Jeb Havens featuring Michael Powers • Enough (Reba McEntire Cover)

Okay, I'll say it. I am not only a fan of Jeb Havens' music, I also have a crush on him. I just can't help it - he's kinda gorgeous, and so damned talented. I follow him on all the social media (yes, I expect the court papers to arrive soon), and listen to his music often. Recently, Havens teamed up with Michael Powers, an American Idol Season 11 contestant, to make some cool music. I have opted to showcase their duet on "Enough", the song originally featuring a duet with Reba McEntire and Jennifer Nettles, two incredible singers in their own right. But I must say, the two out and proud singers certainly claim ownership of the song, and make it something I wanted to listen again and again. This is Jeb Havens and Michael Powers with "Enough".

While this song is not available for purchase, there is plenty of music that is. You can purchase Jeb's fantastic solo album, the eponymous 2010 release from iTunes and Amazon. You can also find his sexy collaboration with Rowsy Bosch on iTunes and Amazon. Michael has a great single available from iTunes and CD Baby. For more about Jeb Havens, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. To learn about Michael Powers and his music, visit his official Youtube channel. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.

"Love" On A Saturday Night

Clockwise: Dianne Reeves; Reba McEntire; Rosemary Clooney; Dusty Springfield; Dame Shirley Bassey; and what is love without a kiss?

I think that love must be the greatest muse to musicians, for it seems there are more songs written about love, be it love lost, love found, or the search for both, than any other topic. So my inspiration for tonight is is not only songs about love, for that would be too easy. I wanted songs that mentioned love in the title, sung by some of the great voices from both today, and yesterday. And I will begin with a voice still very much active, singing some of the great songs with a new and imaginative flair. Listen as Denver resident Dianne Reeves sings the great song by George and Ira Gershwin, "The Man I Love". Yes, the song might have been performed by others, but few deliver it quite like Ms. Reeves.



Next up, we have a song written by Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes, and Louis Prima in the 1940s, but given new life by Country superstar Reba McEntire. The song could be found on Reba's 1988 album, Reba. Released as a single, "Sunday Kind Of Love" went to #5 on the Country charts. Here is Reba singing the great song made famous by Etta James.



I have to say that on my list of favorite singers, you can always find the amazing Rosemary Clooney. Her voice had such depth, and a beautiful timbre. Listen as she takes on the George and Ira Gershwin classic, "Our Love Is Here To Stay". The song, first written for the 1938 film, The Goldwyn Follies. George passed away before the release of the movie and the song, but it certainly took on a life of it's own. Enjoy Rosie's take on the classic.



Dame Shirley Bassey is a wonder to me, to be sure. I had to include her, for she has sung many of the classics, and I just love her voice. So I thought I would choose her singing "Et Maintenant", written in 1961 by composer Gilbert Bécaud and lyricist Pierre Delanoë. It is better known to the English speaking world as "What Now My Love", having been translated by Carl Sigman. I love it when she goes all big and sings behind the hands on the song!



And, finally, I wanted to include the gorgeous Dusty Springfield. Her talent was lost too us far too soon, when cancer took her at age 59. Thankfully, she left many recordings, and appearances on television. I love her version of a song by Léo Chauliac & Charles Trenet, first recorded by Trenet in 1942. In 1957, "Que Reste t'il de Nos Amours?" was translated to English by Albert A. Beach and sung by Keely Smith. It became known by the English Title, "I Wish You Love". Here is Dusty singing a great song perfectly.



Enjoy your Saturday night!

Tributes to Etta James

Clockwise: Etta James; Reba McEntire; Beyoncé; Jason Walker; and Adele.
This weekend, we lost a beautiful and talented singer who shared her gift with the world for more than six decades. Etta James has been performing since the early 1950s, and by 1955, she was recording and releasing songs that were hitting the charts. James was known for using her brilliant voice on soul and blues songs, and in later years, bringing her blues to jazz as well. She left this world on January 20, 2012, after a long battle with leukemia. The following songs were all recorded before Etta's passing, but they still make for an amazing tribute to a gifted singer who inspired so many. In 1961, Etta James released The Second Time Around, a truly beautiful album. First up, we have the red-hot Adele to sing Fool That I Am, a hit off that album.



In 1961, Etta James had the At Last! album, and while the title track scored much of the attention, the album also had a track written by Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes, and Louis Prima, that demanded the attention of the public. In 1988, Reba McEntire released her 13th studio album, which had songs that sounded more Pop and Country. Among the songs Reba sang on Reba was Sunday Kind of Love, first made popular by Ella Fitzgerald in 1947, and later by Etta. Here is Reba's very beautiful cover of Sunday Kind Of Love.



Jason Walker sings At Last, a huge hit for Etta in 1961. It was off the At Last! album, and quickly became a standard, not just for James, but really a jazz standard. Enjoy while Jason puts his amazing talent to use on the song.



In 2008, the world was abuzz when superstar Beyoncé was cast to play James in the biography, Cadillac Records. In the movie, Beyoncé sang many of James' big hits, and exposed yet another generation to her music. That included little Rachel Crow, who sang I'd Rather Go Blind on the premiers season of X-Factor in the US. So this is the version by Beyoncé from the movie. Enjoy.