The Quite Continental Mix I
May 9th, 2012 § 6 Comments
- Dinah Washington – Blue Skies
- Ella Fitzgerald – Whatever Lola Wants
- Sammy Davis Jr. – Something’s Gotta Give
- Sarah Vaughn – Ain’t Misbehavin’
- Dean Martin – Volare/An Evening in Roma
- Dinah Washington – Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby
- Doris Day – Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
- Rosemary Clooney – Sway
- Sarah Vaughn – Misty
- Dinah Washington – I Wanna Be Loved
- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Summertime
- Lena Horne – Someone To Watch Over Me
- Dinah Washington – Since I Fell For You
- Chet Baker – I Fall In Love Too Easily
- Doris Day – Fly Me To The Moon
- Dean Martin – Besame Mucho
- Dinah Washington – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
For my first-ever playlist, you get jazzy songs for a smoky midtown bar, or for shoes-off slowdances on the rug after the dinner party’s all gone home. It’s a little heavy on the strings and Dinah Washington, but I didn’t mind that all too much — so I hope you don’t either. Click play to enjoy!
Experimenting this evening with 8tracks, which I found via the Rugby Style Blog. The songs may not play in the exact order above, but they’re all in there.
Photo of Ella Fitzgerald, performing at Mr. Kelly’s Nightclub in Chicago, 1958. Taken by Yael Joel for Life Magazine, via the Life Archive.
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Ben Carroll ~ A Change Is Gonna Come
April 26th, 2012 § 2 Comments
Allow me to toot the family horn a bit…
Ben Carroll is an amazing singer and songwriter. He also happens to be my cousin. Ben’s currently hard at work on a soon-to-be-released third album, but he recently took some time out to make this clip of one of my most favorite songs, Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” When we were all kids, my siblings and I used to force Ben to sing to us — totally understandable, once you’ve heard his voice. Enjoy.
Ben Carroll on Facebook || Twitter || Website
And if you happen to be in LA, Ben has a show on May 4 at WitZend in Venice.
Find details and ticket information here.
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Throwback Thursday ||The Smiths ~ This Charming Man
April 12th, 2012 § 4 Comments
I’m not sure you appreciate how often I sing to myself:
“I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear”
Goapele ~ Tears On My Pillow
April 2nd, 2012 § Leave a Comment
A little soul music for your Monday morning…
I’ve been a fan of Bay Area-native chanteuse Goapele since 2002, but she’s never quite made the commercial breakthrough I always thought she deserved. In this post-Adele world, armed with her new single “Tears On My Pillow” from her recent album “Break of Dawn,” I’m wondering if she just might.
Sidenotes: How ridiculously gorgeous is she? Do we think those are her own lashes? And I’m officially and completely obsessed with her makeup; that cool red on her lips must. be. mine.
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28 Days of Classy and Fabulous Things: Day 19 – Try a Bit of High Art
February 19th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
**QC’s 28 Days**
In February I will be bringing you daily tips
to cultivate more classiness and fabulousness in daily life!
Image via LIFE, taken in 1958 by Walter Sanders.
Day 19: Try a Bit of High Art
I’m definitely of the opinion that a classy and fabulous life should include exposure to cultural experiences of the sort often referred to as “high culture” or “high art.” Now, granted, terming specific kinds of art as “high” invites controversy and accusations of elitism. It is not my intention to require you to snob about and attend the entire season at the Philharmonic. Au contraire! What I am modestly suggesting is that you approach high art with an open mind. Attend the ballet at least once before deciding you hate it. Listen to some Shostakovich and a bit of Debussy before deciding you don’t like classical music. Be willing to experiment and you might be surprised! (Please note, I am not suggesting that you must only enjoy stuffy baroque operas and oil paintings! A fabulous and classy life has room for everything, even Gossip Girl. Maybe not Jersey Shore…)
About six years ago, I had the good fortune to be introduced to the opera by a lovely friend. I hadn’t had any exposure to the art form, but somehow I already had preconceived notions about what it was like and how much I would (not) enjoy it. Completely preposterous! I came away completely in love after my first performance and went on to rush the entire season — even going alone to a few performances!
Skeptical? Think the opera is all heavyset women with viking hats screaming their heads off? Mais, non! Witness one of the hottest duos in contemporary opera, Rolando Villazon and Anna Netrebko, preform a selection from Massenet’s Manon, “Toi! Vous!” Luckily, I was able to see them both perform Manon at the LA Opera. It was truly amazing!
My point here is not to merely sell you on going to the opera (do try it!) but to illustrate that your preconceived notions about “high art” might be as wrong as mine were about the opera. And you’ll never know until you try. Expanding your cultural horizons pure class. Besides, what could be more fabulous than attending an opening night or a black tie gala?
Earlier: Quite Continental’s 28 Days of Classy and Fabulous Things
Metropolitan Opera 2010 Summer HD Festival
August 9th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Starting August 28 and running for 10 consecutive nights, the Metropolitan Opera will screen HD films of some of their best loved and most popular operas in Lincoln Center Plaza for free. Even with 2800 seats — available on a first-come, first-served basis — this popular series always runs out of seating, so be sure to get there early.
- Saturday, August 28 at 8pm – Puccini’s Tosca
- Sunday, August 29 at 8pm – Mozart’s Magic Flute
- Monday, August 30 at 715pm – Strauss’s Der Rosenkavelier (with Fleming)
- Tuesday, August 31 at 715pm – Adams’s Doctor Atomic
- Wednesday, September 1 at 745pm – Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann (with Netrebko)
- Thursday, September 2 at 8pm – Puccini’s La Boheme
- Friday, September 3 at 8pm – Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel
- Saturday, September 4 at 8pm – Puccini’s Turandot
- Sunday, September 5 at 8pm – Verdi’s Aida
- Monday, September 6 at 745pm – Bizet’s Carmen
Lincoln Center is between Amsterdam and Columbus Aves, at 65th.
You can find more information on the festival here.
Dancebreak: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons ~ Beggin’ (remix)
July 19th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
All this talk of Mad Men has put me in a 60s kinda mood…
