This hauntingly beautiful song had French origins, but was adapted to English by American Johnny Mercer. Uploaded by mukurahat.us.

We would share this wonderful classic with Great French Things, were there such a thing, because its melody was written by a French songwriter, Joseph Kosma. American Johnny Mercer gave it English lyrics in 1947.

Johnny Mercer. Uploaded by broadwayworld.com.

Johnny Mercer founded and co-owned Capitol Records. Jo Stafford was under contract to Capitol Records. Therefore, Jo Stafford was the first to record Kosma and Mercer’s beautiful song.

Even though such popular artists as Bing Crosby and Artie Shaw did their own versions, “Autumn Leaves” didn’t really catch on for almost a decade. Then pianist Roger Williams took it to number one – the only piano instrumental ever to reach the top of the charts. From then on it became a jazz standard, brought to life by Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Cannonball Adderley.

Most of the jazz versions are, understandably, instrumentals. Until recently, the essential vocal version was performed by Nat King Cole for a movie called – surprise! – Autumn Leaves. But once you’ve heard Eva Cassidy’s unbelievable version, you’ll realize that she now owns this song. OWNS it.

“Les feuilles mortes” (literally “The Dead Leaves”)

Dit nummer (Autumn Leaves) en deze zangeres, Eva Cassidy, bezorgen me kippevel… elke keer, bij elke noot.

Een herfstsnoepje op de brug naar de winter.

I’m a fan of figure skating, but old school.  Meaning: I didn’t really follow the Olympics in Torino and don’t have a clue who plans to compete in Vancouver, but I was obsessed with the Battle of both the Carmens and the Brians in Calgary in 1988 and went just about over the moon when the IOC changed the rules and I got two winter Olympics in two years:  1992 and 1994.  There was Kristi and eventually Nancy.  And perhaps my favorite of all, Michelle.   But before any of these women, there was Katarina.  I started thinking about her last week with all the talk of the end of the Cold War, the wall coming down, and reunification.

Katarina Witt is a figure skater who represented East Germany throughout most of her skating career.  She stole my heart in 1988 when she went head to head with Debi Thomas in the ladies figure skating championship in Calgary.  She won with this performance, which still gives me goose bumps.  But it’s another performance that still has the ability to make me cry. Witt is only one of two women who ever successfully defended her Olympic title (1984 and 1988; the other is Sonja Henie).  She did not compete in the 1992 games, but due to a change in the rules professional skaters were allowed to compete in 1994.  Without any realistic expectations of winning a medal, she instead created a routine that she dedicated to the people of Sarajevo.  She won her first gold medal at the winter Olympic games in Sarajevo in 1984, so when she returned to the 1994 games in Lillehammer she skated her long program as a tribute to the people of Sarajevo, who were in the midst of a raging war following the collapse of the Yugoslav federation.   She skated to a version of Pete Seeger’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone.  While this isn’t the Olympic performance, it’s the same program and better quality:

In 1994 I also got to know Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, an ice dancing pair who also won their first gold medal at the 1984 winter games in Sarajevo.  Their long program, which they skated to Ravel’s Bolero, stunned audiences and judges alike — they were the first skaters ever to receive the perfect score of 6.0 from every single judge in the artistic impression category.   Due to the same change in rules that brought Katarina Witt to Lillehammer, Torvill and Dean also came back in 1994.  They were robbed of the gold that year (imho), but here’s the routine from ‘84 that, for many, revolutionized the sport of ice dancing.

And then came Michelle.  I barely know where to begin.  (My friend Michelle might encourage me to start by telling you about the belt that I once purchased because it was the same beautiful ice blue color of the dress that Michelle Kwan wore during her long program at the Nagano Olympics when she, too, was robbed of the gold medal … but I might be too embarrassed to mention it.)  I love Michelle Kwan.  I was devastated when thatbitchtaralipinski was awarded the gold medal in 1998.  I’m sure Michelle has reconciled herself to that travesty in Olympic history, but I haven’t!  Anyway, onward to Salk Lake City in 2002, which we all thought was Michelle’s year.  Turns out it was, though not quite like any of us imagined.

