Showing posts with label jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jazz. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

take five

when i was a kid, i was amazed listening to this lively tunes. besides classical repertoires, jazz always captivate me. i think i have written in my previous post, my dad brought a lot of influence to my music appetite. he played many of world records during my kids time. so rich for a kid.

i was so happy when for the first time, i can play 'take five'. i felt like finding treasure when i found the piano score. i still remember it was during my 1st grade of middle school. it was a special fun for me when i tried to make records on my simple yamaha keyboard of take five. 

the song is a jazz repertoire composed by Paul Desmond and recorded by The Dave Brubeck Quartet on 1959, it is part of The Dave Brubeck Quartet's album Time Out. many decades now, it is still a masterpiece of jazz collections. originally written in the E-flat minor key. The piano music score i attached herewith is also in E-flat minor.

 






Monday, November 10, 2014

blame it on my youth

trying to find information the story behind this beautiful song 'blame it on my youth', but i could not find any, except it was composed by Oscar Levant. 
Edward Heyman wrote the lyrics, and it was recorded back to 4th April 1956. 
The music itself was arranged by Nelson Riddle. 
there are many version of this song records. from Carmen Mc Rae, Nat King Cole, to Matt Belsante, and Emilie Claire-Barlow you name it. but i like best both last versions.

Matt Belsante, i found the record incidentally. i was do a window shopping at one of cute japanese stuff store. i recalled this store always playing beautiful jazzy tunes, they play it pretty loud without disturbing the ambience. badly craving to know who is the singer of 'blame it on my youth', i used shazam (do you know this apps? it can sample any songs and then find the information of title, singer, where you can get it easily. two thumbs up apps!)

other version i like is sung by Emilie Claire-Barlow, which actually part of best audiophile voices V album. vocal + electric guitar accompaniment, blowing my mind to the air. 

herewith i attached the youtube file of Emilie's blame it on my youth.



If I expected love when first we kissed
Blame it on my youth
If only just for you, I did exist
Blame it on my youth
I believed in everything
Like a child at three
You meant more than everything
All the world to me

If you were on my mind all night and day
Blame it on my youth
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray
Blame it on my youth
If I cried a little bit
When first, I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart
Blame it on my youth

If you were on my mind all night and day
Blame it on my youth
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray
Blame it on my youth
If I cried a little bit
When first, I learned the truth
Don't blame it on my heart
Blame it on my youth



Monday, October 21, 2013

the happy madness

today, the calendar has shown the 21st day of october. 10 days to go to the end. the smell of the rainy season has already wafted in the air... somehow i can scent it. the tiny white flowers at my back yard started to blossom again, several new petals showing up too.

yesterday, i had a wonderful time with a friend, exploring many songs together. jazz tunes.... from old indonesian collection to western songs, jumped into some classic repertoires... back again to popular tunes..., a cup of coffee, balinese cakes, chit-chat, laughing.....in between..... a happy madness ... i would say ... (thank you sis).

when i said a happy madness.. my mind driven back to a song titled 'this happy madness' composed by antonio carlos jobim. the lyric was written by frank sinatra.

that song was re-recorded by stacey kent , in her new album  changing lights , which has just been released in the 16th of September 2013.

look at the following youtube record of the song: 

lyric:

What should I call this happy madness that I feel inside of me
Some kind of wild October gladness that I never thought I'd see
What has become of all my sadness all my endless lonely sighs
Where are my sorrows now

What happened to the frown and is that self contented clown 
Standing grinning in the mirror really me
I'd like to run through Central Park carve your initials in the bark
of every tree I pass for every one to see

I feel that I've gone back to childhood and I'm skipping through the wild wood
So excited that I don't know what to do
What do I care if I'm a juvenile I smile my secret little smile
Because I know the change in me is you

What should I call this happy madness all this unexpected joy
That turned the world into a baby's bouncing toy
The god's are laughing far above One of them gave a little shove
And I fell gaily gladly madly into love


thank you my warrior....
what should i call this happy madness that i feel inside of me
some kind of wild october gladness that I never thought I'd see
what has become of all my sadness all my endless lonely sighs
where are my sorrows now


because i know the change in me is you......

