On stage, under the spotlight, with an audience in front and a band behind me, that’s where I like living most of all. I discovered this when I was a little kid and would sing for my mom’s friends. Today nothing has changed. That’s still my most favourite place to be. I think i live […]
Born To Be Blue
I first heard #BornToBeBlue sung by #HelenMerrill on an album which featured #CliffordBrown. I listened to that album hundreds of times and I know every single song on it. Until I heard Helen Merrill (in the mid 70s) I think I’d thought that jazz had to be sung at top volume with heavy duty dynamics […]
If I Should Lose You
#IfIShouldLoseYou made its debut in the 1936 film #RoseOfTheRancho. The movie did not receive an auspicious review, #CliveHirschhorn in his book, #TheHollywoodMusical, describes the movie version as an, “uneasy mix of operetta and low comedy.” But It’s really quite a beautiful song. Both melody and lyric. And so it’s not surprising that it’s been covered […]
Double Rainbow
What an amazing body of work from just one man #AntonioCarlosJobim. This is one of his not so well-known songs called #DoubleRainbow. It started off by being an instrumental piece named #ChildrensGames when Jobim first wrote it. And yes, you can hear it in the playful melody. It was first recorded by the fabled Brazilian […]
I Remember Clifford
Jazz has taught me a lot of things. Including the word ‘threnody’ which means ‘lament.’ It’s not a word I’d have come across if I hadn’t wanted to sing this song. #IRememberClifford is an instrumental jazz threnody written by jazz tenor saxophonist #BennyGolson in memory of #CliffordBrown with lyrics by the master #vocalese exponent #JonHendricks. […]
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
#PolkaDotsandMoonbeams was published first in 1940, that’s 80 years ago. And it became a huge hit for #FrankSinatra. The music was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It’s also one of the world’s top 100 recorded jazz tunes. So naturally, I wanted to try it. I’ve never sung a song to […]
Totally unique vocal jazz Radha Thomas & Aman Mahajan – Bangalore Blues
By Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews – September 7, 2020 #Totally #unique #vocal #jazz #Radha #Thomas #Aman #Mahajan Totally unique vocal jazz Radha Thomas & Aman Mahajan – BANGALORE BLUES: There’s one word that comes to mind (immediately) as I listen to Radha’s totally unique vocal jazz – BREATHLESS… her pacing and presence will have you […]
Nuages / The Bluest Kind Of Blue
#Nuages (meaning ‘clouds’ in French) is guitar player #DjangoReinhardt’s most famous composition. It was first recorded in 1940 although he did at least 13 versions after that.There were no lyrics when Django wrote the piece, of course. But the melody is so beautiful and haunting that it didn’t take long before people wrote lyrics to […]
We Three / My Echo, My Shadow and Me
I love this cute little song. #MyEchoMyShadowandMe also called #WeThree. It was published in 1939 by Nelson Cogane, Sammy Mysels and Dick Robertson. The next year it was a hit for #FrankSinatra and continued to be successful for many singers. Here I am with Alexandre Vianna who is from Sao Paolo in Brazil, a place […]
Dog Tails: A True Story About A Few Entitled Street Dogs In Bangalore
Street dogs in Bangalore have had it pretty rough since lockdown, when people who fed them regularly disappeared forever. Add to this the fact that huge numbers of people went back to their ‘oorus’ abandoning dogs at will. You have a situation where packs of dogs are stressed out, getting run over, diseased, starving and […]
What Stress
July 4, 2020, Redoane Ayoub (Red) on Guitar and me singing Most of my songs are non-fiction. This one is called ‘What Stress’ and I wrote it some time ago. Nothing seems to change, I dunno what’s wrong with me I must confess. I’ve performed it many times with different lineups. What makes this bluesy, rock-and-roll […]
