Summertime Torch

Clockwise: Carly Simon, Queen Latifah, Chaka Khan, and kd lang.

This week I decided to look at the more recent past for examples of some talented ladies taking on some classic songs. Honestly, I didn't need to look too far, for there is plenty from which to choose. I am not sure why, but the first name to pop into my head was Carly Simon. Truthfully, I just started singing the title cut from her album 'Boys in the Trees', but that reminded me she released 'Torch' in 1991. The album was a collection of torch songs, from a variety or times and sources. I decided to go with Carly singing "I Get Along Without You Very Well", the amazing song by Hoagy Carmichael. It was composed in 1939, and was introduced by Dick Powell on the radio. Many years later, Carmichael performed the song with sexy Jane Russell in the 1952 film 'The Las Vegas Story'. But this is Carly Simon singing "I Get Along Without You Very Well".

"Lust Life" was written in the 1930s by Billy Strayhorn, a talented openly gay man of color living at a time when neither of those attributes were a positive. Strayhorn was so very talented, and worked much of him professional life with Duke Ellington, who appreciated the young man's gifts. Billy wrote the music for what might be Ellington's greatest hit, "Take The 'A' Train". "Lush Life" has been recorded by many, for it is a beautiful song. Nat King Cole and John Coltrane both recorded the song, with much success. Strayhorn thought the best version was recorded by Billy Eckstine in 1960. In 1998, the song was recorded by rapper Queen Latifah for the soundtrack of the film 'Living Out Loud', and later put it on her 'standards' record, 'The Dana Owens Album' in 2004. I was stunned, for I didn't really know she could sing this well. I hope you enjoy Queen Latifah singing "Lush Life" as much as I do.

One of the early posts on this blog was dedicated to the amazing voice of kd lang. Ther is such richness, and so much depth to her voice, I find her impossible to resist. She has such a full catalog, with songs from just about every genre. From Country to Jazz, from Adult Contemporary to Rockabilly, kd did it all with an ease and grace few could deliver. For tonight, I picked her version of a song written in 1948, with music by Sonny Burke, and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. "Black Coffee" was recorded by Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald, all by 1960. In 1988, lang recorded it for her album 'Shadowland', under the watchful eye of legendary producer Owen Bradley. She and Bradley gave the song a Jazz feel, with a Country twang. This is kd lang singing "Black Coffee".

For the final entry of the evening, I found it impossible to resist the charms of the one and only Chaka Khan. Mostly remembered as the R&B Diva of the 1970s and 1980s, Khan has continued to make music with the singular style only she can bring to the table. Chaka Khan sings "Summertime" from 'Porgy and Bess'. The song has music by the incomparable George Gershwin, and lyrics by DuBose Heyward, who wrote the original novel 'Porgy' that was the basis for the opera. But once Chaka starts to sing during her 1993 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, there is no thought to the original show, only the amazing journey Khan was about to take us on. This is Chaka Khan singing "Summertime".

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, Cole Porter!

Clockwise: John Barrowman, kd lang, Jimmy Somerville, and Anita O'Day.

One hundred and twenty-two years ago, a boy was born in Peru, Indiana. Cole Albert Porter was born to a wealthy family, a family that did not love the idea that the young man decided to embark on a career in music. I guess they didn't really understand he was going to be one of the top songwriters of the first half of the Twentieth Century, with shows on Broadway as well as movie musicals making his songs quite popular. To celebrate his birthday, I thought I would pick some of my favorite singers taking on his fantastic music. And I will being with the ever-so-handsome and talented John Barrowman. In 2004, John put out an exceptional album 'John Barrowman Swings Cole Porter', and it still love it. Barrowman first came to the attention of many in a revival of 'Anything Goes', with music and lyrics of Porter. But I decided to pick one of my favorites from the album.So here is John Barrowman singing "Ca, C'est L'Amour".

