Ellington's Ladies

Clockwise: Ivie Anderson; Phyllis Hyman; Etta James; Blossom Dearie; and Dinah Washington.

Tonight, to continue the celebration of ny nephew's wedding, I decided I would love to showcase some brilliant songs by Duke Ellington, sung by some amazingly talented and beautiful ladies. Truly, this post was inspired by the beautiful Jazz music by Aaron Bridgers, the longtime lover of Billy Strayhorn, who worked with Ellington, as an arranger, musician, and writer. You can check him out on Queer Music Heritage. Now, that just put me in mind of Duke Ellington, who certainly deserves attention for his lush music, as well as his support for early LGBT artists. I will start with a true Jazz standard, "Mood Indigo". It was written in 1930 as a instrumental, but was instantly so popular, lyrics were written for it. Many years later, it was sung by Dinah Washington, one of a long list of singers who got their start in church choirs. Unfortunately, she is also on a long list of singers who left us much too early, with drugs involved. Her voice was special, as you can hear on "Mood Indigo".



Next up, we have Ivie Anderson, who sang for Ellington's orchestra from 1931 to 1942, when she had to step off the road due to a chronic asthma. But her clear and sweet tone was popular, and she also made some appearances in movies, like with the Marx Brothers in 'A Day At The Races'. I found this video of her performing the great song, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)". The song has music by Ellington and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, and was published in 1941.



The next song is another one starting out as an instrumental. "Sophisticated Lady" was written by Ellington and Irving Mills in 1932, only to have Mitchell Parish write lyrics later. It went on to become a jazz classic. Vocalist Blossom Dearie really came into her own in the 1950s, playing clubs and really a darling of the Beat Generation. Not only were people were flocking to see her in New York City dinner clubs, she was also a sensation in Europe. Her unique styling made her an original. Here is Blossom Dearie singing "Sophisticated Ladies".



I don't know if there is much I can say about the late Etta James that hasn't been said  time and time again since her passing. Indeed, she was a brilliant vocalist, combining a voice of gold with superb musicality and phrasing. Here she sings the great Ellington classic, "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", with music by Duke, and lyrics by Bob Russel.



And, finally, we have to know there are just times when the meeting of artist and song is just perfect. However, with a talent like the late, great Phyllis Hyman, it was hard to imagine her handling a song well, for she would never settle for that. Her vocals were spectacular, whether in the R&B genre, Pop, or Jazz. She just did it all. So when I found a clip of her singing "In A Sentimental Mood", I was near-giddy, and so happy to share it. Enjoy.



Have a sophisticated Saturday night!

Matt Alber & Brendan Sweet Rogers • To Make You Feel My Love

Today I will be attending the wedding of my nephew, Scott, to his significant other, Cheryl. To mark this special occasion, I thought I would start the day with a romantic duet I can't get enough of. I have long been a fan of handsome and talented Matt Alber, and have been lucky enough to see him perform live on a couple of different stages. I was not, however, at his show in London in August of this year, at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Alber was joined on stage by Brendan Sweet Rogers, and English singer/songwriter I have recently discovered thanks to Alber, and have also developed a crush on him. His voice makes an interesting counterpoint to Alber's on Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love". Here they are performing the song live.

"To Make You Feel My Love" can be found on Matt's latest album, 'Wind Sand Stars'. I heard it first there, and instantly fell for it. And looked up and purchased all the music I could by Rogers. You can purchase "To Make You Feel My Love" from iTunes and Amazon. For more about Matt Alber, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. To learn about Brendan Rogers, you can visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. I will soon be sharing some of Brendan's music with you.

Happy Halloween! Boo!

Clockwise: Mike Furey, Casey Stratton, Sir Ari Gold, and Kendall Kelly.

Today is October 31, 2014. That makes it officially Halloween, a day that was first celebrated in the mid-1700s. It was also known as All Hallow's Eve and All Saint's Eve, marking the evening before All Saint's Day.It is thought to have Celtic roots, and is based on some forms of Christianity. Today, it is mostly known as a chance to dress up in costumes of every variety, no matter your age. Whether you are trying to scare people, or making them laugh, it is a day celebrated by many. To get us in the mood a bit, I thought I would post some Halloween-themed music, or at least some that could be. The first song is a remake of a 1984 single from Ministry, an American Industrial Metal band. It was covered in 2006 by the Electronic Rock project based in New York City. Vocalist Mike Furey is the man behind the artistic direction of the band. This is Dangerous Muse with "Everyday Is Halloween".

You can find "Everyday Is Halloween" on iTunes and Amazon. My next song isn't really a Halloween song, but it works, at least for me. There is something hot, and sexy about "Blood" a great song off Casey's first album, 'Standing on the Edge'. It was the first song by Casey I really fell for, and I have been hooked ever since. This is Casey Stratton performing "Blood" on morning television, and managing to look and sound pretty damn great!

You can find "Blood" on 'Blood EP (Junior Vasquez Mix)', available on iTunes and Amazon. The gloriously bearish Kendall Kelly has been making music for a while now, and garnering quite the fanbase. It seems many respond well to his mixture of humorous songs with romantic ballads. The driving Electro-Dance beat keeps me moving, while the sexy images of Kendall keeps the attention of anyone who hits play. And before I delay you too much longer, perhaps you should be hitting the play button for Kendall Kelly's "Don't Even Know You're A Vampire".