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Summer Samba and Holy Spirit Minor Seminary - Tuka Bali

Well well..... you must be thinking the title of my post this time is weird..... :D

I am responsible for what I wrote and I have the explanation of why I picked that title.

But first, let me explore about the song. Summer Samba is a song originally written by a Brazilian composer Marcos Valle. The English lyrics is written by Norman Gimbell, while the Portugese version Lyrics written by Marcos Valle's brother: Paulo Sergio Valle.

The song first popularized by Walter Wanderley Trio and then many popular jazz singer also sang the song and recorded. Connie Francis, Diana Krall, Stacey Kent, Johnny Mathis, Astrud Gilberto and........ I don't know who else.

I like best the Stacey Kent's version for this song. She sang the song a bit slow compared to the original version.





Now, what is the relation of this song with the Holy Spirit Minor Seminary Tuka - Bali?
Yesterday I had a chance visiting the Holy Spirit Minor Seminary located in a small village near Denpasar - Bali. The place is still having their extension development project.

While walking around the place, Stacey Kent kept on 'singing' the Summer Samba or So Nice in my head. I don't know, that song has already been inside my mind for several days.

So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me

Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me

What bothered me? Is that somebody that will stay with me right or wrong?
Human are very weak. Kindhearted people will be loved whilst the opposite will be left immediately. Is there somebody that will stay like what the lyrics of the song said??

While seeing the cross on the church and realized the body attached to it; I know who Somebody that will stay with me right or wrong. I do not need to wait ...... One day...., I have Him already, but just don't realize.

Found the answer, I spread a big smile. My foot stepping lightly after wards. I took several pictures of the place. (shared here for you)
































BTW, I admired the concept of the new extension of the seminary.
I think when it finished it will be a good place for children who choose to serve people by being a priest. They still need support to finish the project. Wanted to know more? Why don't you visit their website: http://www.bali-seminary.org/

When writing this post, Stacey Kent still 'singing' the song for me. But now, my heart feel so good, as I know the answer to what made me thinking hardly.

My friend laughing out loud when I showed her what I am doing now, she said it is just a song why be so much bothered?

Indeed, it is just a song, but the song influenced me a lot. So.................???

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Lullaby of Birdland

"Lullaby of Birdland" is a popular song composed around 1952. Music by George Shearing and the lyrics written by George David Weiss.

The title refers to Charlie Parker and Birdland Jazz Club.
The song has been recorded by many vocal and instrumental performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and others top singers.


George Shearing is a very well known talented jazz piano legend. Born in UK, then move to USA.
Composing hundreds songs included Lullaby of Birdland.

His biography, “Lullaby of Birdland,” published by Continuum, was released February 2005. In conjunction with the autobiography release Concord Records released a composite of Shearing recordings in a 2-CD set entitled “Lullabies of Birdland.: A Musical Autobiography” which was immediately followed up with “Hopeless Romantics” with Michael Feinstein. Concord then released the collectors set Mel Tormé & George Shearing The Concord Years. Mr. Shearing’s popularity continues to rise.











Monday, June 9, 2008

SPAIN














I heard this sing for the first time many years ago.
It was the time when Yamaha introduced their new Electone Series........ huh can't remember the series now!

A senior player played "SPAIN" on the new electone.
I was stunning seeing his capability in playing the song and also knowing how powerful the music equipment.

