A Little Night Music: Tom Grant's 'Language Of Our Own'

Tom Grant's Language of Our Own is a nice smooth jazz piece that I listened to tonight.

You can listen to the song via the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF6jgLwdRDc 

The piece appears on Tom Grant's Delicioso album:

Delicioso (youtube.com)

A Little Night Music: The Late, Great Dean Martin's 'The Things We Did Last Summer'

As I have in past Christmas seasons, I'll be listening to Christmas songs right up to New Year's Day.

One favorite Christmas album is ole Dino's. I love Dean Martin’s cover of the Christmas classics.

One song I love is the pretty and somewhat sad ballad, The Things We Did Last Summer. I'm not sure why this song is on the Christmas album, except perhaps due to the song mentioning winter.

You can listen to a remastered The Things We Did Last Summer via the below link:

The Things We Did Last Summer (Remastered) - YouTube

You can also listen to the entire Christmas album via the below link:

White Christmas - YouTube  

A Little Night Music: The Leonid And Friends Cover Band

When I was a young sailor serving on an aircraft carrier during the Viet Nam War, I often frequented the bars in Olongapo, the city located next to the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines.  

One of the joys of the wild city was listening to the Filipino cover bands in the Olongapo bars. The bands were great mimics, playing a Rolling Stones song for one minute and then a Four Tops song, and sounding amazingly like the original bands. 

I was reminded of the Filipino bands as I’ve been watching the videos of the Leonid & Friends cover band. The Eastern European band does a fine job covering one of my favorite bands, Chicago, as well as Tower of Power, and other American bands. 

You can watch and listen to this fine cover band via the below links:  

 Saturday In The Park – Chicago (Leonid & Friends cover) - YouTube

So Very Hard to Go – Leonid & Friends (Tower of Power cover) - YouTube

You can also visit their web site and view other videos via the below link:

Leonid & Friends | Official Band Website (leonidandf.com)

A Little Night Music: Jazz Fusion Band Incognito Live In Japan

I've been listening to the very talented British band Incognito live in Japan.

Incognito plays what some have called "acid jazz," a fusion of jazz, R&B and other musical genres. 

You can watch and listen to Incognito play live in Japan via the below link:

INCOGNITO LIVE IN JAPAN - YouTube

You can also listen to the best of Incognito via the below link:

Incognito - Positivity - YouTube

  

A Little Night Music: Nina Simone Sings Jazz Classic 'My Baby Just Cares For Me'

I’ve been listening to jazz great Nina Simone sing her classic jazz song, My Baby Just Cares For Me, on youtube.com. 

The song, originally sung by Eddie Cantor in the 1930 film, Whoopee!, was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. Nina Simone recorded the song in 1958.   

You can listen to the song via the below link:

Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me (1958) - YouTube 

A Little Night Music: Sean Connery Reads Beatles' Lyrics To 'In My Life'

In 1998 the Beatles' producer George Martin produced an album of covers of some of the Beatles songs he originally produced.

The album was a hit and miss, in my view, but having the great Scot actor Sean Connery read the Lennon-McCartney lyrics from In My Life was inspired.

You can listen to Sean Connery via the below link:

In My Life - Sean Connery - YouTube

You can listen to the George Martin In My Life album via the below link:

Robin Williams & Bobby McFerrin - Come Together (George Martin: In My Life CD) - YouTube

And you can listen to the Beatles' In My Life via the below link:     

In My Life (Remastered 2009) - YouTube 

A Little Night Music: Dave Brubeck Quartet Performs Jazz Classic 'Take Five' Live

You can watch and listen to the Dave Brubeck Quartet perform their jazz classic Take Five live via the below link:

Dave Brubeck - Take Five - YouTube      

A Little Night Music: Tori Kennedy and Andrea Bocelli's Perform 'The Prayer' Live

 Tori Kelly and Andrea Bocelli performed The Prayer live in Seattle. 

You can watch and listen to this beautiful performance via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=l_VcRKlNnAg 

A Little Night Music: The Beegie Adair Trio Performs A Jazz Song Never Out Of Season, "Autumn Leaves"

You can watch and listen to the Beegie Adair Trio perform Autumn Leaves via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOtUIMrJUyc&list=RDDKiOn5drYRw&index=3

And you can hear the late, great Nat King Cole sing Autumn Leaves via the below link:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnp58oepHUQ 

A Little Night Music: 'The Gael - Last Of The Mohicans' Theme

I read and enjoyed James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans, his 826 novel about the French and Indian war, when I was a kid.