You can find "Don't Know You're A Vampire" off the album 'Manifest Destiny', available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. And speaking of vampires, I don't know if there is anyone I'd rather have nibbling my neck, and wherever else they'd like, than the gorgeous and talented Sir Ari Gold. That was certainly much on my mind in October of 2010, when he released the music video for "Make My Body Rock", on of the several great songs off his album 'Between the Spirit & the Flesh'. OF course, I must admit I have been a fan of Gold's music since I first heard "Wave of You" several years ago, and that was even before I'd see how sexy he is! Fast forward several years, and Ari is still looking as good, if not better than ever. Check out the music video for Sir Ari Gold's "Make My Body Rock".

You can find "Make My Body Rock" on Gold's 2012 album, 'Between the Spirit & the Flesh', available on iTunes and Amazon. And have a wonderful and scary Halloween!

Kristine W • Love Come Home

The brilliant Kristine W has a new music video out, and I am quite excited to share it with you all. The video features the song "Love Come Home", originally found on the album 'New & Number Ones'. Actually, the song was chosen by Kristine's fans in a Facebook poll, and many are very excited to finally see it. The video also features Kristine's pre-teen daughter, Elizabeth, adding that much more love to the equation. It was directed by Adan Van Dam, and also features a cameo by artist Scott Cohen, one of the forces behind the Burning Man event. And the song is pure Kristine W, fro the writing to the singing, with strength and love in the forefront. This is the music video for "Love Come Home".

I love this song, and couldn't wait to see the video. I hope you feel the same way. To learn more about Kristine W, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter. You can purchase the album 'New & Number Ones', available on iTunes and Amazon. You can also purchase 'Love Come Home (Part 1)', a collection of remixes, on iTunes and Amazon.

Throw Back Thursday • Sylvester's "I (Who Have Nothing)"

For my second Throw Back Thursday post, I thought I would take a look back in history at some great performers from the LGBT community. And if I was going there, I wanted to start with the brilliant Sylvester. The performer, born Sylvester James, Jr., in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. As a youngster, Sylvester was a part of the church choir, until the persecution began as the congregation became increasingly aware of homosexuality. Sylvester soon left the area, and settled in San Fransisco. There he became involved with The Disquotays, a group of cross dressing men of color. As that group faded, he became a part of The Cockettes, a group that often played with the gender roles and traditional clothing.

In the early 1970s, Sylvester focused on his music career, and was soon recording with his band, Sylvester and his Hot Band. In 1977, he released his first truly solo effort, an eponymous album that was a mild success. That was followed up by 'Step II', which had the hit song, "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". In 1979, he released the album 'Stars', which featured the single "I (Who Have Nothing)". The song had music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti, who wrote it in 1961. Since it was written in Italian, American writers Mike Stoller and Jerry Lieber adapted the song for the American audience, and offered it to Ben E. King, who released it in 1963. That same year, it was recorded by Shirley Bassey, who had the best known version of the song. This is Sylvester's Dance version of the song, "I (Who Have Nothing)".

It was unfortunate that Sylvester spent so little time recording, as he fell ill in the 1980s, before passing in 1988 from complications due to AIDS. I do wish Sylvester had more time to record, and leave us with an even greater library. You can find the album 'Stars', which featured "I (Who Have Nothing)", on iTunes and Amazon.

Throw Back Thursday • Led Zeppelin's "Stairway"

For Throw Back Thursday, I thought I would start with one of my all-time favorite bands, Led Zeppelin. They were part of the dichotomy of my youth, when I fell in love with all kinds of music. In my early teens, it was the music of Barbra Streisand that spoke directly to my heart. Later, I found I was enamored with the Rock of Led Zeppelin. In between, I found the great music of James Taylor, Carole King, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, The Band, and so many others. I decided to go with the music of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. In 1973, the band was filmed at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The film, 'The Song Remains The Same', was released in 1976. This is a clip from the film, of the band playing their big hit, "Stairway To Heaven".

"Stairway to Heaven" was first recorded for Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, usually referred to as 'Led Zeppelin IV'. The album was released almost 43 years ago on November 8, 1971. You can purchase the remastered version of album on iTunes and Amazon.

Dark Monday • Bernadette Sings "Not A Day Goes By"

When it comes to some of the amazing women I have managed to see performing on Broadway, I think Bernadette Peters ranks among the top. Now, I've seen some incredible talents, but her work in 'Sunday in the Park with George' still resonates with me, and that was a few decades ago. She was incredible live, sounding great, and acting the role of Dot to perfection. I was already a fan, but this still blew me away. It was said she has been a muse for Sondheim, and it was easy to understand why with this performance.

She went on to star in 'Into the Woods', as well as revivals of 'A Little Night Music' and 'Follies'. She also performed live at Carnegie Hall in 1996, as part of a fundraiser for Gay Men's Health Crisis. The show featured song from several shows Peters had starred in, and she dedicated the second half of the performance to the works of Sondheim. The recording was later released as a live album, entitled 'Sondheim, Etc.' I must admit, I do love the album, and it inspired me to do this post. One of the songs Bernadette sang was the amazing "Not A Day Goes By", a song from the 1981 Broadway musical, 'Merrily We Roll Along'. The show was directed by Harold Prince, with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Sondheim. The show as not a success, running on Broadway for only 52 previews and 16 performances. It marked the end of the Harold Prince-Sondheim collaborations for 22 years, which had been fruitful for both. But the score was wonderful, and Bernadette had picked this song well. This is Peters singing "Not A Day Goes By".

To learn more about Bernadette Peters, visit her official website. You can also 'like' her on Facebook, and 'follow' her on Twitter. You can find "Not A Day Goes By" on 'Sondheim, Etc.', which can be purchased from iTunes and Amazon. If you like what you heard above, you should think about buying the album - available for just $5.99 at both online stores.