Dear Modern World,

This is the perfect way to do a song on heartbreak.  Listen and learn from the masters.

♥

(Source: yellowflamingo)

“My Funny Valentine” - Kristin Chenoweth and Joshua Bell [Joshua Bell at Home with Friends]

This is a beautiful album and this is my favourite rendition of this song.  The introduction is just so evocative of the melancholy in the song.  You almost don’t recognise it until Kristin starts singing (her technique here is amazing). I believe Joshua is definitely up there with Itzhak Perlman in terms of knowing how to really play the violin and give it a voice.

Enjoy :)

♥

♫ Ella Fitzgerald - My Mother’s Eyes / Try A Little Tenderness

(via naikrisna)

I love Ella to bits.  This album is a collection of six medleys.  I played it in a loop at work yesterday.  The atmosphere it created was simply beautiful.  I’m sure the residents loved it.

This medley actually includes “I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good)”, “Everything I Have is Yours”, “I Never Knew (I Could Love Anybody Like I’m Loving You)” and “Goodnight My Love”, which wasn’t included because it runs for nearly 10 minutes. Probably my favourite medley in the album.  Arrangement by Benny Carter.  Genius.

♥

“Embraceable You” - Ella Fitzgerald

This is my favourite rendition of this song.  In fact, it’s probably my favourite jazz standard.  I never tire of listening to it.

I spent all of this depressing week listening to Ella.  Somehow jazz manages to keep me on a steady emotional state :) Calming but doesn’t put me to sleep.

I’m apologizing now because I’m going to try something new and it will involve disappearing for a while. Queued posts from now on.  I’ll be back soon.

Take care my loves and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

♥

Loop Song of the Week

♪ “Baby I’m A Fool” - Melody Gardot [My One and Only Thrill]

I heard this song and thought, “How on earth did she know exactly how I’m feeling?!”

Love Melody’s voice, her delivery (Sting-esque challenge: see how many words you can cram into one line xD), the lyrics, the musical textures and laid back attitude :) After you listen you’ll see why I fell in love with this song (and why it’s on repeat on my iPod).

How was I to know that this was always only just a little game to you?
All the time I felt you gave your heart I thought that I would do the same for you,
Tell the truth I think I should have seen it coming from a mile away,
When the words you say are,
“Baby I”m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall in love”

If I gave a thought to fascination I would know it wasn’t right to care,
Logic doesn’t seem to mind that I am fascinated by the love affair,
Still my heart would benefit from a little tenderness from time to time, but never mind,
Coz baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall in love,

Baby I should hold on just a moment and be sure it’s not for vanity,
Look me in the eye and tell me love is never based upon insanity,
Hear the way my heart is beating every other moments fleeting,

Kiss me now,
Don’t ask me how,
Coz baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall,
Baby I’m a fool who thinks it’s cool to fall,

And I would never tell if you became a fool and fell in love. 

♥

♫ Tenderly - Sarah Vaughan [The Essence of Sarah Vaughan]

While updating blogs and such, I was surprised to find that I was craving a bit of classic jazz.  I love Ms. Vaughan’s voice and how it sounds when she vibratos.  Her repertoire, though not as popular as Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday, is so still so rich and varied.  Another thing I love that she does is carry on, without breathing, to the next line of the lyric.  Drawing out the notes.

This is probably my favourite rendition of this song.  I love how the accidentals are everywhere so just when you think you’ve got the direction of the melody figured out, the key changes.  Obviously a very hard song to sing acapella.

You are very welcome ;)