NOTABLOG
MONTHLY ARCHIVES: 2002 - 2020
| NOVEMBER 2011 | JANUARY 2012 |
Song of the Day: We
Are Santa's Elves, words and music by Johnny
Marks, is performed by the Elf Orchestra (actually Videocraft
Chorus) on the classic stop-motion animation Rankin-Bass
TV special, "Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Check
out the song scene on YouTube. And a Merry
Christmas to one and all!
Song of the Day: Zanzibar,
words and music by the prolific Billy
Joel, is a selection from the #1
1979 Grammy Award winning Album
of the Year, "52nd Street," a paean to that Manhattan
Street known for its legendary mid-twentieth century jazz scene (including
"Swing Street," between 5th and 6th Avenues). The recording features
changing rhythms and hues, and scintillating solo work by the late, great jazz
horn player, Freddie
Hubbard. The second section of Hubbard's solo is faded out on the
original album, but an "unfaded" version of the song is a highlight of the boxed
set, "My
Lives." Check out the
original album version on YouTube, a
"demo" version, and the "unfaded"
version too, where Hubbard's extended solo is utterly stupendous.
Whew! This is the first "Z" song to appear on "My
Favorite Songs," and any tune that mentions "jazz
guitar" gets extra points from me any time!