j-notes.com

Flashback Friday – Dee Dee Bridgewater – Live in Paris

“The sea
The sky
And you and I
Sea and sky and you and I
With all blues
All shades
All hues
We’re all blues” – Dee Dee Bridgewater

I have heard people say that after they have read the Flashback Friday entry, they usually end up with the tune in their head for the rest of the day. I am honored and I feel your joy! Ever since I did the Flashback on Miles Davis last week, I have been walking around singing the vocal version of “All Blues.” Yes friends, there is such a tune and the lyrics were written by Oscar Brown, Jr. I first heard it several years ago on the Live in Paris album from jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater. The album was recorded in 1986 and Dee Dee sings her heart out on jazz standards “Misty“, “On A Clear Day“, “Cherokee“, and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” She gives down home blues some jazz flavor on “Dr. Feelgood” and “Medley Blues” featuring “Every Day I Have The Blues“, “Stormy Monday” and a touch of “Muddy Water” with my favorite line, “Before I let you make a stone fool outta me, I’d rather drink muddy water and sleep out in a hollow log.” I originally got the album on vinyl in 1990 and had been looking for it on CD until I found it last year.

Did you know that Dee Dee received a Tony Award in 1975 for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the original Broadway production of “The Wiz” starring Stephanie Mills? She is also the host of Jazzset on NPR. She even lent her vocals to the house music cut “Flying Saucer” by United Future Organization.

Her recent releases, the Grammy Award winning Dear Ella (1997) and the critically acclaimed Live at Yoshi’s (2000) have received rave reviews. Her latest release, This is New (2002) celebrates the music of German composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950). Her inspiration for the project came from participating in a Weill tribute in Poland in 2000. Be sure to listen to “Lost in the Stars” and the surprise ending on “Here I’ll Stay.” Other gems include “My Ship“, “Speak Low“, and “Bilbao Song” which is filled with beautiful rhythms. She sings playfully on “The Saga of Jenny” as she tells the story of a woman who waited a little too long to find the love of her dreams. She brings her unique vocal stylings to this wonderful music. She is funny yet sensual. Intense yet never takes herself too seriously. Enjoy your music.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2003 at 4:30 pm. It is filed under Flashback Friday and tagged with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Flashback Friday, Live in Paris. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.