Loved the ease of the swing version which has all the spaciousness of open skies, and the ease of Ella’s artistry in the other. For a version where time truly flies try Al Jarreau here
Last weekend we were at a Franciscan conference in Kennebunk, Maine and asked people there to pray for your daughter, so this is good news to know she’s back home but we will continue to pray for all of you.
I’m so glad your Jessica is home. We shall keep her tucked in our prayers.
Thank you for the research you do on the background of these American standards. So interesting! And I love Ella Fitzgerald. She had so much talent! And Allan Sherman. So funny.
Thanks, Kathleen. There are so many stories! We'll never get to the end of those stories. Ella's version of "Blue Skies" is terrific. Tony actually ran across the video last weekend, when we were in the middle of the hospital visit -- and we all got a good laugh out of "A Letter from Camp." Thank you for the prayers. We are awaiting a visit with a hematologist now, so it's not all fixed and done yet. We really appreciate the prayer support.
In fact, THE voice. About a week ago, I finally unpacked and catalogued my mother's huge LP collection -- the music I grew up hearing at home. She had a good representation of all the crooners, but there were 17 Sinatra albums. No one else came even near that number. He really had it. But he didn't just have it; he worked to have it, over a long lifetime.
In terms of the faith, I think he had that, too. I've read a lot now that clears up the multiple marriages. It says a lot that his first wife, Nancy, never remarried. He and she stayed close for their lifetimes. When you are a big star everyone knows your "business," but only the Lord knows the heart. One thing we know is that his children, all born of the marriage to Nancy, adored him and never had a bad word to say about him.
This song just launched a parallel conversation in our house. Does the song Mr. Blue Sky, by Electric Light Orchestra, have any connection with Myles Connolly's book Mr. Blue? One wonders.🤷
Yes, last year. Mr. Blue was an interesting, if not an unbelievable man. I should reread it. Have you ever read Dan England and the Noon Day Devil? Also written by Myles Connolly. I love that book!
Quite a trinity of merriment there! The Tommy Dorsey piece...wowza! I'm enjoying it with my breakfast, and that music is way stronger than my coffee. EXCELLENT work, fellas! Makes me wish I could dance.💃 The Ella piece is a different sort of wonderful... Smooth! Hello Faddah, just big-grin fun for that one. Thanks for setting my day off on such a high note. And glad to hear your daughter is home. Prayers for the whole family shall continue.🙏
It's a fabulous song. The story about Irving Berlin singing it from the audience reminds me of the scene in "Jolson Sings Again" when Ruby Keeler (who was just awful--see any of her movies and you see that only Jolson's clout got her jobs) has such stage fright that she can't remember her song, and Al starts singing it to her from the audience. It's a great moment in the movie (my father loved those movies and I watched them dozens of times, they're probably cancelled now because he performed in blackface--for reasons that were part of the times) and I think it really happened, though he was very free in making up stories of his life.
Boy Gail, that movie bit from "Jolson Sings Again" is just too close to the real story of what happened during the encores of Blue Skies not to be suspect. Jolson premiered "Blue Skies," and the story of what happened on opening night of "Betsy" had to have been widely known in Broadway circles .. er .. I think Jolson took the story from "true life" but likely not his own! He was pure showman. Thanks for sharing the "Blue Skies," by the way, It's quite a phenomenon now for singers to do great old jazz and popular songs. Last week I ran across what really surprised me (sort of), a James Taylor version of "My Blue Heaven." It was very fine. I can't post a link without a paywall, but it's a good thing that this old music is making a comeback because goodness knows what passes for popular "music" now is hardly musical at all. There's a video on Youtube called "The Death of Melody" that I listened to that pretty well describes what has happened,
I'm pretty sure it actually happened, though. The episode is in his Wikipedia page -- though the film doesn't do this exactly, the song is the same:
"In the summer of 1928, Jolson met young tap dancer, and later actress, Ruby Keeler in Los Angeles (Jolson would claim it was at Texas Guinan's night club) and was dazzled by her on sight. Three weeks later, Jolson saw a production of George M. Cohan's Rise of Rosie O'Reilly, and noticed she was in the show's cast. Now knowing she was going about her Broadway career, Jolson attended another one of her shows, Show Girl, and rose from the audience and engaged in her duet of "Liza". After this moment, the show's producer, Florenz Ziegfeld, asked Jolson to join the cast and continue to sing duets with Keeler. Jolson accepted Ziegfeld's offer and during their tour with Ziegfeld, the two started dating and were married on September 21, 1928. In 1935, Al and Ruby adopted a son, Jolson's first child, whom they named "Al Jolson Jr."[18] In 1939, however—despite a marriage that was considered to be more successful than his previous ones—Keeler left Jolson. After their 1940 divorce, she remarried, to John Homer Lowe, with whom she would have four children and remain married until his death in 1969."
