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Blues For Easy Livers
''Blues for Easy Livers'' is an album by blues vocalist Jimmy Witherspoon which was recorded in 1965 and released on the Prestige label. accessed May 15, 2013 Reception Richie Unterberger, in his review for , says "Despite the title, this actually leans considerably further to the jazz side of Witherspoon's muse than the blues one... Witherspoon's one of the masters of closing-time bluesy jazz, and he doesn't let anyone down on that account on this relaxed (but not sleepy) session".Unterberger, R[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Witherspoon
James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mother was an avid piano player. Witherspoon's grandson Ahkello Witherspoon is the starting cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Witherspoon eventually joined the Merchant Marines. Career Witherspoon first attracted attention singing in Calcutta, India, with Teddy Weatherford's band, which made regular radio broadcasts over the US Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. He first recorded under his own name in 1947, and two years later with the McShann band, he had his first hit, " Ain't Nobody's Business", a song that came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him—"No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Harry Nilsson, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. Biography Career Gordon Jenkins was born in Webster Groves, Missouri. He began his career writing arrangements for a radio Station in St. Louis. He was hired by Isham Jones, the director of a dance band known for its ensemble playing, which gave Jenkins the opportunity to develop his skills in melodic scoring. He also conducted ''The Show Is On'' on Broadway. After the Jones band broke up in 1936, Jenkins worked as a freelance arranger and songwriter, contributing to sessions by Isham Jones, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Andre Kostelanetz, Lennie Hayton, and others. In 1938, Jenkins moved to Hollywood and worked for Paramount Picture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", " The Man I Love" and " Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera ''Porgy and Bess''. The success the Gershwin brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. His mastery of songwriting continued after George's early death in 1937. Ira wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, Harry Warren and Harold Arlen. His critically acclaimed 1959 book ''Lyrics on Several Occasions'', an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ''Rhapsody in Blue'' (1924) and ''An American in Paris'' (1928), the songs " Swanee" (1919) and "Fascinating Rhythm" (1924), the jazz standards "Embraceable You" (1928) and "I Got Rhythm" (1930), and the opera ''Porgy and Bess'' (1935), which included the hit " Summertime". Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell, and Joseph Brody. He began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with his brother Ira Gershwin and with Buddy DeSylva. He moved to Paris, intending to study with Nadia Boulanger, but she refused him, afraid that rigorous classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style; Maurice Ravel voiced similar objections when Gershwin inq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Embraceable You
"Embraceable You" is a jazz standard song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was written in 1928 for an unpublished operetta named ''East Is West''. It was published in 1930 and included in that year's Broadway musical ''Girl Crazy'', performed by Ginger Rogers in a song and dance routine choreographed by Fred Astaire. Billie Holiday's 1944 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005. Other versions * Nat King Cole – (1943) * Bing Crosby (recorded November 12, 1947) – included in the album ''Bing Crosby Sings Songs by George Gershwin''. * Ella Fitzgerald – ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook'' (1959) * Jane Froman – '' With a Song in My Heart'' * Judy Garland – ''Girl Crazy'', film (1943) * Erroll Garner * Herbie Hancock – ''Gershwin's World'' (1998) * Billie Holiday – 1944 * Billie Holiday – ''Body and Soul'' (1957) * Chet Baker – ''Embraceable You (album)'' (1957) * Charlie Parker ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leo Robin
Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 – December 29, 1984) was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross in the film ''The Big Broadcast of 1938'', and with Jule Styne on "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," a song whose witty, Cole Porter style of lyric came to be identified with its famous interpreter Marilyn Monroe. Biography Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. His father was Max Robin, a salesman. Leo's mother was Fannie Finkelpearl Robin. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and at Carnegie Tech's drama school. He later worked as a reporter and as a publicist. Robin's first hits came in 1926 with the Broadway production ''By the Way'', with hits in several other musicals immediately following, such as ''Bubbling Over'' (1926), ''Hit the Deck, Judy'' (1927), and ''Hello Yourself'' (1928 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Rainger
