Being recovered from my injured hand I’m happy to be back and provide some nice tracks for you…. (thanks for being still around…)

Stacey Kent – The boy next door

Karrin Allyson – Life is a groove

Jane Monheit – Checek to Cheek (not the best sound quality – but the song is just great!)

Renne Olstead – Summertime (she was 14 at this performance, I saw her a few months later live at the MoJo Club in Hamburg…)

Melody Gardot – Goodnite (sorry, it’s “her” again – just my favourite voice these days, coming to Munich on Nov. 10!!!)

Encore (for my wife): Melody Gardot – if the stars were mine

Whoa. I thought it was hot a month ago. Today is Texas frying-pan hot. Time for some more seasonal music.

The Zombies say “It’s the time of the season for loving…”

Paul Robeson sings “…and the living is easy, fish are jumpin’…” but not when it’s this hot.

Cole Porter wrote and Stacey Kent sings,

“…when the thermometer goes way up
and the weather is sizzling hot
Mister Adam for his madam is not
cause it’s too darn hot, it’s too darn hot
It’s too darn hot.”

I agree with the latter, it is just too darned hot!

Stacey Kent 2007 album download

1. Ice Hotel RapidLink: (downloadable)
2. Landslide
3. Ces Petits Riens
4. I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again
5. So Many Stars
6. Samba Saravah
7. Breakfast on the Morning Tram
8. Never Let Me Go RapidLink: (downloadable)
9. So Romantic Listen
10. Hard-Hearted Hannah
11. Saison des Pluies
12. What a Wonderful World

RapidLinks:

http://bashforum.forums-free.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=48&p=49#p49

http://BashMusic.Net

Philip Bloom, takip edip takdir ettiğimiz bir yönetmen/kameraman/kurgucu abimiz. Geçenlerde workshop vermek üzere gittiği Sofya’da gece sokaklara çıkıp Sofyalıları görüntülemiş. Sonra da Stacey Kent’ten harika bir jazz parçası eşliğinde çektiklerini kurgulamış. Anlamam etmem ama Sofya sokakları ve sakinleri hiç böyle güzel görüntülenmemiştir herhalde.

Meraklısına not: Bu film özel ışık kullanılmadan (ortamda bulunan ışıkla) bir fotoğraf makinası ile çekilmiş (Canon5D MKII), kurguda renklerle, görüntüyle hiç oynanmamış.

Who had the boys turning hand springs?
Crazy to love her claimed she
Who could so misunderstand things?
You’re looking at me

Who was so sure of her conquest?
Sure as a human could be
Who wound up losing the contest?
You’re looking at me
You’re looking at me

Where is that girl?
Who was certain her charms couldn’t fail
Where is that girl?
Believed every word of this ridiculous tale

Who was so childishly flattered?
Thought she’d swept him off his feet
Who woke to find her dreams shattered?
Might I repeat
Might I repeat for you
Needn’t strain your eyes
To see what I want you to see
That’s right
You’re looking at me

As I delve further into discovering the Jazz music genre, I have come across the very excellent sound of Stacey Kent.  New Jersey-born, jazz singer Kent started out in London whilst studying music.  Having produced several albums, her sound reminds me very much of Melody Gardot (see my earlier post), and puts me in a chilled-out summery mood.  Her latest album ‘Breakfast on the Morning Tram’ is fantastic.

Red toque-macaque: But not the one on the boy's head.

My little friend with the red toque was back at the bus stop today. I haven’t seen him since the winter.

As you may recall, even on warmish days, he’d arrive at the stop bundled up like the Michelin Man.

Even though it was rainy and about 9 C this morning, he was as well insulated as ever in a down jacket, fleece scarf and, yes, his trademark red hat.

What was new were his eyeglasses, which his mom started to polish for him as soon as they arrived at the bus stop.

“Hold them by the frames,” he instructed her in a most serious sing-song voice, “not the lenses.”

A line had formed by the time they arrived and I noticed the mom limping slightly, favouring her left leg, which could explain why she always seemed so winded when they got to the stop.

I let them go ahead of me onto the bus so they could find a seat together, which they did. She read the paper and he looked out the window through his newly polished lenses.

It occurred to me that glasses aren’t the only things that help you see more clearly.

Reader mail
Received this lovely note from a lovely friend (thanks, Val!) and just had to share:

“Today I parked my car in one of those lots where you have to buy the ticket first and display it on your dash. As I pulled in, a car was leaving and this couple leaned out the window and asked me if I wanted their ticket. They were leaving and still had two hours left on their ticket. Yeah! It saved me $6. I only went to the fruit shop so there was still over an hour on it when I was leaving so I handed it off to another arrival.“

Ain’t paying it forward grand?

P.S. Here’s one of my favourite jazz singers, Stacey Kent. Enjoy!

