Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1940s – Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers


Welcome to the 2023 series of the music column where I am joined as always by Jazz singer and composer William Price King.  We hope you will join us every Tuesday for some of the chart hits of the big band era from the 1930s through to the 1950s.

Some of the earlier videos are not of the best quality however where possible we have sourced remastered copies to share with you. Considering some are almost 100 years old, it is remarkable that they exist at all.  A testament to the love of the music of that era. Along with our selections each week we will also be showcasing some of the iconic dancers of the era.

Here is my next selection from the Big Band chart in the 1940s Tommy Dorsey

Tommy Dorsey with Jo Stafford & Sy Oliver “Yes Indeed!”

“Yes, Indeed” was composed by Sy Oliver in 1941 in the style of a swing spiritual. It was first recorded by Bing Crosby and Connie Boswell with Bob Crosby’s Bobcats on Decca Records. Tommy Dorsey’s version with Jo Stafford and Sy Oliver on vocals was later released and peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts.

Here is my next selection from the 1940s from Harry James

Harry James “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)” (1941)

“You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)” is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue The Honeymoon Express (1913), and used in the 1973 revival of the musical Irene.

Harry James and His Orchestra hit big in late 1941 and early 1942 with a million-selling instrumental version of the song as a trumpet solo featuring James. It was released as the B-side of “A Sinner Kissed an Angel” but proved the much bigger hit, peaking at no. 5 on Billboard’s National and Regional Best Selling Retail Records chart in late November 1941 during an 18-week run (including ten non-consecutive weeks in the Top Ten). the78prof

Other sources: Wikipedia – And: Jazz Standards

Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, and television presenter. He is widely considered the greatest dancer in film history.

His stage and subsequent film and television careers spanned a total of 76 years. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. As a dancer, his outstanding traits were an uncanny sense of rhythm, perfectionism, and innovation. His most memorable dancing partnership was with Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in a series of ten Hollywood musicals during the age of Classical Hollywood cinema, including Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), and Shall We Dance (1937).

Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in Kitty Foyle (1940), and performed during the 1930s in RKO’s musical films with Fred Astaire. Her career continued on stage, radio and television throughout much of the 20th century.indiana5959

Here are Fred and Ginger dancing to Night and Day

Your Hosts for The Big Band Era

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – FacebookWilliam Price King – Twitter@wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Thanks for tuning in and as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.

 

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 29th May – June 4th 2023 – Big Band Era, Personal Power, ABBA, Podcast, Book Reviews, Health and Humour


Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

I hope your week has gone well. There has been glorious sunshine here and knowing how unpredicable our summers can be, we have been making the most of it. The fledgling starlings having stuffed themselves at the Birdseed Cafe and Spa, are now disappearing for most of the day, just popping in for a bath and a drink. With nearly 10 days without rain there is little standing water around and so our two baths have to be filled at least three times a day to keep up with demand. When I sit outside they ignore me and it is quite the sight watching their antics.

I have a very special lunch on Friday which I will tell you about next week… delighted to be meeting up in person with a talented children’s author and friend to many of us in the writing community.

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller and the Conga…On Friday William began a new series…introducing the members of ABBA..You can also find William Blog– IMPROVISATIONWilliam Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ will be here with her series Spiritual Awareness on Monday exploring the spirit of those who have passed and how we might notice them in our lives Signs, Synchronicity, and Energy . On her own blog you will find her Sunday Book Review for Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison, a perfect summer read especially for shoe lovers. Head over toD.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday with the first in her Green Kitchen series running every three weeks to the end of the year. Carol has returned from Australia and you can enjoy some of her adventures and photographs in her Monday Musings and have a grand tour of Grenada, the Spice Island in her A-Z Cuisines of the World.. Head over to enjoy Cuisines of the World Grenada..

Toni Pike was here on Wednesday with her series on Personal Power and this week, Don’t Give Your Power Away…it certainly got people sharing their own experiences. Head over to check out Toni Pike’s Books

On with the show….

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1940s – Lionel Hampton, Glenn Miller, The Conga

William Price King Meets the Legends – ABBA – Part One -Meet the Group.

