Dark Monday • Cadillac Records

In 2008, a movie by the name of 'Cadillac Records'. The movie told the story of Leonard Chess, a man who founded Chess Records, one of the preeminent labels for Blues, Jazz and Rock artists of color to record their music. It got the name from the fact that, in the early years, Chess sold the records out of the trunk of his Cadillac. I didn't think much of the movie on the whole, but thought the soundtrack is amazing, featuring some great music. I'll must offer up one song per artist, and let you hear what I am talking about. I will begin one of the great Blues musicians of all time, Muddy Waters. Many of the British Rock 'N Rollers in the 1960s were inspired by Waters, with his connection to the music, and his heartfelt performances. After moving to Chicago in the 1940s, he truly started his career, and qucikly became known as the father of Chicago blues. For the first entry, we have Jeffrey Wright singing "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" as Muddy Waters.

If I was to say the name Chester Arthur Burnett, I bet very few would know of whom I speak. But if I mentioned Howlin' Wolf, the light bulb might come on for just a few more, for he is considered by many to be one of the premiere performers of Electric Blues, combining Rock and Blues as only he could. Born in Mississippi, the Blues he played came straight from the soul. In our second song from the soundtrack, we have Eamon Walker singing "Smokestack Lightning" as Howlin' Wolf.

Charles Edward Anderson Berry was making waves in music in the 1950s, and was certainly and inspiration to rockers in the 1960s and beyond. You might know him better as Chuck Berry, the Rock 'N Roll guitarist people still look to, and aspire to be like. Of course, most know so many songs made famous by the man, but I decided to go with "No Particular Place To Go", a hit in 1963, proving he still had what it takes to be on top. As Chuck Berry, this is Mos Def singing "No Particular Place To Go".

And, finally, a little lady known as Beyoncé was also in the cast, playing the oh-so-talented Etta James. And while Beyoncé did record and sing James' big hit, "At Last", it was her recording of another song that brought much attention after the film. Beyoncé singing on the soundtrack introduced many young teen and pre-teen girls to some great Blues sung by Etta, and one of those girls, a young Rachel Crow, song a song she attributed to Beyoncé, although it really and truly belongs to Etta. So, as Etta James, this is Beyoncé singing "I'd Rather Go Blind".

You can find the 'Cadillac Records' soundtrack on iTunes and Amazon. If you prefer to go back to the original artists, you can find 'The Best of Chess Records' on iTunes and Amazon.

Bobby Jo Valentine • Warm Is The Light video

Bobby Jo Valentine is a handsome and talented singer/songwriter, and it is made evident with his latest music video for the song "Warm Is The Light". As on the version found on album 'Home', the video features the wonderful support of Gwyneth Moreland. The song is beautiful, with a simple melody and arrangement, captured perfectly on the video. Shot in black and white, you can't escape Booby Jo's charm and charisma. I am an unabashed fan of Valentine's music, the quiet music a perfect vehicle for his voice and honesty found in every song I've heard from him. And although I haven't had the opportunity to hear him live, ths makes it all the more important to do that soon! Until then, I will have to watch the music video for "Warm It The Light" time and time again.

To learn more about Bobby Jo Valentine and his music, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. His latest release, 'Home', includes the song "Warm Is The Light", and can be purchased from iTunes and Amazon. Bobby Jo is touring on the West Coast, so if you'd like to catch him live, the dates are in the 'Shows' section of the website.

Sunday Morning with Billy Porter

Earlier this week, I was listening 'At the Corner of Broadway & Soul' and loving it, as I do whenever I hit play. Porter is an amazingly gifted vocalist, and I am constantly blown away by him. Whether he is singing music from Broadway musicals, or some great R&B, he always delivers. The first time I remember hearing his voice was when I heard "Love Is On The Way", best known as a theme song from 'The First Wives Club'. I also loved that he was part of the recording of "That's What Friends Are For" for The Friend's Project, along side David Raleigh, Sir Ari Gold, and Alan Cumming. The single raised money for the Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. But when "Feel It To Heal It" started playing, I knew it had to be played on Sunday morning! It was written by Billy with Gary Haase, and is certainly uplifting.

There was another song on that album that is just perfect for this post, and I am happy to let you hear it. Porter sang the song written by Gospel maestro Kirk Franklin, "Why We Sing". It is beautiful and joyous, just what one wants from music on a Sunday morning.

Both songs can be found on the album 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul', available on iTunes and Amazon. But I would like to add one more video for this morning. In 2010, Billy, Ari, David and Alan recorded the song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, amazingly talented songwriters. While it was originally sung by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack to the movie 'Night Shift', it was best known when sung by Dionne Warwick and Friends, featuring Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. The song raised fund and awareness for AMFAR, American Foundation for AIDS Research. That cover was released in 1985. Twenty-five years later, it was recorded by the new group of friends, to raise money for the worthy cause. And as the Ali Forney Center suffered greatly during Hurricane Sandy, I thought now would be a great time to hear it once again. Here is "That's What Friends Are For", the 2010 version.

You can purchase the single on iTunes or Amazon. You can also donate directly to the Ali Forney Center at their official website.

It Had To Be Whoopee • Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Clockwise: Ruth Etting; Billie Holiday; Dinah Washington, and Teresa Brewer.