I was wrong about the movie, this bit is in "The Jolson Story." She was only 19 and he was in his early 40s!!! The song is "Liza," which is another great one. Here's the scene (minute 2:43): https://youtu.be/lb74akgmuy4?si=TlzTv7XAJUjt8Gho
It’s so great that Jessica is home; my prayers for her will continue.
“A Letter from Camp” reminded me of when actor Tony Curtis first starred in films and initially had trouble overcoming his Brooklyn accent. In one of his first roles as a knight he declares to a maiden, “0ver yonder is my foddah’s castle!”
Hahaaaa! That's funny about Tony Curtis. It turns out that he was much better at comedy than at straight parts. And had did a good Cary Grant accent when he was pretending to be a rich playbook in "Some Like it Hot."
Excellent
Loved the ease of the swing version which has all the spaciousness of open skies, and the ease of Ella’s artistry in the other. For a version where time truly flies try Al Jarreau here
https://youtu.be/hZD_d6xo1UQ?si=nVRzMIv_VsobQH0H
All good wishes and prayers, too.
Last weekend we were at a Franciscan conference in Kennebunk, Maine and asked people there to pray for your daughter, so this is good news to know she’s back home but we will continue to pray for all of you.
I’m so glad your Jessica is home. We shall keep her tucked in our prayers.
Thank you for the research you do on the background of these American standards. So interesting! And I love Ella Fitzgerald. She had so much talent! And Allan Sherman. So funny.
Thanks, Kathleen. There are so many stories! We'll never get to the end of those stories. Ella's version of "Blue Skies" is terrific. Tony actually ran across the video last weekend, when we were in the middle of the hospital visit -- and we all got a good laugh out of "A Letter from Camp." Thank you for the prayers. We are awaiting a visit with a hematologist now, so it's not all fixed and done yet. We really appreciate the prayer support.
We’ll continue praying for Jessica and all of you!
Frank.
"The Voice"
The most appropriate nickname ever penned.
And wait. That is a crucifix on the chain around his neck, isn't it?
Go Frank.
In fact, THE voice. About a week ago, I finally unpacked and catalogued my mother's huge LP collection -- the music I grew up hearing at home. She had a good representation of all the crooners, but there were 17 Sinatra albums. No one else came even near that number. He really had it. But he didn't just have it; he worked to have it, over a long lifetime.
In terms of the faith, I think he had that, too. I've read a lot now that clears up the multiple marriages. It says a lot that his first wife, Nancy, never remarried. He and she stayed close for their lifetimes. When you are a big star everyone knows your "business," but only the Lord knows the heart. One thing we know is that his children, all born of the marriage to Nancy, adored him and never had a bad word to say about him.
Go, Frank!
This song just launched a parallel conversation in our house. Does the song Mr. Blue Sky, by Electric Light Orchestra, have any connection with Myles Connolly's book Mr. Blue? One wonders.🤷
One of my favorite ELO songs!
That's what my husband said.
Have you read Mr. Blue, by any chance? Not a favorite of mine, but I have read it and know that it exists.🤷
Yes, last year. Mr. Blue was an interesting, if not an unbelievable man. I should reread it. Have you ever read Dan England and the Noon Day Devil? Also written by Myles Connolly. I love that book!
