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Thursday, September 6, 2007

Definitive Valentine

Regular readers of this blog know that my musical tastes are, well, eclectic. Raised by parents who were both professional calibre singers, I heard everything from great advertising jingles to show tunes to opera, sung and hummed around my childhood home. As a teenager, I was just as likely to be listening to Frank Sinatra as Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell as Hair - original Broadway cast recording and the cover by The Cowsills. Hey, give me a break! I was born, raised and chauvinistic verging perilously close to jingoistic about all things Rhode Island!

Recently, I fell in love with Hem, but I haven’t fallen out of musical love with anyone else. For many years, hearing any rendition of the 1939 Rodgers and Hart song “My Funny Valentine” has always stopped me dead in my tracks. At last I have found what I consider to be my favorite interpretation: Elvis Costello with Marian McPartland on “Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast With Elvis Costello”. I don’t yet own the 2003 album, but I downloaded the MFV single from iTunes. If it were a physical, spinning, three dimensional single like I knew in my younger days, I’d be playing the grooves off it! Give it a listen.

5 comments:

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Elvis Costello singing She, that's my favourite.

SoulPony said...

Oh, i love that song. I even loved it when Matt Damon sang it in The Talented Mr. Ripley and he really can't sing that well. I bought the soundtrack for that song.

I downloaded this like you said and I like it.

Anonymous said...

I agree with DMM. She, from the Notting Hill soundtrack. Every time I hear it I tear up.

Anonymous said...

Hey Buttons,

Just for the record.....I LOVE Leonard Cohen. I have the complete collection..."The Essential Leonard Cohen"

I've ripped my favs and made a disc for the car. Also some Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi, The Who etc.
Love
Kat
P.S. Hi Gail!!!

Pink Granite said...

Hi DMM & Gail/Sis -
I have to agree that Elvis Costello singing "She" is absolutely super! I loved the song "She" the first time I heard it sung by Charles Aznavour (another distinctive voice) - who also wrote it!
;o)
- Lee

Hi Tonya -
Yay - another fan of MFV! I'm so glad the recommendation for this version paid off for you!
;o)
- Lee

Hi Karen/Kat/Sis -
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm less a fan of Leonard Cohen's singing than I am his terrific writing. I particularly like his "Hallelujah". I think k.d. lang's and Rufus Wainwright's versions are the best!
Based on your Faves CD we share an eclectic taste in music!
;o)
- Lee/Buttons