Saturday Night Cocktails

Clockwise: Betty Carter & Ray Stevens; John Stevens; Anita O'Day; and Aretha Franklin.

Well, it is Saturday night, and for many, at least at one pint in history, it meant finding a neighborhood girl to watch the kids, and going out to a local club, or maybe just going to a friends house and having some cocktails and conversation. And while that was going on, there would definitely be music playing, be it Pop or Jazz. In my heart, it will always be a combination of Jazz standards and Pop Torch songs, for I do love them so very much. With that in mind I planned an evening of music and drinks. Well, at least some music about drinking. To give you an idea, I will begin with the first song on the playlist, "Cocktails For Two" as sung by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. The song was written by Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow for the 1934 film, 'Murder at the Vanities'.

And while I think of classic songs when I think of my Saturday night posts, I have a brand new one for you up next. I think John Stevens still has a certain real charm when he performs, and you can tell he just loves the music. In fact, it was this song and video that inspired this post to start with. Here is a music video of the John Stevens Band as it performs "Intoxicated", with words and music written by John Stevens himself. It seems the crooner has come so far since his time on season 3 of American Idol. Please Enjoy John as he sings "Intoxicated" with the John Stevens Band.

What happens when you combine Johnny Mercer with Aretha Franklin? Well, you get something explosive and impressive, and this song is a prime example. The Queen of Soul sings "Drinking Again", with music by Mercer and music by Doris Tauber. I first came to know this song in the 1970s when it was sung by the one and only Bette Midler, but it had been written a decade before, and sung by some of the great voices of music, including Aretha, Frank Sinatra, and Dinah Washington. Listen to Aretha Franklin sing the song as only she could.

And, finally, I return to another of the great voices I love so very much. Anita O'Day was the favorite of many other singers. She had a style all her own, using her voice as much like another instrument in the band as well as a means of communication. Her vocals often eschewed the melody line, taking on the beat, driving the song much like the percussion section. I just love listening to her. This is her recording of "Blue Champagne", an effervescent delight, you can be sure.

Have a great weekend!

A Little Cole In Stockings

Clockwise: Judy Carland; Della Reese; Patti LuPone; and Betty Carter.

In this tribute to the great Cole Porter, I put together a group of ladies I think have style and substance that makes people stand up and listen. After all, to sing Porter's songs, you need a little something extra, or your song will never be heard over the din of a bunch of others singing some of the greatest songs written in the 20th Century. So, yes, these ladies hitch up their stockings on their way to the microphone, and sing for all they are worth. And that is a lot! I will begin with one of the all-time great voices, Judy Garland. Judy could pack so much punch into her voice, so much pain and anguish it felt like a punch to the stomach. Cole Porter wrote "From This Moment On" for the 1951 Broadway show 'Out Of This World'. Unfortunately, the song was cut while still in previews, but it resurfaced in another of Porter's shows. In 1953, the movie version of 'Kiss Me Kate' was released, and it included the song, which was not in the Broadway score for the 1948 opening. After all that, "From This Moment On" has become a classic, sung by some of the greats, like Judy.

The next song was so scandalous when it was written, you almost had to know it became a great Jazz classic. "Love For Sale" was written for the 1930 Broadway musical, 'The New Yorkers'. Sung by a prostitute outside a restaurant 'advertising' her wares, it was originally sung by Kathryn Crawford, with three girlfriends as back-up singers, in front of Reuben's, a popular New York restaurant. When the criticism of this started to mound, the production made the decision to have the song sung by Elisabeth Welch, who sang with back-up singers in a scene set in front of Harlem's Cotton Club. Of course, Crawford was white, and Welch African American. Sadly, this was thought to be an acceptable compromise by all. That said, the song is a great one, and here you can listen as it is sung by the great Della Reese.

When the musical 'Anything Goes' opened on Broadway in 1936, few could have foreseen the success of the score, much of which has entered in to the Great American Songbook, and sung by some of the greatest Pop and Jazz singers of the last century. That would include a little ditty originally given voice by the bold and brassy Ethel Merman on Broadway. "I Get A Kick Out Of You" quickly was recorded by many, and that continued to be the case. It doesn't hurt that there have been Broadway versions, film versions, television special versions, revival versions and West End versions. In one of those, the stellar Patti LuPone took on the role of Reno Sweeney in 1987, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress In A Musical. Here Patti sings the beautiful "I Get A Kick Out Of You".

There is a beauty in the haunting quality to Porter's "Ev'ry Time You Say Goodbye", a classic that debuted in a 1944 musical review put on by Fanny Brice's second husband, Billy Rose. However, the song seemed irresistible to the singers since, whether they were men or women. Where there are beautiful versions by Annie Lennox and Ella Fitzgerald, among others, I chose the stunning one by Jazz great Betty Carter. Carter was known for her nimble vocal technique, and was considered by many to be the best Jazz singer ever. Listen to her singing "Ev'ry Time You Say Goodbye" and you will understand why they said that.

Hope you are having a fantastic Saturday night!