Sunday Jazz – Mose Allison

 

My mind may be on vacation but my body ain’t!

Sunday Jazz – Madeleine Peyroux

 

The great Madeleine Peyroux has a new album in the shops now.

“Standing On The Rooftop” is weighted more towards her continually developing songwriting skills yet still has three of her typically inspirational cover versions.

Perhaps the most startling is her take on Robert Johnson’s “Love In Vain”, previously turned into a typical Stones R&B cover, however, Madeleine strips it back down to sound like it should totally tortured!

 

 

To buy the music of Madeleine Peyroux click HERE

Anniversary Day

Blues Monday – Julie London

Despite nearly featuring in my “Sunday Jazz” series Julie London wasn’t really a jazz singer, but she possessed a definite jazz feeling and many of her finest albums (such as Julie Is Her Name and Julie…At Home) feature small-group jazz backings.

In a similar vibe her “About The Blues” wasn’t really aimed at the true “blues” market but was aimed at the 1950s pop market, but it may just be her best orchestral session. Since downbeat torch songs were London’s specialty, the album features an excellent selection of nocturnal but classy blues songs that play to her subtle strengths instead of against them. So as she sings below she had the view that “I Gotta A Right To Sing The Blues”

Julie usually included a couple of new songs in with a selection of standards, and her husband, Bobby Troup, wrote two excellent numbers for the album. One of them, the emotionally devastating “Meaning of the Blues,” is the album’s highlight, and was turned into a jazz standard after Miles Davis recorded it the same year for Miles Ahead.

To buy the music of Julie London click HERE

Sunday Jazz – Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba

I am sure I have posted on this album before, however, given it is a real favourite of mine it’s always worth another listen.

Combining Forcione’s undisputed talent with the outstanding ability of  Sabina, this recording is breathtaking in sound (as you would expect from a quality label like Naim which is up there with Linn) and performance quality.

Antonio teamed up with Sabina to produce a stunning album of jazz standards, beautiful original compositions  and rearranged pop classics.

Sabina Sciubba is an international award-winning singer who has  mesmerised audiences all over Europe with her unparalleled brilliance.  Together with Antonio, these two artistic soul mates cast a musical  spell whilst they create a stunning natural work, including a reworking of Lucio Dalla’s homage to the great opera tenor “Caruso”.

Their first and only album together is a rare sonic gem. A musical sensation which envelopes the listener with a rare genius as can be heard in this their take on Stevie Wonder’s “Visions”

Despite its modest presentation, ‘Meet Me In London’ is Naim’s best selling recording to date.

To buy the music of Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba click HERE

Sunday Jazz – The Nat King Cole Trio

Almost a perfect Sunday Album.

The smoky, smooth pop vocals of Nat King Cole make us tend to forget that, at heart, he was essentially a jazz performer. His piano proficiency, vocal phrasing, and utter coolness all hark back to his jazz roots which are ideally demonstrated on this album.

Listening to him as pianist and not just as a vocalist, it is easy to understand why Diana Krall rates him as her primary influence, to the extent of recording a whole album in tribute to him and his Trio.

Nobody could sing “Sweet Lorraine” like Nat and he recorded it several times, the first with his Trio in December of 1943.  After Nat evolved into more of a “singer” than a “piano player” in the 1950′s, his jazz audience clamored for more of the “old Nat”, and he obliged with the series of recordings which make up the “After Midnight” album.

During August and September of 1956, Nat invited some guest musicians in with him to re-record some of the old Nat King Cole Trio hits from the 40′s like “Sweet Lorraine”.  In this instance, the great Count Basie sideman, Harry “Sweets” Edison took the honors on his trumpet.

Included was this version of Bobby Troup’s “Route 66″ unusual in the way that Nat sings “six six” and not the original “sixty six”

“Route 66″ – Nat King Cole and his Trio

 

 

to buy the music of Nat King Cole click HERE

Sunday Jazz – Billie Holiday with Don’t Explain

“Don’t Explain” is a song written by jazz singer Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr, it is said that she wrote the song after her husband, Jimmy Monroe, came home one night with lipstick traces on his collar.

“Don’t Explain” – Billie Holiday

Hush now, don’t explain
Just say you’ll remain
Unless you’re mad, don’t explain

My love, don’t explain
What is there to gain
Skip that lipstick
Don’t explain

You know that I love you
And what loving does
All my thoughts are real
For I’m so completely yours

Try to hear folks chatter
And I know you cheat
Right or wrong, don’t matter
When you’re with me, sweet

Hush now, don’t explain
You’re my love and pain
My life’s your love
Don’t explain

 

To buy the music of Billie Holiday click HERE

Sunday Jazz – Stormy Weather

The weather during the past week has seen the greatest degree of wind I have seen since I last scoffed an Ashoka vindaloo, therefore it gives the ideal chance to post the great Sinatra’s version of  ”Stormy Weather” one of many great songs written by  Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler.

Ethel Waters first sang it at The Cotton Club night club in Harlem. It has since been covered by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Clodagh Rodgers, and Reigning Sound. Leo Reisman‘s orchestra had the biggest hit on records (with Arlen himself as vocalist), although Ethel Waters recorded version also performed well.

The song tells of disappointment, as the lyrics, “Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky” show someone pining for her man to return. The weather is a metaphor for the feelings of the singer; “stormy weather since my man and I ain’t together, keeps raining all the time.”

The original handwritten lyrics, along with a painting by Ted Koehler, were featured on the (US) Antiques Roadshow on 24 January 2011, where they were appraised for between $50,000 and $100,000. The lyrics show a number of crossings out and corrections.

Ethel Waters‘ recording of the song in 1933 was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Library of Congress honored the song by adding it to the National Recording Registry in 2004.

 

“Stormy Weather” – Frank Sinatra

Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain’t together, keeps raining all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather
Just can’t get my poor old self together
I’m weary all the time, the time
So weary all the time

When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
If she stays away, that old rocking chair’s gonna get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can’t go on, everything I have is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

Can’t go on, everything I have is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time

 

To buy the music of Frank Sinatra click HERE

 

New News – Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is set to release a covers albums in early 2012.

The Beatles man recorded the album in Los Angeles and has said it is comprised of covers from the “pre rock” era.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the release, he said: “It’s my dad’s style of music. I’ve wanted
to do that kind of thing forever, since The Beatles days. But then Rod went mad on it. I thought, ‘I have to wait so it doesn’t look like I’m trying to do a Rod.’”

The album, which does not yet have a title, will feature a number of songs with jazz singer Diana Krall and McCartney has said each song is one “He admires” and that the album is “Get-home-from-work music.”

He said: “They’re just songs I admire. I’m trying to steer away from the obvious
ones. It’s get-home-from-work music. You put it on and get a glass of wine.”

McCartney has also said he is planning to record a “heavy rock album” after being inspired by the new Foo Fighters album ‘Wasting Light’. He added: “It sounds quite wacky, but it keeps it fresh. I love that, you get a crazy idea and go with it. You never know, I may run into a garage to make this other album.”

Source www.uncut.co.uk

In the meantime remasters of his first two solo albums will be along soon.

Sunday Jazz – Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan turns 70 on Tuesday 24th May so here in the first of three posts to mark the ocassion is a couple of jazz covers.

For more information and previous posts on Madeliene Peyroux click HERE and HERE

For more information and previous posts on Barb Jungr click HERE and HERE