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Bebop Spoken There

Curtis Stigers: “I’m a jazz singer. I’m not a saxophonist. When I stand in front of a band like the Danish Radio Big Band or Ronnie Scott’s, I usually tend to leave the instrument on the stand.” – (The Northern Echo 20 July 2017)

Tamsin Austin, Director of Performance Programme, Sage Gateshead: “SummerTyne is our largest festival and we absolutely love it!” – (The Northern Echo 20 July 2017)

Today Saturday July 22

Afternoon
SummerTyne Americana Festival 2017 - Sage Gateshead. Day two of three. Details. From 12 noon all day.
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Evening
Steve Glendinning (solo guitar) - Cherry Tree, 9 Osborne Rd., Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2AE. 7:30pm. No cover charge.
The Hookahs - Billy Bootleggers, Nelson St., Newcastle NE1 5AN. 9pm. Free.
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Big Chris Barber Band - Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50/£20.50.
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To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Thursday, July 07, 2016

Book Preview - Go Slow: The Life of Julie London.

For those who, myself included, have, at times, been scathing about the song Cry me a River and it's seemingly obligatory - along with Summertime - part of the wannabees repertoire, may like to read this essay by Michael Owen. It's a prequel to his soon to be published book - Go Slow: The Life of Julie London.
Cry me a River was such a tremendous, albeit low-key, influence on just about everyone who heard it and bought the record. It invaded Hollywood in the Jayne Mansfield film The Girl Can't Help it. Did Ms. Mansfield ever imagine that a smoky-voiced, unseen, unknown, artist, would eclipse her more obvious physical charms? I left the cinema that night in Newcastle - was it the Odeon or the Essoldo? I can't remember. All I can remember was this haunting song, sung by a singer who made me want to cry a river myself because there was an ocean dividing us!
The years rolled by and I cried a few personal rivers, thankfully not vocally, until, suddenly, Cry me a River became the number that every singer sang. It may have begun with Mari Wilson - her of the beehive hairstyle. Wilson's version was ok but not quite Julie.
Every girl still sings it, maybe it's a rite of passage...
Ella recorded Cry me a River but, even the 'First Lady'  couldn't trump Julie! 
Thanks to Maurice  Summerfield for bringing this to my attention and providing the author with info re Barney Kessel.
Lance.
at

4 comments :

  1. I'll def have to get this one ...... and I might even fry me a liver to eat while I start reading it!

    ReplyDelete

  2. yes me too, but hold the liver!

    ReplyDelete

  3. According to my quack, my liver's already fried - suggested I ate some onions....

    ReplyDelete

  4. Jack Webb had himself a cutie!!!

    ReplyDelete

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Bebop Spoken Here -- Here, being the north-east of England -- centred in the blues heartland of Newcastle and reaching down to the Tees Delta and looking upwards to the Land of the Kilt.
Not a very original title, I know; not even an accurate one as my taste, whilst centred around the music of Bird and Diz, extends in many directions and I listen to everything from King Oliver to Chick Corea and beyond. Not forgetting the Great American Songbook the contents of which has provided the inspiration for much great jazz and quality popular singing for round about a century.
The idea of this blog is for you to share your thoughts and pass on your comments on discs, gigs, jazz - music in general. If you've been to a gig/concert or heard a CD that knocked you sideways please share your views with us. Tell us about your favourites, your memories, your dislikes.
Lance (Who wishes it to be known that he is not responsible for postings other than his own and that he's not always responsible for them.)
Contact: lanceliddle@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you.

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