What I'm Humming: Guys and Dolls

Here's what I've been humming for about a week. Mom hadn't seen this before and so we watched it and have been singing bits of different songs to each other ever since.

Not too classy, but what're you gonna do? Here's the one that keeps coming back ... I love the guy with the poodle.

Look, what's playing at the Roxy?

I'll tell you what's playing at the Roxy.

It's a picture about a Minnesota man so in love with a Mississippi girl that he sacrifices everything and moves all the way to Biloxi.

That's what's playing at the Roxy.

Nina Simone: Sinnerman

Rose sent me this link to the full-length version of Sinnerman, sung by the incomparable Nina Simone. Video isn't necessary since it doesn't show her singing ... it is audio with some still images of her.

Just let it run in the background and listen.

I love it.

There's Something About Toast

I love toast.

And never more than here.

Though it is probably not hot anymore. And nothing is worse than cold toast.

EXCEPT here.



And there's also something about OK Go. I love them too. Possibly as much as toast.

A Little Bit of Michel Gondry

Tom and I chose Be Kind, Rewind for the monthly movie night that we share with another couple. This prompted Rose to begin talking about the many excellences of director Michel Gondry. (The first of these is that every film student loves him ... and that is a feat in itself.)

All it took was for me to hear that he prefers to work "in camera" (shunning CGI whenever possible) and I became much more interested in his work (and approving ... yes, I have a prejudice that way).

Although admittedly erratic in movie excellence, I never realized that he began as a music video director.

And in watching samples on YouTube, I fell in love with this one. Keep in mind it was done all as stop motion, requiring a tremendous effort on everyone's part, not to mention many, many drum sets.

Christmas Shopping Idea: Is That Angels I Hear Singing?

Voices: Chant from Avignon

The Nuns of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation, from a remote region of France near Avignon, won a worldwide search to find the world's finest female singers of Gregorian Chant. The search took in over 70 convents, including communities as far afield as North America and Africa.

The Nuns are part of an ancient order which dates back to the 6th Century. They continue the tradition of leading a hidden life, literally behind closed doors. To remain `secluded' to the outside world, any visitors, even family, must communicate with the sisters through a grill. Once vows have been taken to live in the Convent, the sisters remain there until their death.

The Nuns' album will feature the most ancient form of Gregorian Chant, which the sisters sing eight times a day, and was the first music ever to be written down.

That description is from the cd.

It is lovely that the nuns live such a dedicated life serving God in prayer and contemplation. We certainly can use it and they are wonderful examples as well.

However, what I really enjoy right now is having their CD playing in the evenings. It is like liquid gold, bathing the listeners in smooth, soaring song. It doesn't matter that I don't understand a word of it. The music is enough. It makes me pause from my occupation, stop and think, and sometimes ... pray.

If you are at all interested, I encourage you to listen to samples from Amazon (link above). It is something out of the ordinary.

A Song About Maccabees ... by the Maccabeats. Yes, You Heard That Right.

Can I just say this isn't a lame church song either?

Seriously.

It's about one (make that two) of my favorite books of the Old Testament. (Like the Wild West but with the Maccabee brothers and Hebrew people instead of cowboys.)

I dare you to only watch it once.

Double dog dare you.



See?

Can't be done. Go ahead. Watch it again.

(Thanks to Rose for this one. She knows her Mama well!)

Atheists Don't Have No Songs -- Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers

Much thanks to Mike Aquilina for pointing out this good natured and clever song. I laughed out loud but, then, Steve Martin usually has that effect on me.

My Kind of Broadway ... Swingin' Hard!

I never heard of Woody Herman (which probably shows great ignorance). I sure am glad that Kelly's Lounge Soundz did though.

This album takes a lot of Broadway tunes that I am not even that fond of and swings 'em out the window and back in again. Seriously, who cares if the original tune floats your boat? When these guys are done each song is an original arrangement that has you snapping your fingers, tapping your feet, and thrilling to the originality.

This is going to be a regular on my iPod and played a lot at our weekend cocktail hours.

Go to Kelly's Lounge Soundz to get the link for the free download. Yep. Free. And worth twice that!

Music to Delight the Heart - The Lateral Cut

IT HAS ALWAYS been Dr. Boli’s delight to encourage worthy artistic endeavors, and most especially in the field of music, for which he admits a particular fondness. When a friend of his offered to share some recordings from quite a long time ago, Dr. Boli at once saw the opportunity to give encouragement to old friends like Mr. Victor Herbert, as well as some of these promising young people with their delightful “jazz” music, which so perfectly expresses the spirit of this mechanical age.