Due to all sorts of fishy ice skating rules and things, not to mention a few mistakes during her performance (details details), she won the bronze medal.  However, it was during the post-competition Olympic gala that I saw her Fields of Gold program for the first time.  Seriously, waterworks.  What a triumph it was to watch her, in a season during which everyone favored her for the gold, put her best foot forward and skate so beautifully to a song with such an ironic title. (As a side note, Kwan’s routine helped pluck the singer Eva Cassidy from relative obscurity and, though posthumously, her album Songbird went on to receive gold certification; Cassidy’s parents went to see Kwan perform this routine in Baltimore and presented her with a copy of the gold record.)   It seems quaint now, but I recorded the performance using my trusty VCR and would watch it every now and then until one day, gasp, I accidentally recorded an episode of ER on top of it.  Thus, I must take this opportunity to thank you, Internet, for giving me my Michelle back.

Finally, who in the world knew that the name “Figure Skating” actually came from the compulsory figures (or school figures) that played a significant role in the overall scores during competitions?  Didja?!  Clearly I never thought this through (and I call myself a fan) but, wow, what a discovery.  While doing some reading for this post I found multiple references to people receiving marks for “compulsory figures,” which under the former skating rules was a score that awarded points for carving specific figures into the ice that were then scrutinized by judges to make sure they were uniform in size, didn’t wobble or have flat edges, etc.  Compulsory figures actually gave the sport its name!  And they were the sport for a long time, counting for more than half an athlete’s total score.  Eventually the short program was added and compulsories counted for less of the total, but were still combined with the short and long programs to determine the winner of a particular competition. Their weight in competition changed over time, and they were eventually eliminated altogether in 1990.  Seriously, I may be the last person to figure this out (heh), but blow me down.  Things make much more sense now.

L’artista di cui si si può ascoltare la voce  si chiamava Eva Cassidy. Questa ragazza è stata una delle più grandi cantanti della sua generazione; ci se ne è resi conto dopo la sua prematura morte (causata da un melanoma), avvenuta nel 1996 all’età  di appena trentatre anni. Da quel momento la sua celebrità  ha iniziato a varcare i confini dell’area di Washington e a diffondersi in tutto il mondo. Non poteva essere altrimenti: la voce di Eva è limpida come l’acqua di sorgente e allo stesso tempo calda come un raggio di sole.
La canzone si intitola “People get ready”; venne lanciata negli anni ‘60 dal gruppo “The impressions”.

Debo reconocer que en el tema de la música soy bastante machista, no se si por costumbre o cultura rock soy mas de escuchar hombres que mujeres. Pero cuando las chicas entran en mi vida lo hacen con mucha fuerza y no las puedo abandonar.

Aquí mi top five de mujeres cantantes que me roban el corazón. Aclaro que no están puestas en orden de prioridad, cada una de ellas es importante en mi vida por igual. Enjoy.

Carole King

Poca gente sabe lo importante que es esta niña en la historia de la música de los últimos 40 años, su voz y su palabra pueden conmigo.

Nina Simone

La conozco de siempre pero realmente llegue hace muy poco a entender realmente su dimensión, es enorme, me hace llorar y emocionarme profundamente cada vez que la escucho, si no probaron sus mieles aún se las recomiendo, avisando que el enganche es para siempre.

Aimee Mann

La conocí allá en los ‘80 con su primer grupo y volvió a mi vida gracias al soundtrack de la película “Magnolia”, todo en esta artista es bello, y sus canciones son un lugar seguro donde siempre quiero estar.

Janis Joplin

En serio tengo que explicar porque me gusta?

Eva Cassidy

Cuando la descubrí no pude soportar que ya había muerto, es la voz mas dulce que escuche en mi vida, absolutamente irresistible.