Ever since then I like the song very much, and also the vocal version by Al Jarreau

Thursday, May 29, 2008

ANZEN CHITAI

My 'introduction' to Anzen Chitai happened 10 years ago in Hong Kong.
I was walking in a crowd of Mongkok, accompanying my sister shopping when my ears heard a beautiful song in Japanese played from a small cd shop.
I come near to the shop and ask the shopkeeper what song was being played.
He showed me a cd of 'Anzen Chitai'.
Its cover is in black, with several man standing looking straight seriously.
I do not have any clue of the band, never heard about them.
Even so, I did not need longer time, I decided to buy the cd.
At the hotel room, I played the cd, and instantly falling in love to their music.
It is very rare for me to like the whole songs recorded in a CD, usually only several songs that I really like.

On the way back to Indonesia, we stopped in Singapore. It was my lucky time, I got another album of Anzen Chitai at Kinokuniya.

But today, somehow, I was thinking of Anzen Chitai when the idea to search it thru youtube. And I found it! Please enjoy.






Anzen Chitai is a Japanese band that was formed in 1973 by 5 talented musicians in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan and debuted in 1982 in Tokyo, Japan. They are considered as the proteges of the "King of POP" of Japan.

To know them more just click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzen_Chitai

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

ALL BY MYSELF - ERIC CARMEN




My post titled "ALL BY MYSELF - A PLAGIARISM" was commented by somebody from www.ericcarmen.com

The person wrote as follow:
"'When I was writing that album, I was listening to my favorite music which was Rachmaninoff. "All By Myself" incorporated a melody from his 2nd piano concerto as the verse.

I thought that it's a crime that there are some spectacular melodies in classical music that the general public doesn't get exposed to. I thought this was a way for me to bring some of the classical music that I love, incorporate it into a pop song for a new decade of kids, and introduce them to those beautiful melodies that they might not otherwise hear.'

I think he's also said he thought they were in the public domain when he used them, but ended up paying the Rachmaninoff estate. "

I really like the song. The lyrics just blended into it! Watch below - Celine Dion's version!




Please find below a score of ALL BY MYSELF.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

NIGHT AND DAY

Yesterday, a good friend of mine said to me, that she would be better find somebody that loves her other than finding someone that she loves. Or in other word, she said rather be loved than loving.
I knew NIGHT and DAY (she inspired me to post this song today!) she is thinking of her lover who is very vague in keeping his mind focus on the relationship.
Sometimes her lover showed full attention and showering her with love, but sometimes he acts like he is somebody else.

Well.............., love..., oh love? Do you believe that there is love in this world? The true love???






















































Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall

Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating
You, you, you

Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me, or far
It's no matter darling where you are
I think of you
Day and night, night and day, why is it so

That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Day and night, night and day

Under the hide of me
There's an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And this torment won't be through
Until you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

Monday, November 12, 2007

AUTUMN















(taken from wikipedia)




People said that every seasons has its own charm. But many people choose 'AUTUMN' or 'FALL' as their favorite season.

I never experienced myself having Autumn as I was raised in a 2 seasons country.
Seeing picture of Autumn, paying attention to people story, reading novel with Autumn setting, listening to the music which appoint Autumn as the theme has given me a quiet clear picture of the season.

There is a romantic atmosphere spreading through the colors of Autumn. There is sadness on the air as the cheerful of summer pass.

Autumn songs? Click here http://muziekmuziek.multiply.com/music/item/134

Anyhow, please find below AUTUMN IN NEW YORK music sheet. The song is composed by Vernon Duke in 1934.


Wednesday, November 7, 2007

SNOW ROSE & Reality















Sometimes we really want to live in the world that we are dreaming, right?
Very nicely written on the lyric of REALITY by Richard Sanderson.



But in this post, I would like to write Snow Rose who sings the other version of REALITY.

Never knew about her before a friend of mine - uuuuugh really miss him! :-) sent REALITY by Snow Rose. I fell in love to her voice at the first time listening Snow Rose! Great Voice and good guitar performance.

Unfortunately, nothing I can share about Snow Rose besides her songs. I could not find further information related to her.

