Great Ladies of Jazz • Abbey, Shirley, Lena & Nina

Clockwise: Abbey Lincoln, Shirley Horn, Lena Horne, and Nina Simone.

While thinking about tonight, I found an album simple called 'The Great Ladies of Jazz' and felt inspired when I read the song list, I felt pretty damned inspired. While Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan had two songs each, I decided to go with the incredibly talented ladies who had one track on the compilation. First up, we have a woman I knew about, but didn't really know about the scope of her career. As a songwriter and a vocalist, she started working in the 1950s, singing Jazz and Pop, including an appearance in the 1956 film, 'The Girl Can't Help It', starring Jayne Mansfield. She wrote songs from her heart, and they often incorporated the civil rights issues of the day. In 1981, she released the album 'You Gotta Pay the Band', on which she wroked with the great Stan Getz. She recorded "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime", a song written in 1930 by lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, and was one of the best-known American songs of the Great Depression. It spoke to so many, talking about the core of the country, the workers who built it up. I hope you enjoy Abbey Lincoln as she sings "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime".

In an interesting side note, in the 1970s, The New York Times asked Harburg to update the lyrics of the song, trying to get a more current feel for a new generation. The man who wrote great lyrics for songs like "Over The Rainbow", "It's Only A Paper Moon", "April In Paris", "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?", "Down With Love", and "Lydia The Tattooed Lady", came up with the following.

Once we had a Roosevelt

Praise the Lord!

Life had meaning and hope.

Now we're stuck with Nixon, Agnew, Ford,

Brother, can you spare a rope?

Next up, we have a song that has some pretty impressive writers as well. "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" is a a pop and jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster published in 1941. The song was first recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, with Ivie Anderson as the featured vocalist. Like many of the songs written by Ellington, it became an instant classic, and everyone was clamoring to sing it. Almost a half decade later it was still the case, as the wonderful Shirley Horn recorded it for her 1987 album, 'I Thought About You'. Horn was first 'discovered' by the great Miles Davis in 1960. His praise of her work as a singer and pianist brought about new opportunities, and it wasn't long before she was signed to a label. I do hope you love this version of "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)" as sung by the wonderful Shirley Horn.

It is hard to figure out what hasn't already been said about the enormous talent of the glorious Nina Simone. She wanted to become a classical pianist, but in the United States in the 1950s, she was turned down admission into the schools. She decided to work had on her own, and soon was playing clubs to earn money, and was expected to sing as well as play. And it wasn't long before people started to take notice. She released her first album in 1958, 'Little Girl Blue'. One of the songs on the album was her own take on "I Loves You Porgy", from the 1935 opera written by George and Ira Gershwin, 'Porgy and Bess'. She tried to infuse as much of her Classical leaning as she could, and created a wonderful recording. Written as a duet, Simone adapted it as a solo. By all means, push play and enjoy Nina Simone as she sings "I Loves You Porgy"

Finally, there is the always delicious Miss Lena Horne, a talented and beautiful woman. Lena started her career in the chorus at the world famous Cotton Club in Harlen. Wanting more, she moved out to California, and was soon being cast in several movies, including a few leading roles. She was great in 'Cabin In The Sky' and in 'Stormy Weather', her most memorable roles. But in the late 1950s, the political climate grew tougher with McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee leading the way, Lena and several other artists found themselves unable to work in Hollywood. She devoted her time and talents to music, and was making lots of great albums and playing in clubs around the world. But before all that, she hit songs like "Stormy Weather", and had a wonderful 1948 recording with Luther Henderson's Orchestra on a wonderful song composed by Fred Rose with with lyrics by Walter Hirsch. It was written in 1926, and is still a wonderful song. It is my pleasure to offer you a clip of Lena Horne singing "'Deed I Do".

I do hope you enjoyed tonight's music. And hope you have a great weekend!

Spring Is Here...

Clockwise: Julie London, Nina Simone, Martha Tilton, and Rosemary Clooney.

This week, the weather turn a turn for the warmer, and suddenly the trees are starting to bloom. Since Spring is a time of rebirth, it seems only natural that this would include the birth of new love. With all this in mind, once again I was inspired by the season. And with the first clip, we have the always gorgeous Julie London singing "I'll Remember April", with music by Gene de Paul, and lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye.

