What an American Masterpiece!
 

Yeah, that's gotta be a 'standard' for sure. That barbershop version is pretty sweet.

Joel's pumped out a number for the ages:

She's got a way about her
She's always a woman to me
Just the way you are
Honesty is such a lonely word

^^^luv the commuter train version!! :)




modern interpretations

Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong.

Gotta share a story first... have sung this in Karoke, and at a Christmas event, doing my best rasty Louie voice... learned it while learned to play Uke.

So one day I am coming off the beach, my beach day over, got things to do, probably a look of concern on my face. This old hippy kinda guy is headed toward me, toward the beach... looks at me, probably notes the scowl, and just says "SING."

I look at him and indeed, break into song, this song... he grins and applauses. A perfect moment.


Thanks Louie, could not have done it without you. :D

Since This is "Foo"
 

Song: Route 66's original title "(Get Your Kicks) on Route 66"

Bobby Troup composition 1946

First sung by Nate King Cole's trio "Cole Trio"


Also Natalie Cole's version


Sammy Davis Jr. version

Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone no pool no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but, two hours of pushing broom
Buys a eight by twelve four bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road

Third bocxcar midnight train
Destination Bangor Maine
Old worn out suit and shoes
I don't pay no union dues
I smoke old stogies I have found
Short but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road
I know every engineer on every train
All of the children and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
I sing trailers for sale or rent...

Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone no pool no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but, two hours of pushing broom
Buys a eight by twelve four bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road

Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let fifty cents
No phone no pool no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah but, two hours of pushing broom

Our society has changed a lot since that song was written. At the time, middle America loved the free spirited character described.

Now you can't legally push a broom for 2 hours without first completing an electronic I-9. And you're not getting a room anywhere for the equivalent of 2 hours of work.

And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around

And these days the suggestion that any violation of private property rights would be at all acceptable would draw outrage on twitter.

No, but if you hone your job skills up, and find a specialized enough niche, you can indeed survive working two hours a day, in America 2019.

Sophisticated Lady by Duke Ellington 1932. Lyrics by Mitchell Parish

Lou Rawls version



Linda Ronstadt version

Song: Do You Want To Know a Secret? 1963 the Beatles

Renee Olstead with John Daversa band


George Harrison version

Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel

There's his daughter's version by Alexa Ray Joel


Now listen to Billy Joel's version

I wouldn't be surprised if Dad did the arrangement, using her strengths and tempering the parts that Dad can do but Daughter isn't doing for some reasons.

Have woken up in the middle of the night many times, to hear this classic almost haunting song playing on the radio. It's just one of those songs ... don't know what else you'd call it but an American Classic.

Song: Nature Boy written by Eden Ahbez (George McGrew) in 1947 and recorded 1948 by Nat king Cole. Ahbez is what I consider the "hippie" even in those years before it became fashionable.

Nat Cole version; Natalie Cole version; George Benson version.



David Bowie version (from Movie Moulin Rouge!)

Nat did his own version of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", but I still prefer the Platters version, that singer gets damn near operatic in his intensity, while Nat is more laid back.


Written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 musical Roberta. The widow of composer Jerome Kern disliked the Platter's version of the recording so much, she considered legal action to prevent its distribution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_Gets_in_Your_Eyes

Yeah, her voice is quite different, and pretty good, but with the electric piano backing it seems generally same ol'. I like covers that creatively change the whole sound from the original. If you're going to make it sound exactly the same, what's the point?

I much prefer laid back in general, and Cole is a better singer. And even with being more 'laid back', he picks up the tempo a little, which I think helps. It made me realize the original kind of drags.

I googled up if Sarah Vaughan ever did it, and yup, she definitely takes it in a new direction. Totally new band orchestration (not strings), and she makes the slow work. She really knows how to wring the music out of every juicy note.


Dinah Washington's rendition is closer to the Platters, but her voice is also amazing

Washington's delivery helped me understand the lyrics better. :thumb:

I suspect her Dad had a lot to do with the arrangement for her. We can take it from there. If it were from any other singer, yeah it would have been a lot different.

Comparison between Dad and Daughter would be Nat Cole and Natalie Cole. Arrangements very similar but Natalie is a whole different singer.

Here's a song with contrasting styles:

"Moonlight in Vermont" is a popular song about the U.S. state of Vermont, written by John Blackburn (lyrics) and Karl Suessdorf (music) and published in 1944.[1]

Billie Holiday version:


Then the Willie Nelson veresion:

Maybe not a Standard, but maybe in the Blues sense which is intimately tied to jazz, Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone by Bill Withers 1971

Here's one by a relatively new and perhaps unknown by a female cover


Buddy Guy (Blues guitarist) version with Tracy Chapman. Its all Buddy Guy's influence as one of the "great" in blues guitar

I owe all of you. Thanks for the memories from one older guy. One of the best threads I've seen.