Ralph Rainger ( Reichenthal; October 7, 1901 – October 23, 1942) was an American composer of popular music principally for films. Biography Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, United States, Rainger initially embarked on a legal career, having obtained his law degree at Brown University in 1926. He had, however, studied piano from a young age and attended the Institute of Musical Art in New York. Public performances include radio broadcasts from New York and WOR (New Jersey) as early as 1922. These were as soloist, accompanist to singers, and as duo-pianist with Adam Carroll or "Edgar Fairchild" (the name Milton Suskind used for commercial work).“Round the Radio Circuit.” New York Telegram and Evening Mail, 2 July 1924. He also prepared piano rolls between 1922 and 1928 for Ampico, Standard, and DeLuxe. Some of these used the "Reichenthal" surname, others the "Rainger" name he was gradually adopting commercially. Other early musical activities include arranging for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Easy Living (song)
"Easy Living" (1937) is a jazz standard written by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Leo Robin for the film '' Easy Living'' where it was the main theme of the score but not sung. A popular recording in 1937 was by Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Lester Young. A multitude of other artists have also recorded the song. See also *List of 1930s jazz standards Jazz standards are musical compositions that are widely known, performed and recorded by jazz artists as part of the genre's musical repertoire. This list includes compositions written in the 1930s that are considered standards by at least one ... References {{DEFAULTSORT:Easy Living (song) 1937 songs 1930s jazz standards Songs with lyrics by Leo Robin Songs with music by Ralph Rainger Billie Holiday songs The Coasters songs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ted Koehler
Ted L. Koehler (July 14, 1894 – January 17, 1973) was an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. Life and career Koehler was born in 1894 in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver, but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville and Broadway theatre, and he also produced nightclub shows. His most successful collaboration was with the composer Harold Arlen, with whom he wrote many famous songs from the 1920s through the 1940s. In 1929 the duo composed their first well-known song, " Get Happy", and went on to create "Let's Fall in Love", " Stormy Weather", " Sing My Heart" and other hit songs. Throughout the early and mid-1930s they wrote for the Cotton Club, a popular Harlem night club, for big band jazz legend Duke Ellington and other top performers, as well as for Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Koehler also worked with ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rube Bloom
Reuben Bloom (April 24, 1902 – March 30, 1976) was an American songwriter, pianist, arranger, band leader, recording artist, vocalist, and author. Life and career Bloom was born and died in New York City. He was Jewish. During his career, he worked with many well-known performers, including Bix Beiderbecke, Joe Venuti, Ruth Etting, Stan Kenton, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. He collaborated with a wide number of lyricists, including Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, and Mitchell Parish. During the 1920s he wrote many novelty piano solos, which are still well regarded today. He recorded for the Aeolian Company's Duo-Art reproducing piano system various titles including his "Spring Fever". His first hit came in 1927 with "Soliloquy"; his last was "Here's to My Lady" in 1952, which he wrote with Johnny Mercer. In 1928, he made a number of records with Joe Venuti's Blue Four for OKeh, including five songs he sang, as well as played piano. Bloom formed and led a number of bands during his career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Worry 'bout Me
"Don't Worry 'bout Me" is a 1938 song composed by Rube Bloom, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was introduced in the "World's Fair" edition of the Cotton Club show in 1939. The first hit recording was in 1939 by Hal Kemp and His Orchestra (vocal by Bob Allen). Other notable recordings *Billie Holiday – ''Last Recording'' with Ray Ellis and his Orchestra. Recording completed on March 11, 1959 and released in July the same year under MGM. *Savannah Churchill – recorded on December 26, 1951 for RCA Victor (catalog No. 20-4773). *Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Joe Williams – ''One O'Clock Jump'' (Verve, 1956) note: Williams sings this tune with Basie's orchestra *Chris Connor – ''Chris In Person'' ive recording(Atlantic, 1959) *Jack Sheldon – ''Jack Sheldon Sings'' (Butterfly, 1993). *Frank Sinatra – ''This Is Sinatra!'' (1956), ''Where Are You'' (1957), ''Sinatra at the Sands'' (1966). His 1954 single reached No. 17 in the Billboard charts that year. *Sarah Vaughan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