The 1945 film 'State Fair' is the only time the legendary duo of Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II wrote directly for a film, instead of the Broadway stage. In fact, it took more than 50 years before it made it to Broadway in 1996. The score, like most written by Rodgers & Hammerstein, was gorgeous, and included the song "It Might As Well Be Spring". In fact, the song earned the writing partners the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 1959, the song was recorded by the great Nina Simone, who injected it with a haunting feel.

Once again I feature the music of Richard Rodgers, on this time with a different lyricist. Rodgers wrote the music for the 1938 film 'I Married An Angel' with the great Lorenz Hart. The score included the song "Spring Is Here", which quickly became a standard many of the greatest singers in music gave voice to. Here is a stunning recording by the late, great Rosemary Clooney.

Finally, I have a a beautiful song featuring the vocals of Martha Tilton, She worked with Benny Goodman in the late 1930s, and it is said he started calling her "The Liltin' Miss Tilton". She did have a stunning voice, and appeared in several 'Soundies', which were short films that often played in movie theaters. They were, in many ways, the earliest forms of music videos. In this Soundie, Martha sings "Love Turns Winter To Spring", Written by Matt Dennis. Tilton is joined in the short by with Vince Barnett, and backed by Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra. The Soundie was released in 1941.

Have a great weekend!

Want Some Sugar?

Clockwise: Fanny Brice; Nina Simone; Diahann Carroll; and Diana Krall.

Many might remember the next song as part of the soundtrack for the film 'Funny Girl', and sung by Barbra Streisand. Being an ardent fan of Streisand, I of course knew the song, but just assumed for a long time that it was written for the show by Jule Styne. However, I went on to learn the song was written by Billy Rose and Fred Fisher, and sung by Fanny Brice. I learned it wasn't in the Broadway production (I bought the album to learn there were several different songs), but added to the film version to add some authenticity from the Brice catalog. Please enjoy as Fanny Brice sings "I'd Rather Be Blue Over You (Than Happy with Somebody Else)".

While she might have been inspired by a song sung by the legendary Bessie Smith, Nina Simone was never one to take the simple route. So she wrote her own version of "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", and while it might not have been quite as suggestive as Bessie's, it certainly doesn't shy away either. Nina recorded it on her 1967 album 'Nina Simone Sings The Blues'.

In 1964, Dionne Warwick released one of many songs written by the dynamic duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David. While it might not be known as Jazz standard, I think this clip of the gorgeous Diana Krall singing "Walk On By" certainly makes a case it should at least be considered.

Diahann Carroll sings "Goody Goody". The 1936 popular song was composed by Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer, and first recorded by Benny Goodman and his orchestra, and made popular by Bob Crosby, a singer and bandleader known for his band, the Bob-Cats. He was also the youngest brother of Bing Crosby, but I digress. Here we have the always amazing Diahann Carroll singing the song on an appearance she made on The Judy Garland Show.

Vera, Nina, Kay, Linda & Diana Sing!

Clockwise from top: Vera Lynn; Nina Simone; Diana Krall; Kay Thompson; and Linda Ronstadt.

It is Saturday night, and time for another post devoted to those incredible ladies who make us feel every ounce of hurt, every pang of love, and the softness of a kiss. While being backed by a big band. A week or so ago, I made up a couple of playlists in my iTunes so I thought I would give the first five songs of the first one, and hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I lead off with the voice that many said saw the British through World War I and World War II, Vera Lynn. She sings a romantic British song written in 1939 with by Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin, that soon became a standard many of the greats were singing. Vera recorded "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" in 1940, and it is just so very beautiful.



I don't know if anyone can say enough about the gifted Nina Simone. Nina managed to make every song her own, with an unusual yet amazing arrangement. This is her singing the song "For All We Know", a 1934 song with music by J. Fred Coots and lyrics by Sam M. Lewis. This is Ms. Simone performing it in 1961.



I've already gushed on about Linda Ronstadt in earlier posts, but I can never seem to get enough of her. In the Mid-80s, when she was still making regular trips to the top of the Billboard charts, Ronstadt decided she wanted to record some of the great songs of the 1930s and 1940s, and have Nelson Riddle conduct the orchestra. She made three albums, and the second was Lush Life. That record included a stunning version of "Falling In Love Again", a song composed by Friedrich Hollaender as "Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuß Auf Liebe Eingestellt" (literally: "Head to toe, I'm ready for love"). The song was originally performed in the film Der Blaue Engel (English translation: The Blue Angel) by Marlene Dietrich, who also recorded the most famous English version. However, here is the Ronstadt's "Falling In Love Again", released in 1984.



