20 Thursday Feb 2020
Tags
Kissing Other People, Lennon Stella, music, performance, pop, song
I was at a dance theatre concert the other day, and this was one of the songs they danced to in the program. I thought it was a cute pop song, and the accompanying official video by Lennon Stella even more cute.
More at Lennon Stella
10 Monday Feb 2020
Posted in Life, Performance
Tags
Cupid, music, performance, Sam Cooke, song, The Spinners, Valentime's Day
Monday morning, an early Valentine’s Day song.
Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” had been covered by many artists but it was this 1980 version by The Spinners that scored in the Top Ten. (And imagine having not one but five of those powder blue suits in your closet!) Lead singer John Edwards does right by Sam Cooke, and the producers left in and enhanced Cooke’s idea of having the sound of Cupid’s arrow flying. Be sure to stay to the end to hear that last note.
More at The Spinners – Topic
09 Sunday Feb 2020
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
1958, Burt Lancaster, comedy, Kirk Douglas, music, performance, song, The Oscars
Mr. Douglas and Mr. Lancaster at the 1958 Oscars with some good humor.
Thanks to YouTuber Oscars
06 Thursday Feb 2020
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Henry Mancini, JOhnny Mercer, Moon River, music, performance, Reina del Cid, song, Toni Lindgren
A perfect song for Reina del Cid’s voice, with some nice guitar accompaniment by Toni Lindgren.
More at Reina del Cid
03 Monday Feb 2020
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
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” ‘Cause lately I’ve been losing sleep”
Monday morning, Levi Stubbs and the Four Tops in a TV performance of one of their classics. I thought it was fun to see them so uncharacteristically casually dressed, quite unusual for Motown performers of the period.
Thanks to YouTuber Irma0815007
30 Thursday Jan 2020
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
“Pencils come from Pennsylvania…”
Blossom Dearie states some State facts that won’t get you on Jeopardy. From the song, “Rhode Island Is Famous For You.”
The clever lyrics are by Howard Dietz who also wrote “That’s Entertainment.”
Thanks to YouTuber 65yb74
27 Monday Jan 2020
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Faith Petric, music, performance, politics, song, songwriting, You Ain't Been Doing Nothing If You Ain't Been Called a Red
Monday morning, 96 year old Faith Petric’s song gets you out of bed.
Thanks to YouTuber wooac videos
23 Thursday Jan 2020
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
Tags
Dusty Springfield gender-flipped the Classic IV’s original version of this song to produce her own 1970 classic.
Thanks to YouTuber gferdinandus
20 Monday Jan 2020
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Do You Know The Way To San Jose?, Hal David, music, performance, song, songwriting
Monday morning, Dionne Warwick contemplates chucking it all and heading home.
It’s hard to choose from all the great Burt Bacharach/Hal David/Dionne Warwick collaborations, but I always appreciated Hal David’s storyline in this one—I can’t think of any other pop song with a similar theme.
17 Friday Jan 2020
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Crosby Stills and Nash, guitar, Josh Turner, Judy Collins, music, Myles Pinder, performance, song, songwriting, Steve Stills, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Tanner Walter
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When Steve Stills sung this paean to his about-to-be-ex, Judy Collins, it was one of the most audacious and brilliant love songs from a 60s folk rock band. This cover, by Josh Turner on six string guitar, Tanner Walter on 12 string guitar and Myles Pinder on the high parts, is frighteningly good.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
13 Monday Jan 2020
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
jazz, music, performance, saxophone, song, songwriting, Sonny Rollins, St Thomas
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Monday morning, as winter starts to creep up, “St. Thomas” with Sonny Rollins as the place to be is okay with me .