Well, it is tough to think of doing this post and not including the brilliant kd lang. She has recorded several of his songs, and each and every one has been a gem in it's own right. I mean, come on, her "Miss Chatelaine" is amazing, and her "So In Love" is haunting. But I discovered her version of "Love For Sale" while doing this post, and I have to say, I love it! Apparently, she recorded it for the 2006 movie 'The Black Dahlia', playing in a scene in a gay bar. My God, her voice is just amazing. Enjoy as kd lang sings "Love For Sale".

I have always had a bit of a thing for the very talented and ofter overlooked Anita O'Day. I just love her style, and the quality of her voice. And forty-five years before Barrowman released his album, Anita released an album titled 'Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter', a wonderful collection of wonderful songs all given amazing treatment by this wonderful talent. With 24 songs from which to choose, I really couldn't decide. But then I remembered her version of "What Is This Thing Called Love", and I knew it had to be included.

Finally, I thought I would end the post with a song off the 1990 tribute album, 'Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter'. Many of the biggest and brightest names in music joined in to be a part of the CD, and the money went to AIDS charities. It was the first time the music industry took a stand about the AIDS crisis, and it was incredibly successful, selling over a million copies. One of my favorite tracks was by the always amazing Jimmy Somerville, who sing "From This Moment On". Enjoy!

Happy birthday, Cole Porter!

2nd Anniversary • Smoke Free

Clockwise: Angus & Julia Stone; Patti Smith; Declan Bennett; and k.d. lang.

Well, it has been just over two years since I had my last cigarette. Sometimes, it is incredible for me to think I actually made it that long. I mean, I have to be honest, I had smoked for more than 30 years, and had thought I would have little shot of giving it up at this point. But through a strange series of events, I got sick, and had bad congestion, and couldn't smoke for a few days. I quickly decided to see how far I could ride it out. At that point, I was paying over $50 a week for cigarettes, and decided since I wanted to purchase an iPad, if I managed to not smoke for 10 weeks, I would have paid for the iPad. So I had a goal, which I found to be an important part of those early days. To date, I have saved over $6,000, and have clearly paid for my iPad. I thought this was cause for celebration, and so let us begin. The first song I would like to offer up is the fantastic brother/sister duo from Australia, Angus and Julia Stone, as they sing "Chocolates and Cigarettes".

Next up, we have a song written by American composer Willard Robison, and sung by some very exceptional jazz singers. That list has included Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, Julie London, and so many others. But this time, give a listen to the brilliant Patti Smith as she sings "Don't Smoke In Bed".

Next up, there is another brilliant vocalist that has long been on my playlists. Very early on in her recording career, k.d. lang was making her own very special flavor of Country music. Here is "Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray", off the 1987 release 'Angel With A Lariat'.

And finally, I offer you the always addictive Declan Bennett with a song off his 2004 album, 'The Painter's Ball'.  Actually, he released that under the name "sumladfromcov", and it was the first album I found of his, and instantly fell in love. On it, he sings "Smoke".

So, it there anything you'd like to give up?

Duets with Tony Bennett

Top: Tony Bennett. Bottom: Lady Gaga; Amy Winehouse; Norah Jones; Aretha Franklin; and Kd lang.

The great Tony Bennett has done countless duets over the years, but more recently, he completed two albums of duets, featuring some of the top singers of today, singing the songs of yesterday. It is an intriguing idea, and Bennett and company pulled it off with style and flair. And speaking of style, we all know Lady Gaga has it coming out her pores. She teamed up with Bennett to sing "The Lady Is A Tramp". The song is from the 1937 show Babes In Arms, and was written by the great team of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. Gaga and Bennett have so much fun together, there is no way not to love this duet.



In one of the last video performances before she passed, Amy Winehouse teamed up with one of her own personal idols when she sang "Body And Soul" with the master himself. The performance is amazing, and everything you could want from the pair. The song was written in 1930 by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton and Johnny Green for actress Gertrude Lawrence. It was also featured in the Broadway review Three's A Crowd. After an amazing recording by Louis Armstrong, the song quickly became a jazz standard. Here is it performed by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse.



Our next song was written by the great Kurt Weill and Ogden Nash for the Broadway show One Touch of Venus that opened in 1943. The song quickly grabbed the attention of many, from Billie Holiday to Barbra Streisand. So it is very special that Bennett decided to team up with Norah Jones for the gorgeous and romantic "Speak Low".



