recently released a CD called "ballads" in tribute to John Coltrane. Why isn't the music indutry behind her?? Or Carla Cook, a jazz vocalist who released a CD on MaxJazz Label. She has an excellent voice and talk about someone carrying the Sarah Vaughan, Torch? She swings, she improvises, she scats. She brings that element of soul, blues, and depth, that is such an important part of jazz, to the music?? Why isn't Mary Stallings pushed more, Jean Carne?? Marlena Shaw, Carmen Bradford (msp??) Now there's a singer that really carries on the tradition of Ella. She used to sing with the count Basie orchestra. I have several of her recordings. She performed Mr. Paganini. And she is soooo bad. She was also good friends with Ella. I heard her give testimony on the A&E's biography show about her experiences with Ella. My point is, there are just so many great singers out there who are really carrying on the tradition of jazz in the same spirit as the greats Louis,Billie, Ella, Sarah Carmen, Betty. And the mainstream public don't get to hear about them because all they hear about are the singers who are heavily marketed by the music industry. And the sad part about it is the industry tells the public, hey these singers are the next best thing, and the public buys into that without really investigating further. If the industry weren't so selective in what they think the public would actually buy into, then I think more great singers would get more exposure. Because I think the buying public don't care what color a singer is, they just want to hear great music!!! But the music industry is the one to me that is continuing with this discrimination in who they choose to push into the spotlight and who get's left behind. But then it can be just a matter of taste as well. Here is an example (and I know a lot of people will get angry) But it is the difference between Frank Sinatra, (who was an excellent singer in my opinion, I own a lot of his albums, Frank Sinatra with the Basie Orchestra live at the Sands is a must have!!). Frank had it, the chops, the intonation, he can sing the hell out of a ballad, he was just baad!!!! But then years ago someone turned me on to Johnny Hartman,Joe Williams, and Billy Eckstein, three wonderful male singers who came along during the same time as Frank Sinatra and I was just really blown away!!! Now they had the depth, the soul and the blues, they really had it all!!! But then everybody had heard of Frank Sinatra, and in comparison, the general public had not heard as much about the latter three singers. Why??? Again, the music industry, why push someone who just might outshine your "main star" and let us not forget the racism of the times that prevented a lot of blacks from getting exposure. Well that racism is still here now.