Evan Monheit - "The Empress & The Thief"

Few people can say that they are inspired daily by the people the bring close to them. I am lucky enough to be one of those people. Evan Monheit is the kind of talent you don't see every day. He's not loud or effusive about his talent, he is ever understated about the projects he's working on, and yet,  his mind is constantly working, scoring a musical backdrop for life, love, and every adventure in between. 

One of the first compositions of his that I heard was a short piece called "The Housefly" modeled after the famous "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" that he was inspired to write after a fly got trapped in his house. Immediately I knew that this was someone with talent you don't see, or hear, everyday. I've been lucky enough to watch his journey as he defined his personal writing style and discovered his unique voice as a composer. Now, he's handling more jobs than he knows what to do with and bringing his music around the globe. All I can say is congratulations, because he deserves every bit. 

In Evan's own words, here is his bio from his website:

"Hailing from a small town in Northern California, Evan was raised by the most loving and supportive parents a kid could ask for and credits them with motivating him to follow his dreams.  He spent his his early years performing in numerous musicals and choirs before ultimately graduating from UC Davis with a B.A. in Communication and emphasis on Music.

Evan has a diverse range of talents (composing / directing / editing) which give him a unique perspective and edge on the many projects he works on.  Under the guidance and mentorship of Brian Graden (Southpark) he has directed/edited television sizzles, presentations and pilots for Oxygen, A&E, Freeform, CW, Bravo, E!, HGTV and Spotify.

On the musical side, Evan has composed trailer music for FX (The Assassination of Gianni Versace, FX network promo), 20th Century Fox (Poltergeist), Warner Bros (Batman: Dark Knight Rises, Orphan, Whiteout) and Universal (Cowboys and Aliens, Charlie St. Cloud). He arranged/composed music for composer John Ottman (X-Men: Apocalypse) on The Resident and scored The Chosen (starring Kian Lawley), released by Terror Films.  He was the featured composer for Outrageous Kid Parties on TLC and the web show Bloomers.

Most recently Evan worked with RhetroActive, a theme park development company, and composed an assortment of cues for their brand new ride “Agila: the EKsperience” at The Enchanted Kingdom theme park in Manila, Philippines."

So today, with adventure and awe, I choose Evan Monheit's "The Empress & The Theif" as my, find your own magic, create your own opportunity, shake off the dust and get back to it, song for a, why not, get excited, who know's what's around the next turn, Wednesday.

Joseph Haydn - "Quartet No. 27 in D major, Op. 20, No. 4"

 He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio and his contributions to musical form have earned him the epithets "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet".

Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Esterházy family at their remote estate. Until the later part of his life, this isolated him from other composers and trends in music so that he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". Yet his music circulated widely, and for much of his career he was the most celebrated composer in Europe.

He was a friend and mentor of Mozart, a teacher of Beethoven, and the older brother of composer Michael Haydn.

James Webster summarizes Haydn's role in the history of classical music as follows: "He excelled in every musical genre.... He is familiarly known as the 'father of the symphony' and could with greater justice be thus regarded for the string quartet; no other composer approaches his combination of productivity, quality and historical importance in these genres."

He could do anything, and because he could anything he was able to do everything. His was a turbulent life, but he was able to shape the world to his making by taking the talent he was given and merging with hard work. 

So today, with strings in the air, I choose Joseph Haydn's "Quartet No. 27 in D major, Op. 20, No. 4" as my, float along like feather, follow the sun, push yourself towards the horizon, song for a, see the finish line in your mind, accept no substitutions, you're already here Tuesday.

HAERTS - "Wings"

So I've written about them before, back in 2013 actually, check that vintage s#*& out here: http://song-and-soul.com/www.Song-and-Soul.com/Song_%26_Soul/Entries/2013/10/17_HAERTS_-_Hemiplegia.html

But recently I saw the movie "Love, Simon" and it made me laugh and cry all at once. It was reminiscent of "16 Candles" or "The Breakfast Club" it just so happens to have a gay lead.  Anyhow the song comes through in a pivotal moment and it reminded me how much I loved it. 

So today, with hearts on wings, I choose HAERTS - "Wings" as my, lift off, never stop hoping, if not later - when, song for a, crack a little bit, let the light in, see the mesmerizing world for all it's mess and wonder, Monday.

Blossom Dearie - "When Sunny Gets Blue"

Because in every raincloud there's a silver lining, and a rainbow bursting to break through. Give yourself the chance to wash the slate clean and start fresh. 

So today, with silver linings and gold plate I choose Blossom Dearie's version of "When Sunny Gets Blue" as my, go on and shine up, look up or you'll miss it, find the beat of your own drum, song for a, head up young person, with confidence and grace, and a smile to greet death as friend, Thursday. 

Peter, Paul, & Mary - "Leaving On A Jet Plane"

This turned out to be Peter, Paul and Mary's biggest (and final) hit, becoming their only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song also spent three weeks atop the easy listening chart and was used in commercials for United Airlines in the late 1970s. The song also topped the charts in Canada, and reached No. 2 in both the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart in February 1970.