It is interesting that when Bennett was figuring out the line up of singers and songs for the second album, he asked legendary singer Aretha Franklin to sing "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?". The song, written by Michel Legrand, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman for the 1982 film Best Friends, a song he had sung with George Michael on the first. Between Franklin and Bennett, there was over 150 years of life in the song, and it works beautifully.



"Because of You" was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson in 1940, and the 1951 recording by Tony Bennett was his first ever hit. So when it came to do a duet with it, Bennett chose the singer is has called "the best singer of her generation", the brilliant Kd lang.



You can purchase Duets: An American Classic on iTunes and Amazon. You can also purchase Duets II on iTunes and Amazon.

GLEE Redux • I Kissed A Girl

Clockwise: Cyndi Lauper; Dolly Parton; Katy Perry; Pink; Melissa Etheridge; and kd lang.

The show opens in Principal Figgins' office, as Santana is being held accountable for slapping Finn last week. When a 2 week suspension is discussed, Finn explains he was never really hit, and everyone was fooled by a stage slap. Afterwards, when Santana wants to know why he lied, he explains he thinks she is fabulous, but spends part of the time hiding it. And he wants the New Directions and the Troubletones to work together to prepare for sectionals. Part of that is them all celebrating Lady Music Week, when everyone will prepare songs sung by ladies, for ladies. Rachel is worried that Kurt will not be able to win the election, as Brittany is bribing voters with Pixie Sticks. She talks to Kurt, who suggests he might need to cheat to win. He suggests, like JFK, he might need to stuff the ballot box. Rachel tries to convince him it won't be necessary.

Coach Beiste talks about how stretched she was, with the election coming, and her infatuation with Cooter. Mr. Schue and Ms Pillsbury offer her help with the election. It is then we learn that Coach's idea of a date is pumping iron with the hunk. Back in the Glee room, Kurt and Blaine are the first to sing Lady Music, and they dedicate Pink's F*kin' Perfect to Santana.



Sue wants a man. Although she might seem to live a lesbian existence, she wants a man. And hopes, of course, it will help her election results. While going through her list of men, she bypasses Matt Lauer, a Baldwin brother, and Dan Quayle. But she decides on her next lover... Quickly, we are in the Glee room, and Puck sings Melissa Etheridge's I'm The Only One.



Puck sings the song, staring at Ms. Corcoran, but dedicates it to Santana to divert attention. Quinn flirts with Puck, and wants Puck to come over. He turns her down, saying she is kinda crazy and scary, and he would rather 'raw dog a beehive.' In the hallway, Finn tells Santana he loves he, he really cares. If something happened, he would not forgive himself. He sings Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Want To Have Fun.



After Coach Beiste catches Sue and Cooter on a date at a restaurant she is shaken. At the gymnasium, while the voting is going on. Sue is making out with Cooter, obviously rubbing it in Coach's face - Becky delivers a Polaroid, saying just that. Mr. Schue tells her to be patient, for when Sue loses the election, things will be different. Coach Beiste sings Dolly Parton's Jolene.



Santana is hit on at her locker by some Rugby ass, thinking she just hasn't found the right man yet. Santana starts to say something, but is joined by Rachel, Quinn, Mercedes, Tina and Brittany, who all girls sing Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl.



Santana came out to her family, and they were okay with her. She just needs to talk to her abuela, hopefully before she sees the commercial. Principal Figgins comes in the Glee Room, and needs to see Kurt. Kurt's father is in the office, and we learn he is leading the exit polls over Sue. And we learn Kurt won the election, with more votes than students. Figgins thinks Kurt did it. He is crushed, and ran to talk to Finn and Rachel. After he leaves to find Blaine, Rachel admits she did it, for she wanted him to win so bad. Finn tells her to turn herself in, but she doesn't think she can...

