What a magnificent trio of musical perfection... and a delightful tribute to the merging of subjectivity with objectivity. Best to keep "the flower of forgetfulness"... and Taylor Swift... at a good arm's length.
i love the musical interludes. Sending me to Appalachia was a treat, given my pretension to singing a capella. As it is here on Crete it's 30 degrees as dusk falls. Time to sit on our terrace with our village red, ignoring the incessant chatter of the cicadas, and take a breath. Not so far across the Mediterranean Sea our humanity is threatened. It's all too much. I take refuge in the sublime, the improvisatory, in Ella, Billie and Nina, but Nina recalls Vietnam.. I'm an old English geezer abroad, 78 a few weeks ago, a lover of the Western classical tradition, who in the last third of his life rediscovered jazz and the folk traditions of the British Isles, Europe and especially Crete and the Middle East, notably Persia. I suspect I think now that the lyra is the most expressive instrument ever and then I listen to Bach on the cello. I'm rambling. Next week i'm doing a little Summer Solstice rehearsal in my village, trying out a few new tunes. Unlike at a Taylor Swift concert I know my friends will listen to my renditions, however flawed and will sing along only when asked!! I remain naively dumb-founded by the thought you would go to listen to a favourite singer and not hear a single note he or she sounded. My age and prejudice is showing. Summer's greeting to all.
I like the proper English version quite a bit. Have been listening to the Doc Watson and Jean Ritchie versions of that tune lately. I also really like English, Scottish, and Irish folk, but for whatever reason have been enjoying digging into Americana more lately.
What a magnificent trio of musical perfection... and a delightful tribute to the merging of subjectivity with objectivity. Best to keep "the flower of forgetfulness"... and Taylor Swift... at a good arm's length.
Happy Soltice!
This Bitter Earth - Dinah Washington & Max Richter
https://youtu.be/Pbs6fBi-Fts
Dinah Washington
"This Bitter Earth"
This bitter earth
Well, what a fruit it bears
What good is love
Mmm, that no one shares
And if my life is like the dust
Ooh, that hides the glow of a rose
What good am I
Heaven only knows
Lord, this bitter earth
Yes, can be so cold
Today you're young
Too soon, you're old
But while a voice within me cries
I'm sure someone may answer my call
And this bitter earth
Ooh, may not, oh, be so bitter after all
Nice addition.
“the voices of these three ‘divas’ and their Jazz accompaniment.”
Yes! What skill it takes to accompany a diva like these gals.
i love the musical interludes. Sending me to Appalachia was a treat, given my pretension to singing a capella. As it is here on Crete it's 30 degrees as dusk falls. Time to sit on our terrace with our village red, ignoring the incessant chatter of the cicadas, and take a breath. Not so far across the Mediterranean Sea our humanity is threatened. It's all too much. I take refuge in the sublime, the improvisatory, in Ella, Billie and Nina, but Nina recalls Vietnam.. I'm an old English geezer abroad, 78 a few weeks ago, a lover of the Western classical tradition, who in the last third of his life rediscovered jazz and the folk traditions of the British Isles, Europe and especially Crete and the Middle East, notably Persia. I suspect I think now that the lyra is the most expressive instrument ever and then I listen to Bach on the cello. I'm rambling. Next week i'm doing a little Summer Solstice rehearsal in my village, trying out a few new tunes. Unlike at a Taylor Swift concert I know my friends will listen to my renditions, however flawed and will sing along only when asked!! I remain naively dumb-founded by the thought you would go to listen to a favourite singer and not hear a single note he or she sounded. My age and prejudice is showing. Summer's greeting to all.
https://youtu.be/l3LbABDVOT8?si=g14wcJ3VwRrh_NZ6
I know this is a very proper English version but what a voice!
Actually more in common than different I think:
https://youtu.be/FOTOOqMIzgo
Doc’s version has adapted to reflect America a bit more I guess:
https://youtu.be/UvviWVXpS0w
Indeed - another pure voice but less precious, more grounded, perhaps. Thanks.
I like the proper English version quite a bit. Have been listening to the Doc Watson and Jean Ritchie versions of that tune lately. I also really like English, Scottish, and Irish folk, but for whatever reason have been enjoying digging into Americana more lately.