It is very apt today, as I leave Asia and head home. I'm sad and excited all at once. After 2 weeks away and countless adventures, the idea of home and the familiar is a very welcome one.

So today, with silver wings and sliding doors, I choose Peter, Paul, & Mary's "Leaving On A Jet Plane" as my, new adventures, just around the corner, the strange familiar, song for a, when the north wind calls, red scarves in the wind, bags and memories packed to bursting Wednesday.

Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz - "The Girl From Ipanema"

The laid back cool of this bossa nova swing never goes out of style. It was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. English lyrics were written later by Norman Gimbel.

The first commercial recording was in 1962, by Pery Ribeiro. The 1964 single featuring Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz became an international hit. This had been shortened from the version on the album Getz/Gilberto (recorded in March 1963, released March 1964) which had also included the Portuguese lyrics sung by João Gilberto. In the US, the single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to number one for two weeks on the Easy Listening chart. Overseas it peaked at number 29 in the United Kingdom, and charted highly throughout the world.

Numerous recordings have been used in films, sometimes as an elevator music cliché. It is believed to be the second most recorded pop song in history, after "Yesterday" by The Beatles. The song was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2009, the song was voted by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 27th greatest Brazilian song.

So today, with muggy heat clinging to my clothes, I choose Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz's "The Girl From Ipanema" as my, keep it cool while you're getting hot, work yourself up into a dither, samba samba samba, song for a, find your own little beat, sweat down my back, hot markets & cold drinks, Tuesday. 

Litany - "Bedroom"

Litany are 23 year-olds Beth Cornell (vocals) and Jake Nicolaides (production). They first met at school, aged 13, when competing in a Battle of the Bands style competition together, despite losing, they have been firm friends for the past decade.

Their most recent offering 'Bedroom' taken from their acclaimed debut EP '4 Track' has seen the band championed by the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Introducing, Radio X and Stateside via Sirius FM.

"Bedroom is written from both a '16 year-old us' and a 'modern day us' perspective. Being a teenager and getting the train from Harrogate to Leeds, going to gigs and flirting on public transport - nothing's really changed even though we're grown and working in an office, it's all still the same." - Beth Cornell

Litany – meaning a recital or a petition in the clerical context – are an ethereal-leaning alternative-pop duo from Harrogate UK, Beth and Jake. Over the last couple of years, they have been bringing their intelligent brand of 90s’ inspired music to Yorkshire crowds. They were both raised on a diet of pop greats like George Michael and Kate Bush and this comes across. Early single Woman, in collaboration with Chicago-based rapper Appleby, earned them a Number 1 spot on The Hype Machine, followed by more recent single Work This Out, hitting over one million streams on Spotify.

“We wanted our first EP to represent us in the most open, honest and authentic way possible so it was important for each song to encapsulate a key moment in one another's lives. We're most interested in real-life, everyday stories that relate to everyone so the aim was to combine that with music” - Litany

Their too cool for school sound and creamy smooth beats provide the perfect backdrop for everything from pining for your teenage crush to jamming on your own solo adventures across the sea. 

So today, with a beat in my boogie, I choose Litany's "Bedroom" as my, choose your own adventure, yours is the music only you can make, fear nothing but the lack of growth in yourself, song for a, find me a magic stone, chase your windmills, scarlet & gold & emerald & fuschia, Monday.

Marilyn Maye - "Cabaret/Spinning Wheel"

She holds the distinction of being the most frequently heard singer in the Tonight Show, having appeared 76 times and Ella Fitzgerald referred to her as "the greatest white female singer in the world".

In the Wall Street Journal last year, Will Friedwald wrote, “When going to hear Marilyn Maye, you’ll find on one side of the room are the Broadway and cabaret people, who tend to like their singing big and theatrical, with a lot of drama and stage presence. On the other side is the jazz crowd, who want everything hip and cool and understated, and will split the scene if anything doesn’t swing. Ms. Maye is the only pop-song diva working today who can satisfy both crowds at once”.

Marilyn Maye  began her career as a young child performing in Kansas in both live concerts and on the radio. After graduating from high school, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she drew the attention of Steve Allen, performing first on The Steve Allen Show and later The Tonight Show. 

She made numerous recordings for RCA Victor during the 1960s, after which she has had a highly successful career as a cabaret artist, continuing to this day. She has also occasionally appeared on the stage in musicals.[

She was named an Official Jazz Legend by the American Jazz Museum and her place in American music history was assured when the Arts Council of the Smithsonian Institution selected one of her recordings, “Too Late Now” for the Smithsonian-produced album of the 110 Best American Compositions of the Twentieth Century.

She is a tour-de-force and her ability to expand and take up the entire stage, nee the entire theatre, is incredible. 

So today, with the world spinning madly on, I choose Marilyn Maye's "Cabaret/Spinning Wheel" as my, find your painted pony, let nothing stand before you, this is the moment, song for a, come taste the wine, hear your own song, let the colors of life wash over you in vibrant hue, Saturday in Bali.