Bjork i remember you3/13/2023 And, in a kind of musical synchronicity, two tunes-"One Moment Worth Years” and “I Didn’t Know Until You Told Me"-were written by Dave and Iola Brubeck, and performed here by Armstrong with singer Carmen McRae and the Brubeck Trio. Combined with the later material (from 1955-61), they display Satchmo at his vocal best. The Armstrong tracks are actually a kind of primer in the art of pop singing, especially in six tunes from 1929-30. The Brubeck tunes-such as “My Romance,” “These Foolish Things,” “What Is This Thing Called Love?” and so on-have the benefit of Paul Desmond’s alto saxophone, surely one of the most romantic sounds in all of jazz. While neither may be the first artist who comes to mind when thinking of love songs, the selections are more appealing than one might expect. Recognizing that fact, Columbia Legacy has released a pair of soundtracks for the occasion: “Dave Brubeck Love Songs” and “Louis Armstrong Love Songs.” More Jazz for Lovers: Given that most American popular songs-certainly those favored by jazz artists-are about love in all its many manifestations, it’s surprising that Valentine’s Day receives so few recorded tributes. “Some good standards, relaxed jazz rhythms and a few memories. ![]() She also spent three years on Liberace’s television show, played with Ray Anthony and Harry James, and recorded with, among dozens of others, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Judy Collins and James Brown. The combination of Holiday and Michael would be diverse enough for anyone’s career, but it’s just the start for Hale. Which was OK, but then he added, ‘And she played for Billie Holiday.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, my God, George, she’s been dead for 40 years!’ But the audience oohed and aahed, and that was cool.” On the concert, George introduced me by saying I’d played for Frank Sinatra. So, last October I recorded with him, and in November his manager called and asked me to come to London for the concert. “George heard a record of Bjork’s that I’d played on and asked his producer to find me, which he did. The Michael connection was equally unexpected. But for me, it was the experience of a lifetime.” But she was on the downside of her career, and a year and half later she was dead. Then she asked me to Jazz City with her, and I did. She found out that I was the piano player, walked over, hugged me and said, ‘You are my little girl.’ I did a month with her in Vegas. “I was working with Jerry Gray’s band in Las Vegas when there was a last-minute guest-star booking, and in walked Billie Holiday. “Both assignments came out of the blue,” says Hale, who-in addition to her fine piano work-is generally acknowledged as one of the very few first-rate harpists. Last year, she performed “I Remember You” as a duo on Michael’s “Songs of the Last Century” album and accompanied him on an Albert Hall concert that also included Boy George and Elton John. In 1957, Hale was Holiday’s piano accompanist. ![]() ![]() But there is a surprisingly strong link between the two, and her name is Corky Hale. Billie Holiday and George Michael are not exactly names that resonate with eachother.
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