Saw your nice comment on Dear Bix in Hoagy review - thanks for thinking of me . I
got my guitar out and ran through it as I've not sung it for ages but I could
pretty much remember the words. Must revive it as you suggest. Like you, I think
its a lovely, very moving song. I first come across it on a great album
'Getting some fun out of life' by Dave Frishberg. And dear Richie Kamuca
sings it on another album I have.
It's an interesting topic - the question of songs with moving
lyrics plus nice melody. I think the best examples that we love are some of the
nicest forms of music in existence. Not just Gasbook - there's Schubert (I
think he maybe thought this too) and just last night on TV we listened to
the Everly Brothers concert at the Albert Hall back in 1983 when they got back
together. Phil recently passed away. I found it extremely moving to
say the least and some of their songs are absolute gems.
I Googled some of the Everly songs just out of curiosity and
came across the song writing team of Felice & Boudleaux Bryant. They wrote
some really beautiful songs - so simple but sometimes attaining simple beauty
is quite an elusive thing. Perhaps more so in jazz with the tendency to
technical prowess and virtuosity.
I recently got a June Tabor album, do you know of her?
She's a folkie but works with jazz musicians. Particularly a great pianist Huw
Warren. Well - on this album she sings I'll
be Seeing You and it's exquisite. That's a moving song too if handled right.
And another song The Writing of Tipperary
tells the story of It’s a Long Way to
Tipperary then ends up with it of course. It was written for a wager. Then
all the soldiers started singing it and you know the rest. Also on YouTube
check out her singing Lilli Marlene.
She is very intense. If she gets to Sage Gateshead again I might go to hear her. I think
she's great.
Roly.
2 comments :
Listening to Richie's version of Dear Bix I note Dave Frishberg is on piano so is it deffo Richie doing the vocal?
Also on the same disc is a wonderful Johnny Mercer tune - Harlem Butterfly. Susannah McCorkle did a great version of this in a tribute to JM - The Quality of Mercer.
Yes I think that's Richie singing. He also sang Tis Autumn on his final album. I agree about Harlem Butterfly - a Mercer gem. Rebecca Kilgore sang it beautifully on the Maxine Sullivan tribute CD with Bobby Gordon we mentioned recently (its so good they put two takes on the CD). I think it was a song Maxine Sullivan liked to sing.
Roly
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