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Maybe the best twelve minutes of this Monday: Bob Dylan’s epic “Sad-Eyed Lady of The Lowlands,” which back in the day took up an entire side of Blonde on Blonde.
More at Bob Dylan
Epic: Bob Dylan
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Tag Archives: songwriting
The Bells: Phil Ochs
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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
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Quintet
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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
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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
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Where or When: Rodgers and Hart
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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
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Suzanne: Leonard Cohen And Judy Collins
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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
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All The Things You Are
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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
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Little Girl Blue: Janis Joplin
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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
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On My Way Home: Mike and Ruthy
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Monday morning, driving back down the Thruway with memories of the Ashokan Summer Hoot in our ears, Mike Miranda and Ruthy Unger with a barnraiser.
More at Humble Abode Music
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Get Your Plane Right On Time
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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
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It’s De-Lovely
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Monday morning Mel Torme, and it’s just as fresh as a newly picked raspberry.
Thanks to YouTuber TheRecordChanger
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Dawn: The Four Seasons
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Gotta love the tight harmonies and the drums, especially on the final tags.
Thanks to YouTuber Hailey Blogs And More
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Helpless: Rachel Sage and Judy Collins
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Rachel Sage is new to me, but Judy Collins is no stranger; the two of them are just beautiful together on this Neil Young classic.
Thanks to YouTuber rachaelsage
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Here, There and Everywhere
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Monday morning, one of the great McCartney ballads, from a live 1993 tour.
Thanks to YouTuber Joivanpa
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Fool’s Gold
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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
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That Business Called Show
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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
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“You Can Keep The Dime…”
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Jim Croce’s mini three-act drama, “Operator,” a little songwriting gem.
Thanks to YouTuber upperdarbybill
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All The Things You Are: Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald
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Monday morning, we go legit. If you follow my blog regularly, you might know that this is one of my favorite jazz standards (see here and here and here for other versions). But it was originally written for a Broadway play for two duets with a lush orchestra. Here are two wonderful legit singers, Norm Lewis and the extraordinary Audra McDonald, with their heavenly version.
Thanks to YouTuber Kylie Briggs
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“…This Never Happened To Pablo Picasso…”
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As The Museum of Modern Art closes for major renovations for the summer, we take this opportunity to remember this ditty by the Modern Lovers.
Thanks to YouTuber smeetie1
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Listen Here: Nellie McKay
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Nellie McKay sings Dave Frishberg’s heart-tugger and makes it hers.
I don’t think this is on any of her albums.
Thanks to YouTuber eTown
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With God On Our Side
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In the live performance above, Dylan cuts out some verses from the studio version, but it’s such a great performance, it’s worth it.
Thanks to YouTuber Music Vault
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Floods Of Florence
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The Phil Ochs song about the 1966 Florence, Italy floods (fifty straight days of rain breached the walls of the River Arno which runs through the city) set to BBC footage of cleaning up the aftermath, as people attempted to save some of the artwork stored in the lower levels of museums, churches and warehouses.
Thanks to YouTuber OnionFart (!) for the great job of putting this together.
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A Day In The Life: Neil Young And Paul McCartney
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
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Anita O’Day with a great version of a great song.
Oscar Peterson – piano
Herb Ellis – guitar
Ray Brown – double bass
John Poole – drums
Thanks to YouTuber jburidan
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The Weight
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Monday morning the signal goes out and Josh Turner’s friends and family from around the country check in to sing this wonderful version of The Weight. That’s Josh’s dad and mom in the opening lines. Great work by Josh on putting the video together.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