Thus today we launch the latest entry in Dr. Boli’s publishing empire, The Lateral Cut, named of course for the process by which sound is etched in a disc for permanent preservation. Beginning with a very modest collection, this new site will gradually build up a library of music rescued from the undeserved oblivion of the decades, much of it recorded by a purely mechanical process whose ingenuity still astonishes Dr. Boli even all these years after his friend Mr. Edison first demonstrated it to him. Think of it as your virtual gramophone on the World-Wide Web.

I was very interested to see Dr. Boli's announcement that his publishing empire is expanding to include music. Knowing the whimsical nature of Dr. Boli's Celebrated Magazine, I approached The Lateral Cut with curiosity. To my delight I saw that this is a genuine blog about lost music with something about the artists and a link where one can download the music itself. It is an eclectic collection thus far which just makes it more interesting. About the collection, The Lateral Cut blog begins ...

Language speaks to the mind, but music speaks straight to the soul. Yet music, like other arts, is subject to the arbitrary tyrannies of fashion. Much that is thrilling and beautiful has been utterly forgotten. But it lives on in these recordings, which sit neglected in flea markets and junk shops until someone comes along and says, “I’ll give you five dollars for that whole box.”

Check it out.

I Wanna Be A Zimmer When I Grow Up

Reposted here from the archives for Mom and, of course, anyone else who wants to watch. (Note: I see they've disabled embedding, but just click through on their link to watch.)

Meet "The Zimmers" - a rock band of 40 OAP’s with more aggression than Nirvana and more style than The Who.

I always have told Hannah and Rose that when I'm in an old folks home they'll play Rolling Stones instead of Muzak. Looks like they're already there. (Warning for the faint-of-heart ... some true rock and roll band behavior is exhibited in this video.)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head

Be sure to watch for the guitar solo about halfway through. Why haven't we heard of her before? From Tom, who has a bit more info if you're interested.

Red Beans and Ricely Yours*

Louis-Armstrong.com

The New Orleans Jazz Festival is going on right now and that works out thematically with music and conversation in our household over the last couple of weeks. Rose's innovative English teacher (the one that had the movie assignment about Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Underdogs) wanted them to examine how one thing leads to another. They have been examining that in literature and he wanted them to look at it through music.

There was a list of artists to choose from whether by genre or decade. Each student had to choose one to write a paper about and also work with a group to put together a presentation featuring six artists. Five had to be from the provided list and one could be added by the group. Rose absolutely loves jazz and chose Louis Armstrong for her paper. They wound up discussing Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Glenn Miller (the addition because there was no "big band/swing" artist which was the commercial element of the genre). Admittedly Sinatra and Davis aren't really jazz but the list was deficient in that area (at least from our point of view, but then when are we ever happy with a list?).

So we have been getting a lot about Louis Armstrong's life. I already loved him but now also respect him immensely. As for Sinatra, I had a somewhat tarnished view of his life so it was nice to hear of his devotion to his children, immense charity (he gave away around a million dollars in his life ... when asked why, he said something like, "I keep throwing it out there and God keeps giving it back..."), and so on.

Rose's love of jazz began years ago when she heard the Smithsonian set, The Jazz Singers 1919-1994, that I got for Tom one year. The older and scratchier ... the more authentic ... the more she loved it. She had plenty to draw on for her report and we heard plenty of jazz around the house all week.

Consequently, I can't get Jazzola out of my head; a very early song that is a favorite of ours ... and very catchy too...

Come, jazzers, gather 'round,Photo of Jim Europe
Jazz lovers from every town,
I've got something that I'd like to introduce you to,
It's new!
It's got a funny name
That's sure to win its fame;
With your kind attention
I will mention
Its many charms to you:

They call it "Jazzola!"
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How good you'll feel!
My old granddad heard the news,
Dropped his cane for dancing shoes!
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

Just take your sweetie sweetPhoto of Noble Sissle
Out for a jazzy treat,
And she'll love you like she never did before;
What's more,
No need of fine wine,
You'll have a much better time,
Get those jazz musicians,
Choice positions
To play it o'er and o'er!

Just ask for "Jazzola!"
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How grand you'll feel!
Old men who are out of step
Find Jazzola gives them pep;
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

Jazzola!
Nobody knows its origination,
Jazzola!
It's just a dance full of syncopation,
And if you crave a new sensation,
Come with me,
You will see,
Strange sights from the land of harmony!
Old folks and young folks cry for Jazzola!
It's like a tonic, take it with each meal;
How good you'll feel!
Old men who are out of step
Find Jazzola gives them pep;
The whole world's going crazy 'bout Jazzola!

J-A-Z-Z-O-L-A, Jazzola!

New Orleans Jazz - Art Knowledge News

* How Louis Armstrong signed letters.