Math class. Quadratic equations. Puck answers correctly. Everyone is stunned. He explains he has math covered, doing his own books for his pool care company. And he is like the beautiful mind guy, without all the crazy. But he is called out of class, and rushes to Ms. Corcoran. It seems Beth had a fall, and is at the hospital. He halds Shelby, and helps her through it. After they have sex, she asks him to leave, and he is not happy as he storms out. His feelings are really hurt. Santana has a talk to her Abuelita, her grandmother. She tells her how she only discovered love with Brittany, and her inner war to express herself. Her grandmother asks her to leave, and to never contact her again. Santana is crushed.

Quinn and Puck are making out, and Puck pulls back when he remembers he doesn't have a condom. He is shocked when Quinn wants to go forward, and have another baby. She wants to replace Beth with a new one. He tells her he understands how she has had it rough to three years now, and wants to be there for her. He sees her someplace warm, sunny and glamorous. Like Miami, Los Angeles, or Toronto. They lay there spooning, and Puck decides to share a secret of his own... Sue discovers she lost the election. In fact, she finished in third, out of three candidates. Coach Beiste walks in to ask where the relationship between Sue and Cooter is. Sue She tells Cooter she loves him, and will fight for him. Cut to the Glee room, and we find out Mr. Hummel won the election, and Kurt lost to Brittany. Rachel is not there, and Finn mentions she has something to do. Soon, Santana sings kd lang's Constant Craving.



She is joined by Ms. Corcoran, thinking about her relationship with Puck. They are also joined by Kurt, who is thinking about his dashed hopes to attend NYADA. And as the trio sing, we see a distraught Rachel walking in the hallways. After the song, she arrives at the choral room. She has an announcement. She told Principal Figgins she tried to fix the election, and was being suspended for a week. And that she was banned from competing at Sectionals. Oh no!

In a preview for next week, we see that Sam will be making an appearance, and a scantily dressed one at that!

In Memory of...

Just a few weeks ago, I was told about the imminent passing of an old client, and friend, and it had a surprising effect on me. While I hadn't seen Rick in like 6 years or so, there was a time when I did consider him a friend, and would talk from time to time, and have a laugh. God, he could laugh. But he was also smart, thoughtful, and had an amazing heart, one that went unnoticed because of a quick and sharp wit. But his was not the first loss I had heard about. There was also George, a kind and quiet man who always showed surprising strength and compassion. And there were thoughts of Jackie, my cousin's husband. They would have celebrated an anniversary recently.

So, with a nod to Rick, George and Jackie, I thought I would take a moment to them, as well as to so many others who have passed through my life, and your life. Here is the incredible kd lang giving, in my opinion, one of the definitive versions of Leonard Cohen's iconic Hallelujah.



I hope this gave you the opportunity to pause and reflect on those you have lost. But I also hope this reminds us all to reach out to those we hold close. Let them know you care, that they made an impact on your life.

National Coming Out Day

To celebrate National Coming Out Day, I will include a couple of videos from some artists who were out and proud long before it would any publicist thought it was OK or wise. There are several I won't get to post here, but these are four I find particularly big for myself. Sylvester was bold, brassy and bodacious. He hid behind nothing and no one. While I was going through my own struggles, he was singing loud and proud. Here he is singing his 1978 hit, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).



Bronski Beat were unabashedly gay, singing songs that were gay-themed when the world would have preferred not to listen. But they did, for who could ignore the amazing voice of Jimmy Somerville? The first time I heard them, they were a revelation. They were a band of gay men, singing about gay things. Listen now as they tell the tale of far too many LGBT Youth in Smalltown Boy.



kd lang had a look that few other women had ever tried. She also has a voice few other could touch. I am sure she oerheard many a people making comments about her, but none could say a thing about her talent. Such a gift. Listen as she sings her hit, Constant Craving.



Erasure is made up of the glorious Andy Bell and the talented Vince Clarke. Together them made some rapturous electronica. Bell never shied away from his gayness, and Clarke was nothing other than an amazing str8 ally. Listen to their beautiful A Little Respect.