Demás esta decir que estas canciones me remiten a mujeres…Pero esa es otra historia.

Let me use this time to interject my musical tastes on you. I have quite a range of interests, a lot of it sickeningly mainstream. I will always have a fondness in my heart of eighties music… call it nostalgia if you will. But I also love a good bit of metal, electronica, r & b, classic rock, rap, “alternative,” motown, classical, and sweet packaged pop. However, I am not here to bore you with choices you already know. Here are some artists you may not have been introduced to yet. If you have, then cheer them on with me!

Young Dubliners

Oh my sweet Celtic rock band. Back in my days living in Los Angeles, I went to many a concert of theirs. A good album to start with is Breathe. But to get the best feel for them, listen to Rocky Road to Dublin. Better yet, go see them live! I guarantee a good time.

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Get ready to be amazed with this flamenco-style guitar duo from Mexico. Try their 11:11 album. My faves are Buster Voodoo and Diablo Rojo. I dare you to sit still.

Eva Cassidy

What a beautiful voice Eva has! She did mostly covers, but have a listen and you can appreciate her talent. You may have heard her version of Fields of Gold when Michelle Kwan skated at the Olympics. Unfortunately, we lost Eva when she was only 33 years old. All of her albums have been released posthumously. The best collection of hers is Songbird, including the song of the same namesake, but really every song you can find of hers is great. I also love her versions of  Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Time After Time. Sorry for all the links. She really is that good.

Cowboy Mouth

This is a New Orleans rock band that was introduced to me by a rather debaucherous fellow I met at Mardi Gras one year. I bought the CD and never looked back. There are multiple lead singers in the band, but the drummer Fred LeBlanc takes most of the leads on the songs. To see him live is simply amazing. He puts so much energy during his performances, he must pass out afterward. Check out Are You With Me? for some of their best works, including Jenny Says and How Do You Tell Someone.

I will leave you to your listening duties now. Get busy! And please feel free to introduce me to your favorite artists that I may not know about.

The leaves have been so pretty this month, and have hung on to their limbs for much longer than I remember in the past. So, as October comes to a close, I thought this song was appropriate.

The quixotic charm of The James Warner Prophecies is that their music contains a myriad of styles, oeuvres and impressions – much like J-Rock -  but theirs is less disposable pop in style and more harmonic indie in ambition. Thus we get thick slices of American Punk (i.e. think ‘Bad Religion’) laced generously with Brit indie folk sound reminiscent of ‘The Magic Numbers’.

So with The James Warner Prophecies you get melodic singing together with hardcore drum beats and haunting flute.  Yeah, I know it shouldn’t work. But it does.  Just.  Sometimes you feel poised on the edge of something a little too grand and opulent to be really honest …  but then the twinkle-in-the-eye  gentle humour of the band shines through,  and the result is an agreeable love fest of sound and virtue.

Benign Rasputin-like figure Joe Brown is the mighty front-man power-house lead singer/guitar of the band. Striding about the stage looking like a kindly ginger version of Edward Teach (the notorious pirate) – with an enormous burning red beard and a savage glint in his cruel eye. Instead of cutlass and sword, though, we get electric mandolin & guitar – but the results are similarly battle hardened with an abundance of inventive fireworks from the fret-boards and vindictive encounters with the spiteful strings of the mandolin.

Bringing some calm and beauty to the proceedings, Kate Rounding plays a mournful flute on many songs, plus the haunting chords on Korg. I understand Kate also adds violin to the mix – but we didn’t see her fiddle at The Hob. Lanky long-haired hippy Matt Anthony adds some low inventive and, ultimately, reassuring bass to the songs and the ‘Noel Fielding’ look-alike Dan Williams in assured and competent on drums.