Want to listen to her? Click the below link!
http://muziekmuziek.multiply.com/music/item/122/SNOW_ROSE

Monday, October 29, 2007

CASIOPEA and CASIOPEA


















I was looking for Casiopea's songs at http://www.radioblog.com, when I found Miryam Quinones' song: Casiopea.

The Casiopea that I was looking for is a Japanese Jazz Band, that I am a fan of them since many years ago.

(BTW, do you know the meaning of casiopea? Or Cassiopeia? It is A W-shaped constellation in the Northern Hemisphere between Andromeda and Cepheus.)

Never know about Miryam Quinones until a few minutes ago. Wow......., she has a wonderful voice! Then I try to find more information about her, and got her official website: http://www.miryamquinones.com, unfortunately, I could not understand a single word......, it is all written in Spanish.


















Click here to get Casiopea's Hearty Notes: http://muziekmuziek.multiply.com/music/item/115/Casiopea


Thursday, October 25, 2007

I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU













"I Only Have Eyes For You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.

This song was notably recorded in 1950 by Peggy Lee, and in 1959 by The Flamingos, becoming one of their most popular hits for the latter group. Rolling Stone ranked the Flamingos versionversion #157 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This version was also part of the soundtrack for the 1973 film American Graffiti.

A remake of the song by Art Garfunkel was a UK number one single in October 1975 for two weeks. The song was his first hit as a solo artist in the UK.

An episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is named after this song, and features the version by The Flamingos.
(copied from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Only_Have_Eyes_for_You)
























Harry Warren married Josephine Wensler in 1917. They had a son, also named Harry (who died of pneumonia in 1939 aged 19), and a daughter, Joan.

Warren wrote songs with Ira Gershwin, Mack Gordon, Johnny Mercer, Billy Rose, and Al Dubin. "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was the first gold record. Among his hits are "There Will Never Be Another You","I Only Have Eyes for You", "42nd Street", "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", "Serenade in Blue", "Jeepers Creepers" and "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me".


Warren is particularly remembered for his association with the films of Busby Berkeley. The musical 42nd Street celebrates this. He won the Oscar for Best Song with three different collaborating lyricists: "Lullaby of Broadway" with Al Dubin in 1935, "You'll Never Know" with Mack Gordon in 1943, and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" with Johnny Mercer in 1946.


The only musical score Warren composed specifically for Broadway was Shangri-La, a disastrous 1956 adaptation of James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Warren is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. The plaque bearing Warren's epitaph displays the first few notes of "You'll Never Know". (taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Warren)


Saturday, October 20, 2007

ALL BY MYSELF - A PLAGIARISM?



















Sergei Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composer. His work sounds very romantic for me. Vocalise, his piano concertos and preludes, I like it so much.

That day on an art community activity held in my friend's place, a senior artist from Netherland brought his CD of Carmen McRae. He played the record while we were doing our sketchs. Ooh......., I like Carmen's voice, very deep and powerful. When "All by My Self" tune was on its turn, I was freeze for a moment, thinking of the melody, and hardly remembered if I have heard that song before.



















Seeing my expression, the old Dutch man explained, the song "All by Myself" written by Eric Carmen (http://www.ericcarmen.com/eric/biography.htm) is similar to Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 - 2nd Movement (adagio sostenuto).

Is it a plagiarism? Nobody knows except Eric Carmen who is able to answer.

Despite of the issue, the lyric of All by Myself is touchy! It describes very true the reality of many people's life. A true contrast of glamorous and 'up to me' kind of life style during teens and 20 to 30's, compared to elderly period.

I attached a link to Celine Dion's version of All By Myself below.
If you are interested to know the Rachmaninoff Concerto's click on the play button of the video attached here too.





When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun
Those days are gone

Living alone
I think of all the friends I’ve known
But when I dial the telephone
Nobody’s home

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

Hard to be sure
Some times I feel so insecure
And love so distant and obscure
Remains the cure

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun
Those days are gone

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

Thursday, October 18, 2007

THE MORE I SEE YOU





















The More I See You" is a popular song.