Audiophile voices? Đó là những giọng ca trầm ấm, mềm mượt nhưng cũng ẩn chứa một nội lực hoang dại và mạnh mẽ vô cùng, là những giọng ca có thể chạm tới các cung bậc âm thanh thấp nhất hay cao nhất mà tai người có thể nghe được. Và tự thân những giọng ca ấy chứa trong mình sức sống sinh động, phức tạp mà cuốn hút kì lạ, chúng khiến cho người nghe bị trôi theo mà không muốn dứt.

Đó là những Enya, Eva Cassidy, Susan Wong, Jheena Lodwick, Carol Kidd, Emi Fujita, Stacey Kent…., những cái tên đã đi vào tâm khảm của người yêu nhạc, đặc biệt là các audiophile – những tín đồ của âm thanh.

Bạn sẽ gặp họ với đầy đủ sức quyến rũ ma mị trong từng thanh âm ở bộ Best Audiophile Voices. Đây là nơi những chất giọng tuyệt vời ấy được thỏa sức tuôn trào, bay lượn trên những giai điệu đẹp đẽ, tỏa ra vẻ đẹp làm say đắm lòng người.

Vẻ đẹp ấy được hãng Premium truyền tải gần như trọn vẹn bằng cách sử dụng kĩ thuật thu âm hàng đầu để có những bản thu hoàn hảo, và chúng được ghi lại bằng công nghệ XRCD 24 bit để tạo nên những CD Audiophile tuyệt vời, đủ sức thử thách những bộ dàn tốt nhất cũng như làm hài lòng những đôi tai khó tính nhất.

Bạn sẽ buông mình theo âm điệu dịu dàng của track When I Dream được giọng ca của Carol Kidd thể hiện trong Vol 1, dịu dàng nhưng dường như ẩn chứa nỗi lòng trĩu nặng của cô gái trong mối tình vô vọng. Hay bạn sẽ thấy lòng mình rộn ràng niềm vui với track When You Say Nothing At All do Alison Kraus thể hiện trong Vol 3, day dứt khi nghe Salena Jones thể hiện You Don’t Bring Me Flowers trong Vol 4. Và rồi bạn sẽ thấy cảm thấy êm ái như đang trong một giấc mơ, bên tai là lời thì thầm của Marianna Leporace với track If. Rất khó để nói album nào là xuất sắc nhất trong bộ Best Audiophile Voices vì mỗi album đều có đủ các sắc màu rực rỡ, và đều được thể hiện bởi những giọng ca tuyệt vời nhất.

Hiện tại 2endshop có đầy đủ bộ Best Audiophile Voices từ Vol 1 đến Vol 5 (24 bit mastering, Gold CD).

Best audiophile voices collection I (M1)
Best audiophile voices collection II (M2)
Best audiophile voices collection III (M3)
Best audiophile voices collection IV (M4)
Best audiophile voices collection V (M5)

I caught Stacey Kent and her band at The Old Market in Hove yesterday (24 March 2009). Great band. Great voice. And a really good connection with the audience (whose average age must have been approaching 60).

She’s always been a singer whose records I’ve liked, though not been in ecstasy over.

Stacey Kent

By contrast I’ve been absolutely bowled over by Jane Monheit from the first note I heard her sing, so I was slightly underwhelmed when the gig kicked off with Jobim’s Waters Of March. Not only has Jane Monheit made this her own in my view, but the band’s arrangement seemed practically a note-for-note transcription of the one she uses (by Michael Kamen).

However there were some real gems in the set, particularly the new numbers written by Stacey Kent’s husband (and saxophonist/bandleader) Jim Tomlinson with lyrics by Kazuo Ishiguro. Writing great song lyrics is a very different art from writing great novels or poetry, but Ishiguro seems to have it completely nailed. His structures created some interesting musical forms – I especially liked the way that the obsessive repetition of the title phrase in I Wish I Could Go Travelling Again kept cutting across the expected phrasing of the music. Another Ishiguro-Tomlinson number, So Romantic, has a lovely ironic quality both in the words and the music.

The band was on great form. I was impressed by the pianist, Graham Harvey, and the dep bassist, Chris Hill. I also enjoyed Jim Tomlinson’s sax lines. He frequently reminded me of Stan Getz, which I guess is unavoidable if you’re going to play Only Trust Your Heart. But throughout the evening it was Matt Skelton’s drumming that I was particularly drawn to. It was inventive, colourful and sensitive.

As for Stacey Kent: her range isn’t huge. She doesn’t let rip. She doesn’t go in for florid improvisation or scat. But there’s a vulnerability  in her singing which creates a real intimacy with the audience.

That intimacy was clear in the two songs she sang in French. It reached its height in the encore, What A Wonderful World, which had a very effective arrangement. It made a fitting end to a great gig.

Well it seems more jazz is coming to Zagreb in the spring than I’ll be able to track & enjoy… Oh sweet problems.

The team at Lisinski & HDS Jazz club is bringing us 19th Spring Jazz Review, a week or so after that Drazen Kokanovic is once again unveiling Jazzarella – the 4th “All Women’s Jazz Festival”. It would be really good to have the time to go to all the concerts of both events, but unfortunately many other things are standing in the way – hanging out with friends, football and other pursuits.

