Besides the clarity of Mr. Raitt's diction, what is most noticeable (and impressive) about his performance is his acting. He is able to convey the emotions behind every word he sings, and every section of the song has it's own motivation. When singing about the prospect of having a son named Bill, his posture is erect. He talks about how tough and strapping his son will be. When he talks about the "flat footed" adversaries, or a potential "snooty" daughter in-law, he even adds a bit of a snarl to his words, which conveys how distasteful both of these scenarios are. In contract, when he speaks of having a daughter, his tone is more tender, the way a father would approach raising his daughter. He stays in character throughout the entire performance!
In the second clip, I noticed that despite having fairly exhaustive runs in the Purcell piece, Mr. Daniels is able to maintain a pure vowel throughout. He essentially keeps his mouth in the same position until the end of the word, so that it is easy to understand what is being sung. Many young singers would have a more audible [h] when singing these, which would muddle the ability to follow the word being sung from beginning to end. In addition, he uses wonderful phrasing.
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