These talented performers came out in a time there was no day to celebrate such things. Their honesty and bravery gave me hope things would get better.

absolute torch with kd lang

While I will grant you that in appearance, kd lang is as far from a traditional torch singer as you might want to go, when she opens her mouth to sing, all bets are off. There have been times she has looked like a cowgirl on meth, and at other times like an Oscar Wilde fop. I swear there was a point in her career she was looking like the Las Vegas incarnation of Wayne Newton. After a while, though, she simply looked like kd, and sounded like a heavenly choir.



I offer up Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray as proof. It is a track from the 1987 album, Angel With A Lariat. It is just brilliant country heartache.



In 1989, kd release a new album, Absolute Torch & Twang. While it didn't really make a big splash on the US charts, it certainly did gain quite the buzz, and was the darling of the critics. It still maintained a country base, yet it was polished with a Pop veneer. Take, for instance, Trail of Broken Hears. It was written by kd and long-time producer Ben Mink, and certainly a nice amount of Country appeal.



While it might not have been filling the charts with entries, Absolute Torch & Twang was making strong sales, earning Gold status in the US. Another song lang and Mink worked on together was Pulling Back The Reins, once again chock-full of Country imagery, yet sounding more Pop than Nashville. But it also enables kd's voice to soar, which it can do like few others.



In 1992, Ingénue was released. It really completed the transition started with the previous album. It was slick, and certainly more Pop, although it verged on cabaret. During the promotion, kd often appeared clad in a suit or a tuxedo, as if she were a Vegas lounge act. But few lounge acts could deliver like kd on Constant Craving.



For more about kd lang, check out her official website here.

Dark Monday - Red Hot + Blue 4

Twenty years ago, the album Red Hot + Blue was released. It featured the music of American musical theater legend Cole Porter and some of the top acts of the day, all to raise money and awareness for AIDS research. The album contained 20 cuts, and I found 17 videos for those cuts, and for the next several weeks, will be running them in this Monday night spot. The album was thought of as a fundraising tool, it also allowed the artists involved great freedom with their interpretation of Porter's music, making for a wide variety of styles on the album. We shall go through the album in the order that is on my CD, which I did purchase at the time.



Porter was an amazing talent, and some consider him one of the best LGBT songwriters, if not THE best. He started his Broadway career in 1915, when one of his songs appeared in a Broadway Revue. He was just 24 years old. He went on to write songs for the theater like Lets Do It, Let's Fall In Love, What Is This Thing Called Love, and Anything Goes.Despite having a whife of 35 years, most believed him to be gay, and the marriage one between two dear friends who gave one another space and freedom, while gaining both wider acceptance in the greater world at large.

When it comes to incredible voices, it is hard to top kd lang. The Canadian singer has a rock-solid sound, with an emotive quality that is amazing. She takes on Porter's So In Love, and puts in what could be the best performance in the collection.



When it comes to poppy and flirty, it is hard to compete with Erasure. Andy Bell's vocals are at once coy and kittenish, almost coo-ing the lyrics of Too Darned Hot. And Vince Clarke's accompaniment is just perfect.



The Jungle Brothers work the heck outta I Get A Kick, delivering a very urban version of the song. While it carries very little of Porter's song, it is still a wonderful homage to the songwriter.

Great Women - kd lang

I remember kd lang in the late 80s, a wild Canadian Country singer with her band, The Reclines. I ran out and bought my copy of Angel With A Lariat when it was released in 1987, and have just been amazed with her voice since.



I believe the first song I heard her sing was some honkey-tonk number on some late night talk show, not even sure which one. She was bouncing around the stage in a classic Country outfit from the late fifties, taken to the extreme. It was a pink silk blouse with fringe, and a skirt with fringe as well. She was wild, and was kinda billed as performing Country 'punk.' kd followed that up with Shadowland (1988) and Absolute Torch and Twang (1989). While she has had some magnificent performances since, they are still my three favorite kd CDs.



After that, the next CD was Ingénue in 1992 with the song that pretty much made her famous, Constant Craving. And afterwards, there was her collaboration with Tony Bennett. I have bought CDs since, but still think there is something extra special when kd sings Country music. But no matter what she sings, her amazing voice and interesting turn of a phrase is something that will set her apart from most singers of her generation.



You can find more about kd lang at her website.