09 Monday Dec 2019
Posted in Life, Performance, Music
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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
28 Thursday Nov 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
music, performance, pop, Reina del Cid, song, songwriting, Stand by Me, Toni Lindgren
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Reina del Cid and Toni Lindgrin stand by the Ben E. King classic.
Dig Toni’s stand-up bass.
More at Reina del Cid
25 Monday Nov 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
country, Gentle On My Mind, Glen Campbell, guitar, John Hartford, music, performance, song, songwriting
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Monday morning, Glen Campbell gets the approval of his peers.
Worth it, even if you don’t like country music, for the wonderful guitar break and the comradery.
Thanks to YouTuber jimmy cee
18 Monday Nov 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
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Monday Morning, Peggy Lee seeks to expand her knowledge of a few subjects.
The guitar player is David Barbour, Peggy Lee’s husband at the time, who also composed the song.
The witty lyrics are by Ms. Lee.
More at Peggy Lee
08 Friday Nov 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
All or Nothing at all, Arthur Altman, Frank Sinatra, Jack Lawrence, music, performance, song, songwriting
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Two Brooklyn guys, Arthur Altman and Jack Lawrence, wrote the music and lyrics.
It was Sinatra’s first hit, and he recorded at least three different versions of it over the years.
The song has been covered by many, including Ella, Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughn, and John Coltrane. Sometimes I like to look for the non-obvious version, but this is one time I have to admit Sinatra has them all beat.
Thanks to YouTuber finetunes Easy Listening
04 Monday Nov 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
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Monday morning, The MonaLisa Twins make themselves ubiquitous with another pleasing Beatles cover.
More at MonaLisa Twins
01 Friday Nov 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Photography, Writing
Tags
American Songbook, Bob Dylan, Carson McKee, folk, guitar, music, performance, Simple Twist of Fate, song, songwriting
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A younger Carson McKee with a laid-backed version of the Dylan song. Carson sings the story and lyrics of the song so simply and straightforwardly that he makes it sound like an American Songbook standard.
More at Carson McKee
28 Monday Oct 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Carson McKee, Josh Turner, Lennon-McCartney, music, performance, Reina del Cid, rocky raccoon, song, The Beatles, The Other Favorites, Toni Lindgren, White Album
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Monday morning, Carson McKee, Reina del Cid, Josh Turner and Toni Lindgren make the most of their hotel room with their performance of the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon.” Make sure to stay for the blooper outtake at the end.
More at Reina del Cid
23 Wednesday Oct 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
City Boy, folk, music, performance, Phil Ochs, song, songwriting
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One of Phil’s songs that was not released until after his death.
Thanks to YouTuber J K
21 Monday Oct 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Big Girls Don't Cry, Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli, Jersey Boys, music, performance, song, songwriting, The Four Seasons
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Monday morning, Big Girls Don’t Cry.
Last week I saw an excellent revival of the musical Jersey Boys, the play about the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, but I don’t think even the amazing Aaron DeJesus as Frankie Valli sang in as high a key as Frankie does in this clip. In this live performance (voices are live, music pre-recorded) Frankie falters on one of the notes, but it’s still great.
Thanks to YouTuber onepapa2
18 Friday Oct 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance
Tags
Back in Business, Beverly Watkins, blues, guitar, music, performance, song
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Beverly Watkins died last week at the age of 80. I wasn’t aware of her before, but a friend told me about her. Watkins played with James Brown, Ray Charles, and B.B. King. As you can see from the clip, she was quite a blues guitar player and singer.
Thanks to YouTuber TEXANOBLUES, and Marilyn Vogt-Downey for the suggestion.
14 Monday Oct 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Motown, music, Ooh Baby Baby, performance, pop, Smokey Robinson, song, songwriting, soul
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Monday morning, loosen your tie with the man, besides Berry Gordy, most responsible for the success of Motown, the brilliant singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson.
Gotta love the swivel 1.0 choreography for the Miracles, too.
Thanks to Youtuber QuentinCoxBOI
05 Saturday Oct 2019
Tags
chords, guitar, Leonard Cohen, music, poetry, Prince of Asturias, song, speech, writing
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Leonard Cohen tells the story of his guitar chords.
Thanks to YouTuber Allan Showalter
04 Friday Oct 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Edgar Allan Poe, folk, guitar, music, performance, Phil Ochs, poem, poetry, song, songwriting, The Bells
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Phil used to open all his concerts with this rousing musical adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem.
Thanks to YouTuber Thamali Peiris
30 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Theatre, Writing
Tags
broadway, Leonard Bernstein, music, performance, Quintet, song, songwriting, Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story
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Monday morning, The Jets, The Sharks, Tony, Maria, and Anita get ready for the big night. Lucky them to have the Bernstein/Sondheim music to prepare to. Still the best score from an American musical in my opinion.
Thanks to YouTuber John Long
27 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Carson McKee, folk, guitar, James Taylor, Josh Turner, music, song, songwriting, Sweet Baby James
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Josh Turner and Carson McKee with another “as good as” cover.
More Josh Turner at Josh Turner Guitar
20 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Theatre, Writing
Tags
Babe In Arms, Brian d'Arcy James, Broadway musical, Lorenz Hart, lyrics, music, performance, Richard Rodgers, Rodgers and Hart, song, songwriting, Susan Egan, Where or When
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I like the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein very much, but it’s the Richard Rodgers songs written with Lorenz Hart that I appreciate the most.
Hart’s lyrics were always several notches more interesting than those of the usual love song; he was always exploring a different side of love in each song.
“Where or When” is one of my favorites with its evocative lyrics. Brian d’Arcy James and Susan Egan do the honors.
Thanks to YouTuber fschnell
16 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
folk, Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen, music, poem, poetry, song, songwriting, Suzanne, writing
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Monday morning, there are heroes in the seaweed.
When Judy Collins starts singing her verse, it just wrecks me. Shivers.
Thanks to YouTuberBeta Hi-Fi Archive
13 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
All The Things You Are, Jerome Kern, Michael Jackson, music, Oscar Hammerstein, performance, song, songwriting
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A surprisingly engaging version of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein perennial by a 14-year-old Michael Jackson
More at Michael Jackson
09 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
blues, Janis Joplin, Lorenz Hart, music, performance, Richard Rodgers, Rodgers and Hart, song, songwriting
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Monday morning, a blues.
When an artist has so much raw talent sometimes the skill and hard work are overlooked. Recently I watched the American Masters documentary about Janis Joplin and it really brought home just how intentional her work was. She knew exactly what she was doing and her idols were Nina Simone and the other great blues singers.
Her version of the great Rodgers and Hart song takes it into a different stratosphere.
Thanks to YouTuber TheJairo1710
04 Wednesday Sep 2019
Posted in Comedy, Music, Performance, Writing
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One of the most insane song stunts ever. Condolences to Bernie Taupin and Elton John.
Thanks to YouTuber The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.FuzzyMemories.TV)
02 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Music, Performance
Tags
banjo, Carson McKee, country, folk, Heart of the Country, Josh Turner, music, Paul McCartney, performance, Ram, song
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Josh Turner and friends cover the Paul McCartney ditty from the Ram album. I really enjoyed the extended banjo, fiddle, bass, and drum chorus at the end. And how the heck does Josh do that video editing, keeping all the audio in synch?
More Josh Turner at Josh Turner Guitar
27 Tuesday Aug 2019
Posted in Books, Life, Music, Performance, Writing
Tags
Arts Express, Billie Holiday, Billie Holiday: The Last Interview, God Bless The Child, interview, jazz, Khanya Mtshali, Lady Day, Lady Sings The Blues, music, performance, radio, singer, song, Strange Fruit
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This new compilation of interviews with Billie Holiday has an introduction by journalist and writer Khanya Mtshali. Listen to my conversation with Ms. Mtshali, as broadcast today on Arts Express radio on WBAI 99.5FM NYC, as she explains why Billie Holiday was not the person you thought she was.
