Rita Payés: Nunca Vas A Comprender

Monday morning, a delightful family picnic, what a way to spend the day. And dig the trombone. It’s a family affair, with mother on the guitar. Every meal should be like this.

Elisabeth Roma: Guitar Rita Payés: Trombone, guitar and vocals; Horacio: Contrabass; Juan Berbín: Percussion.

More at Rita Payés

Art Ford’s Jazz Party

Monday morning, Art Ford introduces a great all-star band on his 1958 television program who play a Dixieland number, “I’ve Found a New Baby.”

The musicians are: Johnny Windhurst, trumpet; Tyree Glenn, trombone; Hank D’Amico, clarinet; Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax; Teddy Charles, vibraphone; Alec Templeton, piano; Mary Osborne, guitar; Doc Goldberg, acoustic double bass; Morey Feld, drums;

Thanks to YouTuber MisterStereo

Waters Of March (Águas De Março)

Monday morning, Bossa Nova goodness with Martina DaSilva and Josh Turner. Martina is a native Portuguese speaker, but Josh also got props in his YouTube comments for his excellent Portuguese pronunciation.

More at Josh Turner Guitar

Subway Soirée

The Meetles, a Beatles cover band, sets people in the Times Square subway station dancing to their three song Beatles set.

Click on the video above for a dance party!

More at MeetlesVideos

I Should Have Known Better

Monday morning, a spirited sing-in. This was recorded at Strawberry Fields, the small garden patch just inside the entrance to Central Park, across the street from the Dakota, the apartment building where John and Yoko lived. A crowd gathers every year there on Lennon’s birthday Oct 9th and sings. This was from last October’s gathering.

Click on the video above to play.

Thanks to YouTuber thebeatlesnyc

Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

(Click on the video above to play)

Monday morning, that age-old question. You might wonder if the woman in purple singing the Frankie Lymon part is Joni Mitchell. It is. (Frankie Lymon, born in Washington Heights, can be seen in the video’s black and white clip of kids dancing. Frankie is the shortest of them, but also the guy who wrote and recorded the song when he was 13 in 1956, making it a big hit. Unfortunately, Frankie died tragically young at the age of 25.)

Thanks to YouTuber MysticPieces

Dorothy Flips Her Wig

Monday morning, the unbelievable Dorothy Donegan who pounds the piano so hard she literally flips her wig. Art Tatum said of her that she was the only pianist who made him feel like he needed to practice more.

Thanks to YouTuber William Gray Harris

“I Recreated A Day In The Life From Scratch”

Pretty fascinating to see musician David Bennett put together the pieces of this famously complex Beatles song and assemble it into a very credible rendition. Makes me appreciate more both the Beatles and Mr. Bennett. With great drumming by Zal Jones. And kudos to vocalist Chris Vince who understands the difference between John and Paul’s singing.

More at David Bennett Piano

Hotel California

Monday morning starts with a cover of an Eagles classic. I have to say, I’m not a big Eagles fan, but Toni, Reina, Josh, and Carson do a fantastic job on this. With Andrew Foreman on bass. And the videography by Kelly Oden is really, really good as well.

More at Reina del Cid

Metamorphosis

I’ve been looking for this clip for a long time for three reasons!

One: It’s one of my favorite magic illusions. It just looks great to an audience.

Two: When I was in college, I played the role of Houdini in a musical about his life–and I got to perform this illusion.

Three: And finally, the woman in the clip above, performing with Doug Henning, is actress Didi Conn. I was in the play Carousel with her when I was in junior high school–she was a grade ahead of me–and I thought then that she was the best dancer I had ever seen. Later she became famous for her role in the film Grease as “Frenchie.”

When The Ship Comes In

Monday morning, Peter, Paul, and the always rarin’-to-sing Mary Travers with a Dylan favorite. Their level of musicianship and commitment to a song was just wonderful. Mary Travers’ parents were journalists and union organizers for the Newspaper Guild.

I once had the pleasure of driving Mary in my cab! It was sometime in the late seventies and she was going to visit her daughter in Manhattan. She was quite a down to earth person.

Click on the video to play.

Thanks to YouTuber Superannuated Lp Records

The Sun Is Burning

I thought I knew the whole Simon and Garfunkel catalogue, but somehow I just found this song, which is from their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 AM. The song was written by Ian Campbell.

Thanks to YouTuber Big Chuck Lyric Video

Suzanne

Monday morning, we give thanks that we were born into the time of Judy Collins singing Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” as perfect a match between singer and song as there will ever be. Here she is at Tanglewood in 1968.

Thanks to YouTuber Flickering Songs