Etta James: A Legendary Voice is Stilled

Sadly, after a prolonged illness, musical icon Etta James passed away this past week, just five days before her 74th birthday. Thankfully her family was by her side.

With a musical style that spanned a variety of music genres including blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz, Etta was truly a singer’s singer.

She began her singing career in the mid-Fifties and before the decade ended she scored several R&B hits including the rollicking Dance With Me Henry. 

Though an incredibly gifted vocalist, Ella was a troubled soul who suffered through some very hard times due to her years of drug abuse. Fortunately, in the 1980s the singer recovered her health and was able to begin a significant and well-deserved comeback. 

Etta spent the last decade and a half of her life being thought of as a jazz queen, a soul diva and of course as the Matriarch of the Blues. Her return to the spotlight introduced a whole new audience to her earlier music, including her legendary Chess Records recordings.

Her Blue Gardenia CD was inspired by her life-long idol, Billie Holiday. The disc includes her wonderfully soulful recording of Jimmy McHugh’s Don’t Blame Me.

We send our sympathy and kindest thoughts to her family.

http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=38750&ac=now

STEVIE WONDER AND THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

In 1963, less than two years after taking America by storm with his first number one record, Fingertips Part Two, 15 year-old Stevie Wonder took time out to record an  album of standards. 
It was his third LP on the Tamla (Motown) label and the first to drop Stevie's nickname, 'Little' Stevie Wonder'.

Whenever (and however) possible, Motown Records chief Berry Gordy would strive to reach the widest demographic appeal for the label's artist stable.

Consequently Gordy urged Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and other Motown stars to record music from the Great American Songbook.
Although the time was not right for Stevie's album to capture the mature adult audience Berry Gordy sought, it nonetheless is a undiscovered gem that definitely warrants attention. 
Veteran jazz man Ernie Wilkins did a brilliant job of arranging and conducting the album which is highlighted by Jimmy McHugh's On The Sunny Side Of The Street.

SONY'S MASTERWORKS BROADWAY RELEASES RECORDINGS OF SONGS FROM THE HISTORIC JIMMY MCHUGH & DOROTHY FIELDS MUSICAL 'BLACKBIRDS OF 1928'

Masterworks Broadway, a subsidiary label of Sony Masterworks, is re-releasing classic recordings of songs from 'Blackbirds of 1928' the pioneering, all-black musical written by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields.


These are the only recordings of songs from this landmark score, presented as they were originally performed. Taken directly from the original masters, they have never before been available digitally.

Adelaide Hall

Originally recorded in 1953, the recording features the legendary Cab Calloway and Thelma Carpenter performing I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, Diga-Diga-Doo and other McHugh/Fields classics. 


The show, which was the first Broadway success for composer Jimmy McHugh and lyricist Dorothy Fields, became the longest running all-black show on the New York stage.
Directed by producer Lew Leslie, it starred Adelaide Hall, Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson and Mantan Moreland.





Set for release November 15, 2011 , Blackbirds of 1928 will be available as a digital download and disc-on-demand with the original cover art and new liner notes at Arkivmusic.com and Amazon.com.

Tony Bennett: Forever On The Sunny Side Of The Street

At age 85, Tony Bennett is now the most senior artist ever to top Billboard’s Pop album chart.

His new release, Duets II, debuted in the #1 slot it’s first week in release. As hard to believe as it is, it’s Tony’s first Number One album! 

Duets II teams Tony with the late Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin and Willie Nelson along with several other top tier artists.

It goes without saying (but we will anyway) that On The Sunny Side Of The Street as performed by Messrs Bennett and Nelson is one for the books, but then again, so is the entire album. 

Here’s a link to Willie’s earlier solo recording of On The Sunny Side Of The Street. 

http://youtu.be/OcQJ4T9HNfU

A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening

Jimmy McHugh & Bobby Darin

One summer night in 1959, at The Hollywood Bowl, Bobby Darin headlined a salute to the music of Jimmy McHugh. It was called I Feel a Song Coming On.

The 21-year old wunderkind had just exploded onto the national scene, winning Record of the Year for his breakthrough hit, Mack The Knife, at the first ever Grammy Awards Ceremony.

Bobby sang I Feel A Song Comin' On, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer, I Won't Dance, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night and Let's Get Lost.

Conductor Buddy Bregman led the mammoth 105 piece orchestra, which included a 55 member string section!

Rounding out the salute to Jimmy’s music was Vic Damone and the gorgeous Italian actress and singer Anna Maria Alberghetti. Among the McHugh songs they performed was Can't Get Out Of This Mood, When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues and When My Sugar Walks Down The Street.

The show ended with Jimmy Bobby, Vic and Anna Marie singing A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening.

Indeed it was.

Click to hear:

Bobby Darin/I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby