BILLIE HOLIDAY IS HONORED IN LARA DOWNES SPLENDID PIANO TRIBUTE TO LADY DAY

Billie Holiday is honored in Lara Downes splendid piano tribute to Lady Day.

There are certain American popular songs that carry the indelible imprint of Billie Holiday, a consummate song interpreter who has provide life- long inspiration to Steinway Artist, Lara Downes. " As a musician, I learned from Billie Holiday to make something personal when you make music," says Lara Downes ,- maybe
something unexpected, something indefinable, perhaps complicated , but beautiful. to take a chance, and if you fall, you fall." ( lyrics from But Beautiful, a song featured on this solo piano tribute to Billie Holiday.)

The song, Body and Soul ,is one of Billie's most iconic performances. Lara Downes, in a stunning arrangement by Jed Distler, offers an arresting interpretation that honors the essence of the well-known standard while exploring some of the hidden corners made possible by the melodic and harmonic twists in this challenging arrangement.
Please listen to Lara Downes mastery of every nuance inherent in both the melody and the lyrics as if a Rachmaninoff had wandered into the recording session to put his own pianistic talents in the service of a great popular song.

You also can listen to Billie Holiday's own version of Body & Soul to see how  both the arranger and pianist are now connected to the spiritual essence of this great artist.

Lara Downes piano solo

 https://youtu.be/nLvRPOcxk5Uhttps://youtu.be/nLvRPOcxk5U

Billie Holiday version

https://youtu.be/CMDlk6lGQOk

SINATRA AT HIS MOST EXPRESSIVE singing " I GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU VERY WELL"

Sinatra at his most expressive singing " I Get Along Without You very Well."

Composer Hoagy Carmichael ran across a poem by writer Jane Thompson. He set it to music and produced this highly romantic and tender ballad. Sinatra recorded it earlier in the album Wee Small Hour of the Morning with an exquisite Nelosn Riddle arrangement.

Anumber of years later, Sinatra appeared in a live London concert and this rendition is deeper, more mature and evocative than his fine earlier recording.
 To my mind thsi is a perfect combination of a great song, wonderful singers interpretation and a stunning Nelson Riddle arrangement for strings. This is pure artistry.

https://youtu.be/QcRZ2i_C6zo

SINATRA SINGS ARLEN'S " I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES" AND REALLY MAKES IT SWING

Sinatra sings Arlen's " I gotta Right To Sing The Blues" and really makes it swing.

With his Cotton Club lyricist partner Ted Koehler, they produced this strangely upbeat version of the blues for the 1932 Earl Carrolls Vanities. Jazz trombonist Jack Teagarden made this one of his signature songs and it has been afavorite of jazz and pop singers ever since.
In this Frank Sinatra version, the singers is in a defiant mood recognizing he has every right to sing the blues and to also feel lowdown. In a way it captures Sinatra's approach to life, to deal with adversity both personal and professional but keep on doing it his way.
The arrangement by Skip Martin is most accomodating of the Sinatra vocal mood  in the song.

https://youtu.be/sXqmQ-N0JxI