The band moved ruthlessly from song-to-song keeping up the pressure and starting with an appropriately named tune ‘Braincell Piracy’ before launching into ‘King of The Killers’, then onto ‘Judas Stone’ and ‘The Itch’. The big end to the show was their ‘Set The World on Fire’ track (the unimaginatively named) ‘Mandolin Song’. This song has some fierce fretting from Joe (on mandolin) with audacious flares of light and fire from Kate and plenty of pounding crashing percussion from Dan and Matt. A truly exciting and heart pummelling joy of a song.

From my own point of view, I would prefer something a bit more languid and soulfully helpful from Kate (at times it seemed like her contributions were repetitive and almost go through-the-motions routine in content) and I would also like a little less sympathy from the band for the folk-country traditions of their home county (Derbyshire) and a little more hard driving rock from the ensemble … but that is just my personal taste.

Overall, though, the band makes a positive contribution to the Rock / Folk Rock scene. The band members are a jolly hardworking crew with a capable and naturally talented energy. I Strongly recommend that you see their live show soon.

© Neil_Mach
October 2009

Link:

http://www.myspace.com/thejameswarnerprophecies

staines
live music
rock music
gigs

Feedburn This

Nice ‘N Easy ~ Michael Buble

I’ve Got You Under My Skin ~ Frank Sinatra

Shy Boy ~ Katie Melua

Nine Million Bicycles ~ Katie Melua

I Know You By Heart ~ Eva Cassidy

Lucky ~ Jason Mraz (ft. Colbie Caillat)

They Can’t Take That Away From Me ~ Bing Crosby

I Can See Clearly Now ~ Holly Cole Trio

Turn Me On ~ Norah Jones

Is You Is Or Is You Not My Baby ~ Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

These Foolish Things ~ Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra

Love Is – The Tender Trap ~ Frank Sinatra***

Sunrise ~ Norah Jones

Peel Me A Grape ~ Diana Krall

Be Here To Love Me ~ Norah Jones

***Dean: You have to make it up to me for ruining a classic. Get thinking on it, babe

And a song even more so…

Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy

You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold

So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
Well forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that Ive broken
But I swear in the days still left
Well walk in the fields of gold
Well walk in the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
Youll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold

These are the songs that when they play on my iPod make me realize I’m alone…they then make me wonder why I have them on my running mix at the gym.

I placed rules on myself when trying to pick the best ten.
#1) Nothing “classic.”  As much as I love Sinatra and Buble, I couldn’t bring myself to have any romantic attachment to a style of music that reminds me of my father.
#2)  It can’t be a “Wedding Song” one that make all my engaged friends go, “Oh maybe I’ll have my first dance to this.” NO!  Those songs did not make my list.
#3)  Nothing I loved during high school could make the list (Nsync and John Mayer I’m looking at you).
#4)  They had to make me think about someone else.  The trend of the list indicates that pianos make me think about former loves.
#5)  I could only pick 10.  So here they are, the Top Ten Songs that Make You Realize You’re Alone.

Well those are the rules so download these songs to your iPod, build a fire, curl up under a blanket, grab some Ben and Jerry’s and press play.

Top Ten Songs That Make You Realize You’re Alone

1. Gardenia, Mandy Moore
   Best Lyric: Doing all the Things I’ve neglected, Traded them all to be in your arms.
2. Songbird, Eva Cassidy
   Best Lyric:  Cause I feel that when I’m with you, It’s alright, I know it’s right.
3. 9 Crimes, Damien Rice
   Best Lyric:  Its the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you.
4. A Simple Twist of Fate, The Format cover of Bob Dylan
   Best Lryic:  Maybe she’ll pick him out again, how long must he wait, once more for a simple twist of fate.
5. Wasteland, Matt White
   Best Lyric:  All Alone, where are you, are we over?
6. Fear You Wont Fall, Josh Radin
   Best Lryic:  I know it’s easy to say, but it’s harder to feel this way.
7. Miss Me, Joe Purdy
   Best Lyric:  I guess something don’t work out like they should.
8. By Your Side, Sade
   Best Lyric:  Oh when you’re cold, I’ll be there to hold you tight
9. Sad Eyes, Josh Rouse
   Best Lyric:  You’re staying out till late ’cause it was what your husband hated
10. Feels Like Home, Chantal Kreviazuk
    Best Lyric: Well if you knew how much this moment means to me and how long I’ve waited for your touch.