The Lisinski / HDS series of jazz concerts is particularly intriguing for it’s stealth marketing, which I’ve written about before. Well now they’re offering four really interesting concerts, and I’ll plan to be at the first one, starring Alex Acuna. Acuna was part of the great, great Weather Report, who I had the pleasure of hearing in Zagreb more years ago than I care to remember, on their “Heavy Weather” tour – a very memorable concert with possibly WR’s strongest lineup, including the immortal Jaco Pastorius. So I’ll be expecting nothing but the best from this unusual trio of Acuna (from Peru) teaming up with two Norwegians. I just hope there are still tickets available with only one week to go until the concert!

Next up is Drazen Kokanovic with his lineup of jazz ladies. No doubt Jazzarella will be as exciting as all of Drazen’s events. In this case I’m looking forward to Stacey Kent, whom I first came to know through the “St. Germain du Pres Cafe” series of CD’s, and later through her “Dreamsville” album.

So in the unlikely event of any of the readers of this blog planning to hear Acuna and/or Stacey Kent in the Zagreb jazz spring – see you there!

Hoy os traigo a una cantante contemporánea de jazz de las que bien merece la pena conocer, Stacey Kent. Cualquiera de sus canciones os hará disfrutar, así que pasaros por youtube que hay unas cuantas. Si alguno se pregunta cómo cantaría hoy día Billie Holiday tal o cual tema, que escuche la interpretación que haga de él Stacey Kent y se podrá hacer una buena idea.

Pero para esta primera vez que la traigo al blog he elegido un tema de Cole Porter, Too Darn Hot, que se podría traducir como Demasiado caliente, diablos en su versión más literal (darn es un derivado de damn), Demasiado caliente, diantres en su versión ñoña, o ¡Vaya si está caliente la cosa! en la versión libre que me apunto. Ya podéis haceros una idea. De hecho parte de la letra, que os pongo a continuación aunque veréis que Stacey Kent cambia el orden de las estrofas, estuvo censurada y cambiada en varias ocasiones porque Cole Porter hace referencia en la estrofa puente al informe Kensey (la primera parte del informe Kensey, referida al hombre, había sido publicada el mismo año en el que Porter la compuso, 1948).  Cosa de puritanos.

Que disfrutéis.

TOO DARN HOT
From the show “Kiss Me Kate” (1948)
(Cole Porter)

BIANCA:
It’s too darn hot
It’s too darn hot

I’d like to sup with my baby tonight
and play the pup with my baby tonight
I’d like to sup with my baby tonight
and play the pup with my baby tonight
but I ain’t up to my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot
It’s too darn hot
It’s too darn hot

I’d like to stop for my baby tonight
and blow my top with my baby tonight
I’d like to stop with my baby tonight
and blow my top with my baby tonight
but I’d be a flop with my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot,
it’s too darn hot
it’s too darn hot

I’d like to fool with my baby tonight
break ev’ry rule with my baby tonight
I’d like to fool with my baby tonight
break ev’ry rule with my baby tonight
but pillow you’ll be my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot
it’s too darn hot

*BRIDGE*
According to the Kinsey report
ev’ry average man you know
much prefers to play his favorite sport
when the temperature is low
but when the thermometer goes way up
and the weather is sizzling hot
Mister Adam for his madam is not
cause it’s too too
it’s too darn hot, it’s too darn hot
It’s too too too too darn hot

I’d like to call on my baby tonight
and give my all to my baby tonight
I’d like to call on my baby tonight
and give my all to my baby tonight
but I can’t play ball with my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot
it’s too darn hot

I’d like to meet with my baby tonight
get off my feet with my baby tonight
I’d like to meet with my baby tonight
get off my feet with my baby tonight
but no repeat with my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot
it’s too darn hot

I’d like to coo with my baby tonight
and pitch some woo with my baby tonight
I’d like to coo with my baby tonight
and pitch some woo with my baby tonight
but sister you fight my baby tonight
cause it’s too darn hot
it’s too darn hot

According to the Kinsey report
ev’ry average man you know
much prefers to play his favorite sport
when the temperature is low
but when the thermometer goes way up
and the weather is sizzling hot
Mister GOB for his squab,
a marine for his queen
a G.I. for his cutie-pie is not
Cause it’s too too too darn hot
It’s too darn hot
It’s too darn hot

  Um domingo de sol…Vinicius de Moraes em francêsSamba Saravah ….versão tré chic

É melhor ser alegre que ser triste ,a alegria é a  melhor coisa que existe

É assim como a luz no coração….mas pra fazer um samba com beleza,

É preciso um pocado de tristeza…se não não se faz um samba não !!

SARAVAH….Bom Domingo, Bom Fevereiro, Bom começo de aulas,

Bom Transito, Saravah São Paulo Brazil…que amanhã começa a doideira toda !!