The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1945, and featured in the film "Diamond Horseshoe".

Nina Simone recorded the song on her final album, A Single Woman in 1993.

It has also been recorded by Chris Montez (1966), Peter Allen, Michael Buble, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980) and many others.

Chris Montez (born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez, January 17, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, the last of twenty children), is a Mexican American singer.

Montez grew up in Hawthorne, California, influenced by the Latino flavored music of his community and the success of Ritchie Valens.

In 1962, he recorded the single, "Let's Dance" on Monogram Records. It went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S. and to #2 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

One would expect such an auspicious start to be followed by a number of chart-toppers, but such was hardly the case. Though Montez would tour with Clyde McPhatter, Sam Cooke, the Platters, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, there would be no more hits for Montez until four years later. This was despite a relatively new and highly popular group of Liverpudlians, who called themselves The Beatles, opening a London show for him while performing with Tommy Roe. It was once speculated that John Lennon started a fight with Montez at a London bar, when Lennon allegedly poured a beer over Montez' head.

1966 Comeback

With a desire to return to the charts, Montez returned to the recording studio in 1965, this time at A&M Records. Montez was searching for the same rock and roll formula that would replicate the success of "Let's Dance". During a recording session, A&M co-founder Herb Alpert dropped in and suggested that Montez try a different approach: a Middle of the road, soft ballad sound.

Montez had no desire to shift from rock and roll to adult standard, but trusted Alpert's instincts enough to give it a try. "Call Me" (a Tony Hatch composition) was the first single released from his 1966 A&M album, "The More I See You". The title single from the album, making its way to primarily adult-formatted radio stations, confused some non-rock and roll DJs, who were unfamiliar with Chris' past work. When back-announcing the song, the DJs would often refer to Chris as a female ( Likely because these songs were sung in a falsetto). But by the time the album was released, Montez' pictures on the front and back of the jacket cleared up any mystery surrounding his gender.

"The More I See You" album yielded three top 40 singles for Montez: The title cut, plus "Call Me" and "There Will Never Be Another You". Unfortunately, it was this album that would yield the most Top 40 hits for Montez.

Later Years

Montez would record three more albums for A&M: "Time After Time", "Foolin' Around", and "Watch What Happens". None of these albums mirrored the success of The More I See You album. The title cut album, "Time After Time", did hit the Top 40, but no other hits followed. Following the release of "Watch What Happens" in 1968, Montez left A&M Records.

In November, 1972, Montez charted a Latin hit in Brazil: "Loco por ti (Crazy about you)" became very popular in that country. Montez resurfaced in 1974 at CBS Records, with the release of a new LP, "The Best of Chris Montez", a mix of both old and new recordings, with the new ones having little to no resemblance of his past hits. This, and Chris' more mature appearance on the cover, with longer hair, a mustache, and a stylish (for the mid-1970s) patterned shirt, was proof that the album marked time.

Montez recorded one more album for CBS: Raza: Ay No Digas, which did well internationally, but failed to make an impact in the U.S. His final album, with exclusively Spanish-language material, was Cartas de Amor, released on the independent label AYM in 1983.

(taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Montez)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

TEA FOR TWO
























TEA FOR TWO, composed by Vincent Youmans
(September 27, 1898 - April 5, 1946) was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.

The song is in No No Nanette - a musical Broadway, becoming a jazz standard. The song is sung from the viewpoint of a lovestruck man, who plans the future with his new woman in mind.

Youmans was born in New York City and was a runner for a Wall Street brokerage firm. He was drafted to fight in World War I. He took an interest in the theatre when he produced troop shows for the Navy. After the war he was a Tin Pan Alley song plugger and a rehearsal pianist, and collaborated with lyricist Ira Gershwin on the score for Two Little Girls in Blue, which won wide acclaim. His next show, with lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II, was Wildflower. His most enduring success, was No, No, Nanette, with lyrics by Irving Caesar.