Nothing like a blog with two numbered lists.  Awesome.

PS- feel free to debate me or add your own.

Theo Boehm praises singer Eva Cassidy. She was

a transformative artist, who could take some fairly standard songs, and give them her own intense, beautiful, technically wonderful, personal take.

Yes… transformative artist.  I discovered her lovely voice watching Michelle Kwan perform to Fields of Gold at the Olympics.

Her version of Fields of Gold is here:

Singing and preaching are similar — they’re both arts that involve the voice.  Good preaching takes ‘fairly standard’ texts from scripture and brings to them an ‘intense, beautiful, technically wonderful, personal take.’

I’m not there yet, not even close, but this is something to aspire to.  The better preachers are also transformative artists.

Autumn has to be my favourite season. For me, it’s filled with so much romance and promise. I love the cold, crisp days. Something about seeing roads carpeted in crackling leaves filled with so many hues of orange, brown and red make me feel so content. I often marvel about the beauty I see in Autumn.

I love being able to bundle up in woolly hats and scarves. I get so much satisfaction in just being outside on an bright, cold Autumn day.

I felt like I had to do some sort of personal ode to Autumn, with it being Autumn now. I try my best not to take things for granted and enjoy the things I love “in the moment”, to avoid as many regrets as possible. I don’t think there is anything sadder than lamenting missed opportunities or for not seeing something for being as special as it was.

Yesterday, my partner and I went for a pub lunch. Nothing out of the ordinary or particularly spectacular, but it was a lovely day and we really enjoyed our walk to and from the pub. We walked hand in hand and used the moment to smile and be happy and talk about our shared interests.

I always tend to feel nostalgic and wistful at this time of year. It is usually at this time of year that I dig out the Tania Kindersley books and listen to artist’s like Eva Cassidy. Her version of Autumn Leaves holds a very special place in my heart:

The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall


Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

I’ve always held a child-like delight where Hallowe’en is concerned. I know most people see it as a terribly commercial event, but I sort of love that. I love walking past shops and seeing the windows filled with bats, pumpkins and black cats. I love the drama and mystery that I still attach to Hallowe’en. I have fond memories of making ghost masks with my younger brother, or reading my Worst Witch books.

I tend to feel over-excited in the run up to Hallowe’en, even if I don’t have any plans. I do love buying Hallowe’en decorations, buying themed cakes and snacks, playing atmospheric music, watching spooky films, curling up on a dark, cold night, in the corner of the sofa with a gothic novel, like Dracula.

I suppose a part of me will never quite grow up, and I cling to that. I want to still be wanting to have Hallowe’en themed parties and buying trinkets and decorations.

“What is the best word one could put in a song?” is a stupid question from almost every angle, but consider this:  psychologists at the University of Florida have developed a list of Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) by crunching questionnaire responses to “How does this word make you feel?” for hundreds of words.   There are best words, it turns out, in the sense that certain words score highest for making people feel good:   on a 1 to 9 scale, “triumphant” is a top word at 8.82; “love” is 8.72.[1] (The results raise all sorts of questions.  How could “hell” be 2.24?  Maybe a few people misread it as “hello”?)

Of course the meaning of your peak experiences in songs has to do with combinations of elements, never with one element alone, but still you can think about which words you tend to warm to.   Aw, admit it:  one of them is “love.”  There’s no way “love” won’t be one of the ultimate buttons to push in a human being.[2] Precisely for that reason, though, it will often be used lamely and lazily, so let’s set it aside (though I can’t refrain from asking:   When has the word “love” sounded most powerfully in a rock context?  Is it when Reg Presley says “I love you” in “Wild Thing”?  Probably not).

