First of all, we have to give some love to Michael Buble for
bringing a lot of attention to The Great American Songbook , which is a group
of American songs written roughly between 1920 and 1960. Here was this young,
handsome kid belting out songs like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Come Fly
With Me” with classic arrangements, yet making them sound fresh (and thank you
David Foster for the fabulous production). In my (lara’s) opinion, Michael’s
success definitely has opened doors for many other artists who are also singing
this music, and it is my pleasure to tell you about a few of them here. If you
have a favorite who is not mentioned, let us know about them in the Comments.
Happy Listening!
I have not listed these in any particular order, but I
programmed this just like I would the music on a radio show for a nice variety
of sound.
1. Carol Welsman—“I’ll Be Around” Carol is a tall, blonde, Canadian
vocalist and pianist who has put out seven albums since her debut in 1995, and
received five Juno nominations (that’s the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys).
As you listen to this song, hear the confidence with which she assures the
lover who is jilting her that she’ll be around…after things fall apart with his
new love and he realizes Carol is the one for him. Chills!
2. Tony DeSare—“Get Happy” I was blown
away by the energy Tony brought to his set when I saw him live in June. Maybe
that has something to do with his left hand piano style?
Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler wrote “Get
Happy,” which was was introduced by legendary singer Ruth Etting in 1930; most
people probably think of Judy Garland singing it in 1950’s
Summer Stock (her last film). Tony’s version will take you to the
Promised Land and beyond!
3. Queen Latifah—“The Lady Is A Tramp” Who
knew, back in 1994 when we first saw Queen Latifah (real name: Dana Owens)
rapping on “U.N.I.T.Y.” on MTV that she would one day put on red lipstick and
pearls and take on the classics? She does it brilliantly, and brings sass and
some seriously smooth vocals to “The Lady Is A Tramp,” which is the song Frank
Sinatra sang to Rita Hayworth in
Pal
Joey. Bravo!
4. Seth MacFarlane—“Laura” When I look at Seth, he reminds me
of a more handsome version of Peter Brady. A Peter Brady that can act, host, do
voices, write, produce, sing, and direct, to name just a few of Seth’s
talents.
When he was young, he
trained with some vocal coaches that once worked with Barbra Streisand and
Frank Sinatra (!!!), and has talked about having an attraction to the great
American songbook.
“Laura” is on
Seth’s album Music Is Better Than Words, and features lyrics by Johnny Mercer
that were added to a tune composed by David Raskin for the 1944 Dana
Andrews/Gene Tierney film of the same name.
5. Joseph Leo Bwarie—I Can’t Give You Anything
But Love None other than the legendary Garry
Marshall described Joseph as “three of the most exciting words in show
business.” And he should know; the two often collaborate on productions at
Marshall’s Falcon Theatre in Toluca Lake, California. Joe Leo got a huge break
when he landed the role of Frankie Valli in the hugely successful musical
“Jersey Boys,” and is now breaking out with a solo recording career.
He's also a lot of fun to follow on Twitter (www.twitter.com/JosephLeoBwarie), where he talks about everything from crab cakes in Maryland to upcoming shows.
6. Renee Olstead—“(I’d Like To Get You On A) Slow
Boat To China” I love this
arrangement of Frank Loesser’s 1948 song, which is poppy and features Carol
Welsman on background vocals. This song can be found on Renee’s self-titled
album of pop and jazz standards that came out in 2004, when Renee was 14 (!!!)
yet somehow delivered a performance that is sultry, knowing, and cheeky.
Renee is also an actress, and just
wrapped up a run on the television series The Secret Life of the American
Teenager.
Listen to Renee here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNocl8cqMDs
7. Dave Damiani—“Everything Happens To Me” Dave
performs regularly around Los Angeles with his small group, his 10-piece
orchestra, and his 17-piece orchestra! I saw him recently fronting a big band,
and was so impressed; his album is titled “Watch What Happens,” which is perfect
since he is definitely a new artist to keep an eye on. Enjoy his mournful
crooning about everything from black cats crossing his path to getting the
measles in this classic 1940 tune.
8.
Nicole
Henry—“Like Someone In Love” Nicole
grew up singing at school and in church, and after doing very well as an
actress and voiceover artist she decided to devote herself to a singing career.
Yay! Nicole brings her sultry vocals to this jazzy interpretation of a 1944
song by Jimmy van Heusen and Johnny Burke, which was also a hit for artists
like Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby. And as a gal who grew up in Florida, I’m
happy to say that Nicole lives in Miami…where there are a lot of
beautiful Art Deco buildings.
9. Jonny Blu—“Mack the Knife” I had the
pleasure of seeing Jonny perform at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, and he
sang flawlessly in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese! Plus, he performed
two songs on the ukulele.
‘Nuff
said.
10. Tamela D’Amico—“One For My Baby” Tamela has been dubbed “Sinatra in
Heels,” and she channels Frank’s emotional delivery in this classic tune.
Although, in real life, she is making beautiful music with singer Billy Vera!
Tamela is amazingly talented, as she not only sings, but also is an actress and
a filmmaker.
In fact, her
filmmaking made her a Top 24 finalist in the reality show On The Lot, which was
produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett.
Bonus:
Chris
Botti and Michael Buble—“”Let There Be Love” I listen to so many Standards
that it’s no wonder my young son walked up to a little girl on the playground
and introduced himself by saying, “Helloooo, cuckoo!” Five minutes later, they
were holding hands and sitting in a swing. Michael sings lines like, “Let there
by cuckoos, a lark and a dove,” while Chris plays his trumpet and women swoon.
