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Sammy Davis, Jr. At The Cocoanut Grove
''Sammy Davis Jr. at the Cocoanut Grove'' is a 1963 live album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles. Track listing # Introduction – 0:45 # "Once in a Lifetime" ( Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley) – 2:23 # " In the Still of the Night" (Cole Porter) – 3:46 # " What Kind of Fool Am I?" (Bricusse, Newley) – 3:11 # Talk – 1:38 # " Falling in Love Again" ( Frederick Hollander, Sammy Lerner) – 4:00 # Medley: " I've Got You Under My Skin"/"Big Bad John"/" Night and Day" (Porter)/( Jimmy Dean, Dean Acuff, Roy Acuff)/(Porter) – 6:32 # Meeting the President – 3:07 # '' West Side Story'' Medley: "Jet Song"/"Something's Coming"/"Cool"/" Tonight"/"America"/"Gee, Office Krupke!"/" Maria" (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim) – 4:58 # Frank Talk – 1:11 # "River, Stay 'Way from My Door" (Mort Dixon, Harry M. Woods) – 2:30 # "Me and My Shadow" (Dave Dreyer, Al Jolson, Billy Rose) – 2:37 # Medley: " Hound Dog"/"What'd I Say" ( Jer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammy Davis Jr
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which toured nationally, and his film career began in 1933. After military service, Davis returned to the trio and became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's (in West Hollywood) after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, at the age of 29, he lost his left eye in a car accident. Several years later, he converted to Judaism, finding commonalities between the oppression experienced by African-American and Jewish communities.Sammy Davis Jr. Biography Biography.com. Retrieved June 6, 2013.< ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederick Hollander
Friedrich Hollaender (in exile also Frederick Hollander; 18 October 189618 January 1976) was a German film composer and author. Life and career He was born in London to a Jewish family, where his father, operetta composer Victor Hollaender, worked as a musical director at the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Young Hollaender had a solid music and theatre family background: his uncle Gustav was director of the Stern Conservatory in Berlin, and his uncle Felix Hollaender was a well-known novelist and drama critic, who later worked with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater. In 1899 Hollaender's family returned to Berlin. His father began teaching at the Stern Conservatory, where his son became a student in Engelbert Humperdinck's master class. In the evening he played the piano at silent film performances in local cinemas, developing the art of musical improvisation. By the age of 18 he was employed as a répétiteur at the New German Theatre in Prague and also was put in charge of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with shows that tackle "unexpected themes that range far beyond the enre'straditional subjects" with "music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication." His shows address "darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience," with songs often tinged with "ambivalence" about various aspects of life. He was known for his frequent collaborations with Hal Prince and James Lapine on the Broadway stage. Sondheim's interest in musical theater began at a young age, and he was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II. He began his career by writing the lyrics for ''West Side Story'' (1957) and ''Gypsy'' (1959). He transitioned to writing both music and lyrics for the theater, with his best-known works including '' A Funny Thing Happened on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first American conductor to receive international acclaim. According to music critic Donal Henahan, he was "one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history". Bernstein was the recipient of many honors, including seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, sixteen Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors, Kennedy Center Honor. As a composer he wrote in many genres, including symphonic and orchestral music, ballet, film and theatre music, choral works, opera, chamber music and works for the piano. His best-known work is the Broadway theatre, Broadway musical ''West Side Story'', which continues to be regularly performed worldwide, and has been adapted into two (West Side Story (1961 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maria (1956 Song)
"Maria" is a song from the 1957 Broadway musical ''West Side Story'', sung by the lead character Tony. The music was written by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song was published in 1956. "Maria" is sung by the male lead Tony when he learns the name of the girl he's fallen in love with is "Maria". The name "Maria" is spoken or sung in the song 29 times. Originally written in B major by Bernstein – but later lowered a half step to Bb major for the Original Broadway production – which then modulates to D major respectively. In the 1961 and 2021 films however, the song was in the key of A major modulating to D-flat major. The song is widely known for its use of the melodic interval of a tritone in the main theme. The song is an example of the use of Lydian mode, which is the same as the major scale but with a raised 4th, giving the tritone characteristic of this piece. Cover versions * Peter Alexander * Alfie Boe * Andrea Bocelli * Jim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
America (West Side Story Song)