Tenor Sax : Sonny Rollins
Piano : Kenny Drew
Bass : Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen
Drums : Albert “Tootie” Heath
Thanks to YouTuber BluesBeBopper2000
10 Friday Jan 2020
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
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Okay, so “The Tennessee Waltz” is a song I’ve hated all my life. When I would hear it on the radio or when somebody on a TV variety show would sing it, I would immediately turn it off. It seemed to me like an endless, very boring song. But…wow. This version by Reina del Cid and Toni Lindgren on guitar is just great. First time I really heard the lyrics, and Toni’s guitar playing is wonderful.
More at Reina del Cid
06 Monday Jan 2020
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
animals, dog, music, Nellie McKay, performance, song, songwriting, The Dog Song
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Monday Morning, Nellie McKay‘s ode to her animal friend, “The Dog Song.” I’ve posted this song before, done when she was a young pup, and this much more recent performance of the song is even better. It cheered me up in the space of a few minutes.
Thanks to YouTuber Music and More Blog
03 Friday Jan 2020
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
music, performance, Reina del Cid, song, songwriting, The Cooling
31 Tuesday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
Tags
a cappella, Arts Express, Brad Wells, interview, music, performance, radio, Roomful of Teeth, song, vocal ensemble, WBAI
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Roomful of Teeth is an intriguing a cappella vocal ensemble devoted to expanding the range of the human voice. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, their debut album won a Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and in 2013, group member Caroline Shaw won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her vocal composition Partita For 8 Voices.
I spoke with the founder and artistic director of Roomful of Teeth, Brad Wells, who talked about the company, the human voice, and more.
You can listen to the interview as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio show on WBAI 99.5 FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the country by clicking on the triangle above. You’ll also hear some of the extraordinary vocal work of the ensemble.
30 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
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Monday morning, the Freddie Mitchell Orchestra rings out the old year in 78 RPM. The aptly named “Rip” Harrigan on piano.
Thanks to YouTuber althazarr
27 Friday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
Tags
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No, not that one. The ballad of the gunfighter song, done by Lorne Greene. It charted pretty high on the pop charts as I recall; I thought it pretty corny when I was a teen. But seeing this live performance, I had to admit that Lorne Greene was pretty affecting acting this song.
Thanks to YouTuber Allan Sherman’s Nutty Parody Channel
23 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
Tags
La Bamba, La Marisoul, La Santa Cecilia, Marisol Hernandez, music, performance, Playing For Change, song
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Monday Morning, Marisol Hernandez and a host of world class musicians megaphone to the world.
You probably know the Playing For Change deal: get musicians from around the world to collaborate on a song and then seamlessly splice (does anyone use that word anymore in the digital age?) the results into a knockout music video.
There are lots of great musicians (and instruments) on this song, but when “La Marisoul” of La Santa Cecilia takes her turn, the song skyrockets into the stratosphere.
More at Playing For Change
20 Friday Dec 2019
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
comedy, I'm My Own Grandpa, music, novelty, performance, song, Willie Nelson
19 Thursday Dec 2019
(Click to enlarge)
15th Street
Brooklyn, New York
16 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Comedy, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Jim Henson, Kermit, Muppets, music, Paul Williams, performance, Rainbow Connection, song, songwriting
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Monday Morning, just as you refuse to get up, Kermit makes Muppet Music.
The Rainbow Connection.
Thanks to YouTuber Laser Time
13 Friday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
09 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
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Monday morning beachcombers Reina, Toni—and friends with large found objects— singing the Bobby Darin classic, wake you up and forget about the coming winter.
More at Reina del Cid
02 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Benjamin Orr, music, New Wave, performance, rock, song, songwriting, The Cars, You're Just What I Needed
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Monday morning, The Cars. Their lead singer, Benjamin Orr, had to be on the short list for most charismatic rock front man since Mick Jagger.
Thanks to YouTuber Shane Combs
29 Friday Nov 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Eric Clapton, George Harrison, music, Paul McCartney, performance, song, The Beatles, While My Guitar Gently Weeps
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Clapton, Paul, Ringo and George’s look-alike son Dhanni in an extraordinary rendition.
More at George Harrison
