It’s been a long time since I released any music, so some friends and I decided to rectify that this year! We’re hoping to have three jazz tracks ready for you soon, featuring my vocals and violin, David Hall on keys and Paul Beeching on double bass. I’m excited it’s beginning to come together and our little EP will be released into the world around the turn of the year!
Featuring on it will be three tracks:
- Skylark by Hoagy Carmichael and Jonny Mercer
- All blues by Miles Davis (and lyrics later by Oscar Brown Jr.) and
- I’m beginning to see the light by by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Harry James and lyrics by Don George.
First up is Skylark. The story behind the song’s conception is one of two great loves: The music as a platonic tribute to Carmichael’s late friend and jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke; the lyrics by Mercer about his romantic longing for Judy Garland, with whom he had an affair. It apparently took him a year to get the words just right. Now that’s devotion! It’s one of my favourite jazz ballads of all time and a beautiful, dreamy depiction of love in both forms.
Our second track, All blues, featured on Miles Davis’ 1959 album Kind of blue. Based on a modified 12-bar blues, the song is made even more distinctive by its catchy riff that underpins the music throughout. I’m extremely grateful Davis’ peer Oscar Brown Jr. wrote lyrics to the instrumental in 1963, releasing it on his album Tells it like it is! Singers can now enjoy performing All blues too!
Lastly, we added in the 1944 classic I’m beginning to see the light. First recorded by Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra, it has gone onto be covered by many of the greats. My favourite is by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. She’s an impossible act to follow, but I threw caution to the wind as I love its innocent joy.
So there’s a taster of what’s to come – and a public note to make me accountable to get the project finished pronto. I’ll keep you posted!