“America” is a song from the 1957 musical ''West Side Story''. Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics and Leonard Bernstein composed the music. Content In the original stage/ version, Anita – the girlfriend of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, and the most important female character after Maria – praises America while a fellow Puerto Rican, Rosalia, supports Puerto Rico. This version of the song deprecates the island and highlights the positive qualities of American life ("I'll drive a Buick through San Juan/If there's a road you can drive on"). The irony of this supposedly pro-American number, however, is its vibrantly Hispanic musical style, with Latin percussion, complex cross-rhythm and Spanish guitar. In the 1961 film version, Anita, played by Rita Moreno, still sings in favor of the United States while Bernardo, played by George Chakiris, replies with corresponding criticisms of America and American ethnic prejudice, especially against Puerto Ricans ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonight (1956 Song)
"Tonight" is a song from the 1957 musical ''West Side Story'' with music written by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was published in 1956. Description The song is a love duet between the protagonists Tony and Maria, sung while Tony visits Maria on the fire escape outside her apartment. ''West Side Story'' is a modernized adaptation of Shakespeare's '' Romeo and Juliet'' set in 20th-century New York; the scene in which "Tonight" appears is the adaptation of ''Romeo and Juliets famous "balcony scene". History Originally the song for the balcony scene was to have been " One Hand, One Heart". It was felt that this song was too innocent for two teenagers in love, and so it was decided to take this tune, which hitherto only existed as the overarching phrase from the " Tonight Quintet" and use it as the tune for the balcony scene. In the original 1957 Broadway production of ''West Side Story'', "Tonight" was performed by Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cool (Leonard Bernstein Song)
"Cool" is a song from the 1957 musical '' West Side Story''. Leonard Bernstein composed the music and Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics. This was the first song they wrote together, and Sondheim later recollects that Bernstein must have written the opening line ("Boy, boy, crazy boy") since he himself was not prone to writing melismatically. This song is known for its fugal treatment of a jazz figure, described by one writer as "possibly the most complex instrumental music heard on Broadway to date". In the 1957 musical, the song is performed by Riff, the leader of the Jet Gang to calm their nerves before the rumble. This is likely to show he holds the gang together despite his flaws. This is however changed in the 1961 and 2021 film adaptations. Summary in the 1961 film Since the death of Riff ( Russ Tamblyn), Ice (Tucker Smith) takes over as the leader of the Jets and he reasons with his team to play it cool. Summary in the 2021 film Hours before the rumble, Tony (Ansel Elgor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1950s in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, then a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood. The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The Sharks, who are immigrants from Puerto Rico, and the Jets, who are white, vie for dominance of the neighborhood, and the police try to keep order. The young protagonist, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang's leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, tragic love story, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in musical theatre. The original 1957 Broadway production, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful. In 1952, Hank Williams told Ralph Gleason, "He's the biggest singer this music ever knew. You booked him and you didn't worry about crowds. For drawing power in the South, it was Roy Acuff, then God." Acuff began his music career in the 1930s and gained regional fame as the singer and fiddler for his group, the Smoky Mountain Boys. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and although his popularity as a musician waned in the late 1940s, he remained one of the Opry's key figures and promoters for nearly four decades. In 1942, Acuff and Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose Music, the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company, which signed such a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became a national television personality starting on CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country music crossover hit into rock and roll with "Big Bad John" and his 1963 television series ''The Jimmy Dean Show'' gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national exposure with his character, Rowlf. His acting career included appearing in the early seasons in the ''Daniel Boone'' TV series as the sidekick of the famous frontiersman played by star Fess Parker. Later he was on the big screen in a supporting role as billionaire Willard Whyte in the James Bond film '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971), starring Sean Connery. He lived near Richmond, Virginia, and was nominated for the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, but died before his induction that y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Night And Day (song)
"Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter that was written for the 1932 musical ''Gay Divorce''. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of musicians. Fred Astaire introduced "Night and Day" on stage. His studio recording of the song with the Leo Reisman orchestra was released on Victor Records on January 13, 1933, and it became a No. 1 hit, topping the charts of the day for ten weeks. In December, it beat " The Last Round-Up" by George Olsen (nine weeks) and " Stormy Weather" by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler (eight weeks) to become the Number 1 record for the year 1933. Astaire performed it again in the 1934 film version of the show, renamed ''The Gay Divorcee'', and it became one of his signature songs. There are several accounts about the song's origin. One mentions that Porter was inspired by an Islamic prayer when he visited Morocco. Another account says he was inspired by the Moorish architect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
