Great American Songbook Saturday – St. Louis Blues

112 years ago yesterday (9-11-1914) WC Handy published a song that would become a pop and jazz standard - St. Louis Blues. It was one of the first blues songs to "succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire." Handy said he had been inspired by a chance meeting with … Continue reading Great American Songbook Saturday – St. Louis Blues →

Great American Songbook Saturday – Stardust

Today, I want to feature the amazing Hoagy Carmichael song, Stardust. I'm positive that the first time I heard this song was in the late 70's when my grandpa used to play Willie Nelson's Stardust album on cassette. When they first got their trailer/cottage up north, they didn't have a TV right away, so we … Continue reading Great American Songbook Saturday – Stardust →

Song Lyric Sunday

It is Sunday once again and it is time once again for Song Lyric Sunday, hosted by Jim Adams. This week's challenge is to feature a song included in the “Great American Songbook.” The topic was suggested by my friend Nancy of the Elephant’s Trunk aka The Sicilian Storyteller. For someone like me, who loves … Continue reading Song Lyric Sunday →

Friday Photo Flashback

I found a picture from about 7 or 8 years ago that I thought I would share today. It includes a masterpiece, and it is probably the closest I will ever get to the real thing. Let me explain. About 5 or 10 miles away from where I work is the Cranbrook Institute of Science … Continue reading Friday Photo Flashback →

Put on a Smiley Face!

Today is National Smile Day! With the current state of the world, a smile goes a long way! So here are some great smile quotes and a few smile songs. "You shouldn’t never regret something that made you smile." —Bei Maejor "Just for today, smile a little more." —James A. Murphy “Nothing you wear is … Continue reading Put on a Smiley Face! →

El That Jazz

The month is almost over, but did you know that it is National Jazz Appreciation Month? According to the National Day Calendar, "Throughout the month of April we celebrate the heritage and history of jazz. As a truly American art form, jazz's soulful and rich culture dates back to the 1890s." It goes on to … Continue reading El That Jazz →

Tune Tuesday – Red Sails in the Sunset

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday to Nat King Cole! Nat King Cole recorded somewhere in between 1,400 to more than 2,000 songs during his 28-year career. He was an incredibly prolific artist for Capitol Records, scoring 150 hits on the Billboard charts and leaving behind a massive legacy that includes jazz recordings, pop vocals, and, in … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Red Sails in the Sunset →

Tune Tuesday – Call Me Irresponsible

Happy 50th birthday to Michael Buble'! Michael is often referred to as a crooner. This is because he helped to renew public interest and appreciation for the Great American Songbook and those traditional pop standards. He readily admits that he is a "great cover artist." His albums feature him covering the likes of Frank Sinatra, … Continue reading Tune Tuesday – Call Me Irresponsible →

Dancing Queen

My apologies for the late post today. Normally I post earlier, but the past few days we were a bit busy. This weekend my daughter had her dance recital. The recital features groups of all ages and is really fun to watch. Dress rehearsal This recital was divided into three "themes." The first was about … Continue reading Dancing Queen →

The Music of My Life – 2009

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released … Continue reading The Music of My Life – 2009 →