A crucial portion of this blog, the ability for people to hear this music, is provided by MediaMaster who recently revamped their entire site and interface with some fantastic new features and look. I really can't plug this (currently free) service enough. Below is a screenshot with my customized color and background scheme, you can click the image to enlarge it in a new window.
One of the new and improved features is the ability to search by song allowing one to really explore your collection in a myriad of ways. I actually used to do this with an external hard drive but once I finished ripping the majority of my library I no longer could manage all my music in one place until now. So I thought it might be fun here to present a collection of 20 different versions of one of my favorite melodies in music, eden ahbez's Nature Boy.
Popularized originally by Nat King Cole in the late 40's and now known by people today because of its reoccurring use in the film Moulin Rouge, it lingers in my mind for days every time I hear the song. ahbez had an interesting life apparently, take a quick read at Wikipedia here including how he lived under the first L of the famous Hollywood sign.
Listening to this compilation straight through is engrossing and beautiful given the variety of the interpretations. There are some straight up joyous and swinging versions including Jacky Terrasson and The Three Sounds, but I tend towards the more languid haunting versions such as Ran Blake sucking the sound out of the air as soon as a note emanates from his piano. If you only listen to one or two versions though, make sure to check out Art Pepper and John Coltrane's interpretations for the height of this tune.
There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he
And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
4 comments:
Great idea for a mix. I will keep coming back to listen all week.
Thanks.
Been playing with different tunes in the same manner and it is fascinating. Caravan, 'Round Midnight, etc...
Any input about possible future tune spotlights?
so many you could just start at A with All The Things You Are.
Jitterbug Waltz as of late is getting done a lot. That would be interesting.
Caravan, any Cole Porter tune...
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