For me, another top contender is “people” (7.33).[3] Not as in the famous Barbara Streisand song (people, people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world)—but my strong negative reaction in that case is a pointer to something big that deserves better treatment.  “People” gets to me whenever it’s set on a political horizon, somehow rallying people together.  Apparently I really want to feel rallied.

But don’t rally me shallowly.  Don’t just push the button.  I’m afraid The Rascals’ “People Got To Be Free” doesn’t specify a cause well enough, and there’s too much pop sunshine there for a sense of urgency.  John Lennon’s “Power To The People” is unfortunately just a slogan.  But when I hear of “all the lonely people” in “Eleanor Rigby”; when The Doors assert, with eerie coolness, “People Are Strange”; when Joni Mitchell sings desperately of the trap of “People’s Parties”; when Steely Dan sees “the poor people sleeping with the shade on the light” while “all the stars come out at night” in “Show Biz Kids”—these are definite causes, and serious, and the problem of collective life rushes into me through the gateway word.

“People Get Ready,” the much-covered Curtis Mayfield song said to be inspired by the 1963 civil rights march on Washington, is preeminent among the “people” appeals.

People get ready
There’s a train a-coming
You don’t need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear diesels humming
You don’t need no ticket
You just thank the Lord

Here “people” really works as the gateway to everything since it’s always the already-went-by first word, a summons word, not a sentimental button to be pushed repeatedly.  In Eva Cassidy’s version, the singer’s flexing of the melody marvelously combines a dreamy meditative openness (who are we? what is going on?) with a surging eagerness to get on that train to Jordan, to finally see the point of being “people.”[4]

[2] Speaking of buttons, “orgasm” scores a whopping 8.32; but who has used it effectively in a song besides the Buzzcocks in “Orgasm Addict” (1977)?

[3] Remarkably, according to the Corpus of Contemporary American Language list of frequency in general use of English from 1990 to 2009, the most frequently used word that isn’t a little hard-working article, demonstrative, pronoun, or auxiliary verb is “people.”

[4] Joss Stone’s version in Jeff Beck’s 2007 show at Ronnie Scott’s is great in much the same way, but a bit harder-edged.

que buena rola representando la temporada otoñal

Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American vocalist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992 she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by a live solo album, Live at Blues Alley in 1996. Although she had been honored by the Washington Area Music Association, she was virtually unknown outside her native Washington, DC when she died of melanoma in 1996.

Four years later, Cassidy’s music was brought to the attention of British audiences when her version of “Over the Rainbow” was played by Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2. Following the overwhelming response, a camcorder recording of “Over the Rainbow”, taken at the Blues Alley, was shown on BBC Two’s Top of the Pops 2. Shortly afterwards, the compilation album Songbird climbed to the top of the UK Albums Charts, almost three years after its initial release. The chart success in the United Kingdom led to increased recognition worldwide; as of 2008 her posthumously released recordings, including three UK #1s, have sold around eight million copies.

Somewhere is the title of Eva Cassidy’s seventh posthumous album. For the first time, it includes two songs written by Eva Cassidy herself.

Here is her great blues song

“Early One Morning” – Eva Cassidy

Early one morning
As the sun was rising
I heard a voice in the walley below.

Don’t decieve me
Don’t you leave me
How could you treat
A poor girl so?

Early one morning
I saw her walking
I heard a voice in the walley below.

Don’t decieve me
Don’t you leave me
How could you treat
A poor boy so?

So I sit on yonder hill
And I wonder if anyone
Thinks of me still

Why did you leave me?
Why did you decieve me?
How could you treat
A poor girl so?

If anyone thinks of me still
Why did you leave me?

Despite having the same song title it is not a take on the Elmore James song

“Early One Morning” – Elmore James

To buy the music of Eva Cassidy click HERE

To buy the music of Elmore James click HERE

The writer’s true love: even the 5 Ls – laughter, language, learning, literature and lunch – step aside:

Dinah Shore: “Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)“