Tag Archives: song

Back In Business

18 Friday Oct 2019

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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.

Ooh Baby Baby

14 Monday Oct 2019

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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

Quintet

30 Monday Sep 2019

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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

Where or When: Rodgers and Hart

20 Friday Sep 2019

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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

Little Girl Blue: Janis Joplin

09 Monday Sep 2019

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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

Heart Of The Country

02 Monday Sep 2019

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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

Billie Holiday: The Last Interview

27 Tuesday Aug 2019

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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.

Get Your Plane Right On Time

22 Thursday Aug 2019

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It’s not enough that Josh Turner plays perfect guitar and the best Paul Simon covers you’ll ever hear, but the freakin’ guy actually does the Artie Garfunkel part for “Only Living Boy In New York” as well. Just amazing.

The reverb is courtesy of a tunnel in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. And stay tuned for the announcement after the song. Wish I could hop on a plane.

More at Josh Turner Guitar

Pretty Little Angel Eyes

19 Monday Aug 2019

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It’s Monday morning, summer of 1961, Evergreen Avenue in Bradley Beach, New Jersey to be exact, and the kid across the street has hauled out his record player to the front porch and is playing Curtis Lee’s “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” over and over, far into the night, the fireflies flashing in syncopated time, stopped only by the sound of the approaching ice cream truck …

Thanks to YouTuber brianfromLI

Blue Moon: Reina and Toni

05 Monday Aug 2019

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Reina del Cid and Toni Lindgren wax astronomical this Monday morning with a tip of the hat to the Marcel’s great Doo-Wop arrangement of the Rodgers and Hart standard.

More at Reina del Cid

Fool’s Gold

26 Friday Jul 2019

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The great and idiosyncratic Anthony Newley, singing, in costume, the song from Stop The World, I Want To Get Off! that had him laughing all the way to the bank.

Thanks to YouTuber Anthonay Newley

No Wonder My Happy Heart Sings

22 Monday Jul 2019

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As everyone knows, the major means of transportation in NYC is the hansom cab. Failing that, Monday morning, Bobby Rydell will fly. He had just turned eighteen in this clip, at a time when it seemed all the tv comedians were Jewish, and all the singers were Italian.

Thanks to YouTuber NRRArchives

That Business Called Show

15 Monday Jul 2019

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Monday morning, Miss Merman doing what she did best.

Years ago, I was visiting someone in Roosevelt hospital in NYC, and to my surprise, there was Ethel, unpretentiously doing volunteer clerk work.

Thanks to YouTuber Alan Eichler