I also loved Michael Mann's 1992 film version, Last of the Mohicans, which starred Daniel Day-Lewis. I've watched the film several times.

I especially loved the theme music, which played very well during the final mountain pass fight.

You can listen to the music via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvYuNfCLRio

You can watch the final scene via the below link:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=last+of+the+mohicans+final+fight&&view=detail&mid=7DECF3A0D4C1F3A4C7CA7DECF3A0D4C1F3A4C7CA&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dlast%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bmohicans%2Bfinal%2Bfight%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

A Little Night Music: Daryl Hall's 'I'm In A Philly Mood'

Daryl Hall met John Oates when the two budding singers and musicians were attending Temple University in Philadelphia in the 1960s.

They were influenced by the rhythm & blues of the "Philadelphia Sound."

They went on to record and perform many fine songs as Hall & Oates.

"I'm in a Philly Mood" was Daryl Hall's toast to his former home.

You can listen to the song via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTw7SYd05vc

A Little Night Music: The London Symphony Orchestra Performs The Beatles' Songs

Many musical artists over the years have covered the iconic and enduring songs written and recorded by the Beatles.

Below is a link to the London Symphony Orchestra performing the Fab Four's classic songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac4T03nHcsw&list=PLmo4pBukfRoN8SB5RKvfiY9CTl9pI_IFc&index=75

A Little Night Music: Euge Groove's 'Rain Down On Me'

You can listen to the smooth jazz sound of Euge Groove's sax in Rain Down On Me, featuring Peter White, via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FYUd_0sLMg&list=RDA0h3j4Ujw_A&index=7

"Euge Groove has a knack for memorable melodies and for coaxing the max out of his sax - it growls, hits impossibly low notes and always sounds like it's the way the instrument was meant to sound," All About Jazz.  

Happy New Year From Philadelphia/A Little Night Music: The Temptations' 'For Lovers Only'

Happy New Year from Philadelphia.

You can listen The Temptation's 1999 album For Lovers Only via the below link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8WMf0rZM20&list=PL1rW8hHAiF1tiZbqTP1UHG9wmD8uzcKEd

A Little Night Music: Merry Christmas From Dino And Bob: Dean's Martin's Rendition of 'Silver Bells' And Bob Hope Sings The Song In 'The Lemon Drop Kid'

Silver Bells is one of my favorite Christmas songs and Dean Martin is one of my favorite singers of Christmas music.

You can listen the late, great Dino sing Silver Bells via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lylWDAo9hFw

You can also hear the late, great Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell sing Silver Bells, which was written for the Bob Hope film, The Lemon Drop Kid, (based on a Damon Runyon crime story) and link to the film via the below link:

www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2017/12/bob-hope-sings-original-silver-bells-in.html

A Little Night Music: The Late Dr. John's 'Right Place Wrong Time' & 'That's My Home'

Dr. John, a Grammy-winner and noted New Orleans musician, recently died. He was 77.

You can listen to his classic hit, Right Place Wrong Time, via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4RainY-lY

And you can listen to his song That's My Home via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMjBITuqfSo

You can read about his life and work via the below link:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-drjohn-idUSKCN1T72Z0

A Little Night Music: Peter, Paul & Mary's 'Early Morning Rain'

You can watch Peter, Paul & Mary perform an old favorite song of mine, Early Morning Rain, which was written by Gordon Lightfoot, in 1966 on the BBC via the below link:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OCnHNk2Hac

A Little Night Music: Miles Davis' Jazz Rendition Of Michael Jackson's 'Human Naure'

You can listen to Miles Davis' jazz take on Michael Jackson song, Human Nature via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM4WW5yyuu0

A Little Night Music: Brook Benton's 'Rainy Night In Georgia'

You can listen to Brook Benton's Rainy Night in Georgia via the below link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDRbF80NKDU

A Little Night Music: Brian Culbertson's 'On My Mind'

For a little night music, you can listen to the smooth jazz sound of Brian Culbertson's piano as he plays On My Mind live via the below link:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCw-vcq2n4k