Once again, I was not sure what I was going to do for this week, and then it hit me. I was doing the morning post for featuring Cass Elliot, and I was typing in that the lyrics were written by Gus Kahn, and I realized that was it, I had to feature the lyrics of Gus Kahn! So here we have it, a German immigrant who went on to be a great Tin Pan Alley lyricists, writing for singers, big bands, Broadway, and vaudeville. He wrote in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, when many of the songs in the Great American Songbook were being heard. In fact, he has several of those songs, including the songs featured here. And I will start with one that was published in 1922, and recorded by so many of the great voices in the music industry over the next several decades. I bring you the 1955 recording by Teresa Brewer, singing "My Buddy", with music by Walter Donaldson.

When I was thinking which recording I would pick for the next song, it didn't take me long at all. While some of the greatest voices have tried their hand at "It Had To Be You", I felt the interpretation by Billie Holiday in 1955 would be hard to top. The song was originally published in 1924, and had music by Isham Jones. Many remember it from the 1942 film 'Casablanca', but it was written 18 years before. Enjoy as Lady Day sings "It Had To Be You".

"Love Me Or Leave Me" was first heard in the score of the Broadway show, "Whooppee", which graced the stage in 1928. It was introduced by singer/actress Ruth Etting, and the song was so popular, her recording became the top-selling recording of the time. In fact, it was so popular that when Etting returned to the stage in 1930 with a different show, the song was added to placate many of the audience who wanted to hear Etting sing it! So enjoy Ruth Etting singing "Love Me Or Leave Me", with music by Walter Donaldson.

And finally, we have another song that was also written for the 1928 production 'Whoopee". With music by Walter Donaldson, "Makin' Whoopee" was first sung on the stage of jazz great Eddie Cantor, who also recorded it. It was, of course, a song about sex, and warning all men should beware of the evil trap known as marriage. I just love the 1956 recording by Dinah Washington, for the absolute joy of it, with just a hint of flirtation.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Cass Elliot • Dream A Litlte Dream of Me

The amazing Cass Elliot, often called Mama Cass from her days with the 1960s supergroup The Mams and The Papas, recorded "Dream A Little Dream of Me" both with the group, as well as for her 1968 solo album of the same name. The song, with music by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt and lyrics by Gus Kahn, was first recorded by Ozzie Nelson in 1931. Cass had a voice that was so rich, with an amazing tone, it was no surprise she was destined to be a star. This is a clip of her singing "Dream A Little Dream of Me" on the 'Smothers Brothers Show'.

While Cass was certainly an amazing talent, she was also often mocked for her weight. In fact, that continued well after her death. Not long after Cass had died, rumor and speculation was rife with stories about how she had choked on a ham sandwich, which she was eating in bed. Despite the fact that the coroner's report stated that a heart attack was the cause of death and no food was found in her windpipe, the lie continued. Honestly, it is not like you would have that rumor when a supermodel passes, would you? You can purchase 'Dream A Little Dream: The Cass Elliot Collection' from iTunes and Amazon. It is a collection of her greatest hits, some excellent music, to be sure!

Depeche Mode • Devotional (1993)

Depeche Mode left to right: Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy Fletcher

Since some enjoyed the Madonna concert last week, I thought I would offer another live show of great music this week. So I picked the ElectroPop genius of Depeche Mode. Ever since the 1981 release of their debut album, 'Speak & Spell', Depeche Mode have made a habit of making hit songs, from "Just Can't Get Enough" to 2009's "Perfect", the band has managed to deliver on the music charts. Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher are the current line-up of the band, but can remember the time when Vince Clarke was part of the band, until he left to join Allison Moyet in Yazoo. Their music ran the gauntlet of cute an fun Pop to dark and inspired rock. I love them, and they are still on my playlist.

As the title would suggest, the show was taped from their 1993-1994 Devotional Tour, filmed in Barcelona, Spain, Liévin, France and Frankfurt, Germany. The show includes some of the best music, as well as some of the great music they were making in the 1990s. Their catalog is spectacular, and one could easily fill up up hours to cover their greatest hits, but they decided to limit keep the DVD under 2 hours. This makes for a tight and wonderful playlist, one that includes"

01 - Higher Love

02 - World In My Eyes

03 - Walking In My Shoes

04 - Behind The Wheel

05 - Stripped

06 - Condemnation

07 - Judas

08 - Mercy In You

09 - I Feel You

10 - Never Let Me Down Again

11 - Rush

12 - In Your Room

13 - Personal Jesus

14 - Enjoy The Silence

15 - Fly On The Windscreen

16 - Everything Counts

17 - Halo

18 - Policy Of Truth

Depeche Mode were also sounding great in 1993, so this is a great show to watch. Enjoy Devotional.

For more about the band, you can visit their official website. You can also follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook. To purchase the DVD of the concert, check out Amazon.

The Young Professionals Support Marriage Equality

The Young Professionals, the Israeli group of Ivri Lider and Johnny Goldstein who have made some great music and interesting videos have made one more, making clear their stand on Marriage Equality around the world. I mean, it should come as no surprise, since Ivri, my future husband, has been an out and proud musician for the last decade. But it is wonderful to see him continue to stand tall and proud. Enjoy this video!

For more about The Young Professionals, visit their official website. You can also purchase their album, '9AM To 5PM - 5PM To Whenever', you can find it on iTunes and Amazon. As a solo artist, Lider has released seven albums, two of which were certified Gold, and the other two certified Platinum. He is one of the biggest-selling contemporary artists in Israeli music, and has won the Male Singer of the Year honor from Israeli national and local radio stations since entering the Israeli music scene in the late 1990s. To find out more on Ivri Lider, visit his official website.