After Oh Please, Hit the Deck, Rainbow and Take a Chance, his career faded, in part due to heavy drinking.

Youmans was painfully aware that many of his fellow songwriters ended up impoverished, and he was determined to avoid that fate. He spent a substantial amount of his songwriting royalties on life insurance policies, intending to collect on the insurance if his songwriting talents ever failed. Eventually, when Youmans decided to retire and collect his insurance, he learned that the insurance companies would not pay off unless Youmans was physically incapable of earning a living: as long as his songs were performed or published, Youmans would not be deemed incapacitated. Consequently, in the mid-1930s, Youmans ceased to work professionally. He continued to write songs but did not submit them for performance, choosing to accumulate them as unpublished manuscripts.

In his last years, after collecting most of his insurance money, Youmans longed for the limelight again. An attempted comeback with a ballet revue in 1943 was a commercial and artistic failure.

He died of tuberculosis in Denver, Colorado. At his death, Youmans left behind a large quantity of unpublished material.

(taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Youmans)

Here is the lyrics of TEA FOR TWO, written by Irving Caesar:

He: I'm discontented with homes that are rented so I have invented my own,
She: Darling this place is a lover's oasis where lights where we chase is unknown,
He: Far from the cry of the city where flowers pretty caress the stream,
Both: Cozy to hide in, to live side by side in, don't let it abide in my dream.

He: Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two, and two for tea.
Just me for you, and you for me alone.
She: Nobody near us, to see and to hear us, no friends or relations
On weekend vacations, we won't have it known, dear, that we own a telephone, dear.
He: They will brake (?) and you'll awake, and start to bake a sugar cake
For me to take for all the boys to see.
Both: We will raise a family, a boy for you and a girl for me,
Can't you see how happy we will be.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE






















The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as Love Theme from 'The Sandpiper', is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel, the lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was introduced in the 1965 movie The Sandpiper and became a minor hit for Tony Bennett. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Well-known versions of the song were recorded by Barbra Streisand (on her 1965 album My Name Is Barbra), Shirley Bassey, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. It is also the album title from Astrud Gilberto. Connie Francis recorded the song in English, Spanish (La sombra de tú sonrisa), and in Italian (Castelli di sabbia). Lill Lindfors recorded it in Swedish as Din skugga stanna kvar. Marvin Gaye recorded several versions of the song. One can be found on "Romantically Yours", another on "Vulnerable" and a live version on "Marvin Gaye: Live at the Copa".

The Bobby Darin LP Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile was notable in that the album's first side contained all of the songs nominated for the 1965 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

In 2006 The Central Band of the Royal British Legion recorded an album with The Shadow Of Your Smile as the lead title track.

The shadow of your smile
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn

Look into my eyes, my love, and see
All the lovely things, you are, to me

Our wistful little star
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so, so did I

Now when I remember spring
And every little lovely thing
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
Your lovely smile


Thursday, October 4, 2007

COLE PORTER



I would like to confess............., many times I listened, played and sang songs without paying attention to the composers or the singers. Mostly to non-classical repertoires. In a shorter words, I did not know who the composer of the song, the singer and even badly I did not know the title of the song. BUT I know the song!

"Do you know ....... (title of the song) by.............(the composer/singer)?"
or
"Do you have the score of ......(title of the song)?"
Usually my friends ask me like that. Then I will reply, "Sing the song for me!"
If he / she can sing the song they want to perfectly....., then 90% I know which one they mean. But some of my friends have a really bad pitch (LOL!), they sang the song with their own out of tunes melody.......... !




















My turning point was when I did not know COLE PORTER. So embarrassing!
I have played his songs many times.

One day a friend of mine came visiting me and said, " Have you got a chance watching "DE LOVELY"?

I said, "No......, what is the movie all about? And where is it played?"

He laughed and start telling me the story of the movie, which immediately tackled my mind to get a copy and watch it.

