Tag: Jazz

The Jazz Singers

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I have enjoyed listening to these ladies’ over the years. This seemed as good an opportunity as any to give mention, they are all amazing.

Denise Pelley is based in my Hometown of London Ontario, she has a lovely and versatile voice and has been the ‘go to’ Jazz singer in this region for many years. To my knowledge she has just one album of covers of Jazz Standards. She is also well known for her community work.

Molly Johnson is a Toronto native and a well known artist across Canada. In addition to her Jazz vocal talents she has sung lead in Rock and Pop bands and is a dancer and actor. She has 10 albums to her credit.

Jully Black is another Toronto native and in truth known better for her R&B and Soul style. She has six albums to her credit as well as several Juno Awards and nominations. She made a bit of news lately as she changed one word of the Canadian National Anthem while singing it at the NBA All Star game earlier this year. Instead of “and Native Land” she sang “on Native Land”. Some think the change should be permanent.

Emilie-Claire Barlow is a Toronto native and Juno Award winner. She has released 12 albums and records in several languages. She covers Jazz standards and pop favorites. She is well known as a voice actor as well. The Canadians will like this bit of trivia, her Grandfather was Bob Homme, who was The Friendly Giant! For those who don’t know it was a staple children’s program that started in Public Television the US in the 1950’s and in 1958 moved to Canada and aired until 1985. I have included a cover or two of hers in past posts.

Her website is here

Holly Cole grew up in Halifax but moved to Toronto to pursue a career in music. She has released close to 20 albums both as The Holly Cole Trio and solo. If I am to have a favorite here it would be Holly. I really like her song choices and of course, that voice!

Holly Cole.com

Joni Mitchell

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This is the first clip to come up on a YouTube search of Joni Mitchell

You may have seen in the news lately that Joni Mitchell was honoured with The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from The Library of Congress. This award was first presented to Paul Simon in 2007, it is to recognize “the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture”. Mitchell is the 15th honouree. They haven’t updated the honoree profiles yet so I can’t tell you what The Library of Congress has to say about her, but as you may have guessed I have a few things for you on Joni Mitchell.

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Holidays #6

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Happy Holiday

This song was written by Irving Berlin and used in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. The movie covers a number of Holidays and includes the now iconic “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade”. The song to represent New Years was “Happy Holiday” and it was performed by Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds. Martha Mears voice was used (dubbed in) instead as it was for many an actress such as Rita Hayworth, Lucille Ball, Hedy Lamarr, Claudette Colbert and over two dozen more.

The song is played in the mix of Christmas themed songs as it fits the festive mood for the more generic playlist. Berlin had been tasked with writing a song for each holiday of the year and includes “Be Careful it’s My Heart” for Valentines Day.

As Holiday songs go it has not been covered as often and secondhdandsongs.com lists 57 versions, which for any other song is a lot, but for songs of the Season, many have over 1000 versions each so this one may not enter the the top 25. Still a lovely sentiment and it along with the rest of the songs from the movie shows the brilliance of Irving Berlin.

The song did not take off and garner covers right away such as the three in 1942 (now 2163 and counting) versions of “White Christmas”. It was 13 years later that it appeared on a Christmas themed record Happy Holiday by Jo Stafford (1955).

Kat Edmonson included the song on her 2021 album Holiday Swingin’! – A Kat Edmonson Christmas Vol. 1

Holidays #2

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“Winter Wonderland”

This song was written as a poem by Richard (Dick) Smith as he admired the freshly fallen snow in his hometown of Honesdale Pennsylvania. Smith had Tuberculous, but before he succumbed to the disease in 1934 he showed the poem to his friend Felix Bernard who composed the music. The most popular version was the cover by Guy Lombardo which came out just a week after the original (above) on the competing Decca Records. Over the years it has been recorded by just about every major name from the 1930’s through to today’s stars such as Norah Jones and Thomas Rhett. It is the tenth most recorded song of all time with 1560 versions, just ahead of “Over the Rainbow” that currently has 1490 renditions.

There is no mention of Christmas at all in the song but of course it is full of the imagery of freshly fallen snow, sleigh bells and young love. The fictitious Parson Brown becomes a Circus Clown in the more children friendly version.

Here are some of the more popular versions, both Bennett and Love have charted with this song.

Personally I have to go with this swinging version by Ella Fitzgerald but I am sure you have your favorite(s).

References: 1,2,3

Holiday #6

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“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”

As I “wrap up” my miniseries on Billie Holiday I will finish with the only song she recorded that is associated with Christmas. That is to say it is not a Christmas song at all, however since it’s debut in the Musical, On the Avenue in 1937 the song has snuggled it’s way onto Christmas Albums by many an artist. It was first performed in the movie by Dick Powell and Alice Faye, the first record was by Ray Noble, which was released January 27, 1937 so chronologically it came out before the February 4, movie debut.

Billie was one of at least 10 artists to cover this song in it’s first year of release, and her version is often mentioned when referring to the more memorable renditions of the song. Written by Irving Berlin, the lyrics reference, wind, snow, cold, icicles and the month of December. At the time it was being recorded by Billie and many others it was a song about love and warmth, not a Holiday or Christmas song.

Here is a clip from the movie.

I am sure many of us are having our fill of Holiday and Christmas songs and for many December 26 brings some welcome relief in more ways than one. However tis’ the Season and so I thought to kick off my contribution I would give a little background on some of the songs such as this one that were not purpose designed. Many of the songs around Christmas and the Holidays have some interesting origins. For more on that story you can check out my upcoming Holidays #1 post.

If you have read some of my past posts you know how I love to connect the dots. I will leave you an interesting link between “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and Christmas Songs.

First, here is the legendary Jazz Guitarist Django Reinhardt and his oft partner the equally legendary Jazz Violinist Stéphane Grappelli with their instrumental version from 1938.

Again from 1938 we have Reinhardt but this time featuring the Violin stylings of the amazing Michel Warlop with “Christmas Swing”. In this case…perhaps all roads lead to Reinhardt.

references: 1, 2, 3,