Kay Thompson was a woman of many talents, and one of those was her voice. While Thompson might be better known today as the writer of the Eloise book series for children, she was also the god-mother of Liza Minnelli (who many think was the inspiration for Eloise), and a singing and movie star in her own right. This is a clip of her singing "All Over Nothing At All" by Jack Jenney and His Orchestra featuring Kay on piano. The song was written by Peter Tinturin and Jack Lawrence, and featured in the 1937 film, Manhattan Merry-Go-Round.



I truly enjoy the music of Canadian chanteuse, Diana Krall. This contemporary torch singer can weave her spell with an ease and seductive nature just draws you in. I can't be the only one to think that, for she managed to hook Elvis Costello, her husband since 2003, and the father of their twin sons. Here is a recording of her singing "I Remember You", written by Victor Schertzinger and the great Johnny Mercer.



Have a great Saturday night!

Time For The Blues

Clockwise: Nina Simone; Dame Shirley Bassey; Billie Holiday; and Ella Fitzgerald.

Well, since time we get to set the clocks ahead, and lose and hour oa sleep to Daylights Savings Time, I thought "time" would be a perfect theme for the post this evening. I went into my iTunes, typed in the word "time" and see what songs came up. Then I shot over to YouTube, and went to work. So the first entry is from the amazing Nina Simone Just In Time. The classic song had music written by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green in 1956. Simone had a style all her own, and it is truly in evidence here.



In our second entry by the amazing Jules Styne, Time After Time was written by Sammy Cahn and Styne in 1947. It first was sung by a great Frank Sinatra in the movie It Happened In Brooklyn. But here, I have a clip of Dame Shirley Bassey singing, with that gorgeous, rich voice of hers.



Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye a song with lyrics and music by Cole Porter. It was introduced in 1944 in Billy Rose's musical revue, Seven Lively Arts. It has been sung by some of the greats in music, from Chet Baker to Tony Bennett to Annie Lennox. Here, I think Ella Fitzgerald gives an amazing performance on the song.



As Time Goes is a song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became most famous in 1942 when it was sung by the Dooley Wilson, playing Sam the piano player, in the movie Casablanca. I have always been amazed by the version given by Billie Holiday on the song.



Hope you've enjoyed your time here tonight. And remember, Spring forward, and Fall back. Set your clocks ahead one hour when you go to bed!

Hair, an American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

Almost a year ago, on March 31, 2009, a revival of Hair opened on Broadway to favorable reviews. Much like the original in 1967, the production came from the Public Theater, this time from the the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park series, where it played in the Summer of 2008. It ran from July thru September, soon moving to previews on Broadway before the official opening. On April 1, 2010, the original Broadway cast will be opening the show in London, so a new cast will be taking the Broadway stage on March 9 to continue the run here. It was just rumored that two of the new cast are American Idol alumni, season 3 runner up Diana DeGarmo, and Season 5 finalist Ace Young, a favorite of mine. To celebrate the casting, I thought we'd revisit the show, and the effect it had on popular music. With lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, the songs have entered the culture through the voices not of the stage, but of popular music itself.

As they appear on the soundtrack, the first song to enter popular culture is Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In, a mash-up, as it were, made popular by the 5th Dimension in 1969. It claimed the top spot on the Billboard charts for 6 weeks.The first song opens the show, a celebration of the 69s flower child lifestyle, while the second the final song, also sung by the tribe in a different kind of celebration.



Next up is a selection by jazz great Nina Simone singing Ain't Got No/I Got Life. The song made the biggest impact on the UK charts in 1968, taking the #5 spot. Both songs are from an early in the show, sung by the tribe to list what they lack, and then by a defiant Claude suggesting all they have.



The Cowsills were a family of singers, the basis for the television show The Partridge Family. In 1968 the hit #2 on the Billboard charts singing the novelty song Hair. In the show, Claude and Berger are explaining to the tribe what they think is so special about themselves.



In 1969, Three Dog Night followed up their Harry Nilsson-penned hit, One, with the song Easy To Be Hard. It became their biggest hit to date, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Interestingly enough, the song is sung by Sheila in the show, tlaking about the heartbreak of being in seeming unrequited love with Berger.



In July of 1969, a young American named Oliver reached #3 on the charts with Good Morning Starshine. It was his first hit, clearly utilizing his crisp and clear tone. The song is sung by Sheila, who is enjoying some fun with the tribe near the end of the show.



So Hair, the American Tribal-Love Musical placed five songs in the Top 10 on the charts in the US & the UK. Few shows could boast such a success in popular culture, especially in the modern era.