DE LOVELY is a biography movie of COLE PORTER, which is done so nicely!

Before that he lent me a CD Music......., when seeing the title of the songs, I nearly stop breathing. I knew all the songs! But how come, I do not know COLE PORTER (http://www.coleporter.org/).

Ever since then, I put my attention whenever start knowing a new song, I will surf to get the information about the composer, the singer and anything related to it like what I did to my classical reportoires.

I must admit......, by knowing the background of the composer, I have a better understanding of the song and more easily fine tuning my emotion when playing it back.

Here it is, a music score SO IN LOVE, a song by Cole Porter.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

MY FOOLISH HEART
















I like this song very much. The arrangement as per the above scores beautifully describe how romantic the song is. I like best the ending part....., if you wish to play it........try to do it in ritardando and hold for seconds the last note until the echo gone. Oh..........my!

(N.Washington, V.Young)

The night is like a lovely tune, beware my foolish heart!
How white the ever constant moon, take care, my foolish heart!
There's a line between love and fascination,
That's hard to see on an evening such as this,
For they give the very same sensation.
When you are lost in the passion of a kiss.
Your lips are much too close to mine, beware my foolish heart!
But should our eager lips combine, then let the fire start.
For this time it isn't fascination, or a dream that will fade and fall apart,
It's love this time, it's love, my foolish heart!



Here I copied information related to the song from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Foolish_Heart_%28song%29
"My Foolish Heart" is an Academy Award-nominated popular song that was published in 1949.












The music was written by Victor Young and the lyrics by Ned Washington. The song was introduced by the singer Martha Mears in the 1949 film of the same name. The song failed to escape critics' general laceration of the film; Time wrote in its review that "nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the sound track."[1] Nevertheless, the song was nominated for an Oscar, losing out to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser.

The song was also a popular success, with two recordings of the song listed among the top 30 on the Billboard charts in 1950. Gordon Jenkins's recording of "My Foolish Heart" reached #22 and Billy Eckstine's version reached #28. Later recordings were made of this standard by numerous artists, including Bill Evans, Joe Williams with George Shearing, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Carmen McRae, Astrud Gilberto and Mel Tormé. More recently, "My Foolish Heart" has been covered by pianist Liz Story, guitarists John McLaughlin and John Abercrombie, Charlie Haden's Quartet West, singers Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, Jane Monheit and Ann Hampton Callaway, and a capella quartet The Idea of North.

The song also featured in "The Body in the Library," an episode of the television series Marple.


Monday, September 3, 2007

MY CHERIE AMOUR



Few weeks ago, on a Saturday Night, I spent time listening to a live music in a small cafe in Ubud. The cafe is belonged to a Japanese musician, and I think it is really intended to accommodate the Jazz fans needs in listening to a live performance. If the cafe is intended for a real business the menu only have limited selections and considered as light meals only.

When I arrived there, the Jazz Band was playing some instrumental jazz selections. It was good, I did enjoy. After about 10 minutes break, a lady singer sung several songs of pop music that was sang in a jazzy way. I lost my appetite to continue watching the show.

Nothing wrong with the lady singer's voice, she sung nicely, but I was expecting to listen of heavier jazz repertoire like what they played before the lady sung.

One of the song she sung that day is My Cherie Amour, actually one of my favorite of Stevie Wonder's works.

Steveland Morris born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1950, Wonder enters his fifth decade as one of the most prolific artists in music history, delivering 35 U.S. albums - 28 major studio releases - with album sales totaling more than 72 million units. The singer/songwriter has scored more than 30 Top Ten Hits, 11 #1 Pop singles, winning 19 Grammys (and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in '96) and a host of other awards, including, most recently, Billboard's 2004 Century Award. His contribution to worldwide social and political change is just as impressive, with Wonder championing the effort to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday, as well as becoming a driving force behind 1985's USA For Africa campaign.
(copied from Stevie's official website: http://www.steviewonder.net/)


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