Yes, and I read it more recently, and I liked it better. The whole noonday devil concept is a big one for me....🤦
Quite a trinity of merriment there! The Tommy Dorsey piece...wowza! I'm enjoying it with my breakfast, and that music is way stronger than my coffee. EXCELLENT work, fellas! Makes me wish I could dance.💃 The Ella piece is a different sort of wonderful... Smooth! Hello Faddah, just big-grin fun for that one. Thanks for setting my day off on such a high note. And glad to hear your daughter is home. Prayers for the whole family shall continue.🙏
Here's a great version of it: https://youtu.be/ZfgZ8ZY7slw?si=O7bsN_ZUFpZFFQ0s
It's a fabulous song. The story about Irving Berlin singing it from the audience reminds me of the scene in "Jolson Sings Again" when Ruby Keeler (who was just awful--see any of her movies and you see that only Jolson's clout got her jobs) has such stage fright that she can't remember her song, and Al starts singing it to her from the audience. It's a great moment in the movie (my father loved those movies and I watched them dozens of times, they're probably cancelled now because he performed in blackface--for reasons that were part of the times) and I think it really happened, though he was very free in making up stories of his life.
Boy Gail, that movie bit from "Jolson Sings Again" is just too close to the real story of what happened during the encores of Blue Skies not to be suspect. Jolson premiered "Blue Skies," and the story of what happened on opening night of "Betsy" had to have been widely known in Broadway circles .. er .. I think Jolson took the story from "true life" but likely not his own! He was pure showman. Thanks for sharing the "Blue Skies," by the way, It's quite a phenomenon now for singers to do great old jazz and popular songs. Last week I ran across what really surprised me (sort of), a James Taylor version of "My Blue Heaven." It was very fine. I can't post a link without a paywall, but it's a good thing that this old music is making a comeback because goodness knows what passes for popular "music" now is hardly musical at all. There's a video on Youtube called "The Death of Melody" that I listened to that pretty well describes what has happened,
I'm pretty sure it actually happened, though. The episode is in his Wikipedia page -- though the film doesn't do this exactly, the song is the same:
"In the summer of 1928, Jolson met young tap dancer, and later actress, Ruby Keeler in Los Angeles (Jolson would claim it was at Texas Guinan's night club) and was dazzled by her on sight. Three weeks later, Jolson saw a production of George M. Cohan's Rise of Rosie O'Reilly, and noticed she was in the show's cast. Now knowing she was going about her Broadway career, Jolson attended another one of her shows, Show Girl, and rose from the audience and engaged in her duet of "Liza". After this moment, the show's producer, Florenz Ziegfeld, asked Jolson to join the cast and continue to sing duets with Keeler. Jolson accepted Ziegfeld's offer and during their tour with Ziegfeld, the two started dating and were married on September 21, 1928. In 1935, Al and Ruby adopted a son, Jolson's first child, whom they named "Al Jolson Jr."[18] In 1939, however—despite a marriage that was considered to be more successful than his previous ones—Keeler left Jolson. After their 1940 divorce, she remarried, to John Homer Lowe, with whom she would have four children and remain married until his death in 1969."
I was wrong about the movie, this bit is in "The Jolson Story." She was only 19 and he was in his early 40s!!! The song is "Liza," which is another great one. Here's the scene (minute 2:43): https://youtu.be/lb74akgmuy4?si=TlzTv7XAJUjt8Gho
One can picture the dancing hippos & alligators...
I'd forgotten how funny that song was! Tony ran across it a few days ago, and we had a good (and well-needed) laugh over it.
It’s so great that Jessica is home; my prayers for her will continue.
“A Letter from Camp” reminded me of when actor Tony Curtis first starred in films and initially had trouble overcoming his Brooklyn accent. In one of his first roles as a knight he declares to a maiden, “0ver yonder is my foddah’s castle!”
Hahaaaa! That's funny about Tony Curtis. It turns out that he was much better at comedy than at straight parts. And had did a good Cary Grant accent when he was pretending to be a rich playbook in "Some Like it Hot."