Personal Power – Don’t Give Your Power Away #healing by Toni Pike

Podcast Rewind – Tales from the Garden – The Sanctuary by Sally Cronin

Free Stickies Post-It photo and picture

– Something to think about – The R’s of Life – Rejection – A Fact of Life Part Two – Preparing for Adulthood by Sally Cronin

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Circulatory System – Part Three – The Healthy Eating Plan by Sally Cronin

Book Review – #PostApocalyptic #SciFi – Once Upon a Time in the Swamp by C.S. Boyack

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Multigenre – Comes this Time to Float: 19 Short Stories by Stephen Geez

Book Review Round Up May 2023 – #Dystopian #Scifi C.S. Boyack, #Shortstories D.L. Finn, #Memoir Darlene Foster, #Thriller Georgia Rose, #Crime Jan Newton

New Book on the Shelves – #Scifi The Final View (The View from Here Trilogy Book 3) by Leon Stevens

#Murder #Paranormal – I Remember Everything by Richard Dee

#Pilgrims #History Noelle Granger, #Fantasy #Africa Chris Hall, #Memoir #Cancer Miriam Hurdle

#Memoir #Teaching Pete Springer, #Butterflies Bette A. Stevens, #Flyingboats #WWII Jemima Pett

Blogger Spotlight 2nd June 2023 – #Genres #Links Traci Kenworth, #Guestpost Marcia Meara, #Review Olga Nunez Miret, #Graffiti Rebecca Budd, Review Harmony Kent

Laughter Lines Extra – Host Malcolm Allen – May 2023 – The Ironic and Punny Side of Life

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Aged Cheese and Anagrams

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week… Sally ♥

Smorgasbord Music Column – William Price King Meets the Legends – ABBA – Part One -Meet the Group.


Welcome to the new series of meet the legends and William will be taking us through the incredible career of ABBA.

ABBA – Part One –  Meet the Group

Despite not really being active in the charts for more than 20 years as a group. ABBA remain one of the bands that seems to have etched their place in the hearts of their fans of the time. You only have to play one of their iconic tracks and people are up dancing and singing along. The success of the film Mama Mia in 2008 is being followed up in a sequel this year with many of the original cast members. The first film was released in a sing-along version too which proved to be just as popular.

Before we move into the series, picking up the story whan ABBA was officially formed, we thought it might be a good idea to give you some background on the individual band members and share some of their solo hits. (many in Swedish but just as tuneful).

The group topped the charts from 1974 to 1982 and comprised four members, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Having formed in 1972 they stormed into the limelight in 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden. They went on to be the most successful winning groups of the competition with record sales that are estimated to be close to 500 million. Apart from making them one of the best selling artists of all time they are certainly the best-selling band of all time from continental Europe. Another record that they smashed was that of non-English speaking band members achieving universal and consistent chart success in the major English-speaking countries with 8 consecutive #1 albums in the UK alone.

Not content with conquering the English charts they also enjoyed great success in Latin America with their Spanish hits.

Meet ABBA.

ABBA

Benny Andersson was born in Stockholm on the 16th of December, 1946. At the age of 18 he became a member of the group “Hep Stars” which performed covers, amongst other things, of international hits and were known as “the Swedish Beatles.” Andersson played the keyboard and eventually started writing original songs for his band, many of which became major hits, including “No Response” that hit number-three in 1965, “Sunny Girl”, “Wedding”, and “Consolation”, all of which hit number-one in 1966.

Here is “Sunny Girl” written by Benny Andersson the song was recorded in 1966 in English and entered the Tio i topp chart. Sids60sSounds

Buy the music of Benny Andersson: Amazon US

Lycka

2. Björn Ulvaeus was born on the 25th of April, 1945 in Gothenburg and also began his musical career at the age of 18 as a singer and guitarist with the group “The Hootenanny Singers, a popular Swedish folk- skiffle group.  In June 1966, Ulvaeus and Andersson decided to write a song together. Their first attempt was “Isn’t It Easy to Say,” and the two also began playing occasionally with the other’s bands on stage and on record, although it was not until 1969 that the pair wrote and produced some of their first real hits together.

As their respective bands began to break up during 1969, Andersson and Ulvaeus teamed up and recorded their first album together in 1970, called “Lycka”(Happiness), which included original songs sung by both men.

Here “To Live with You” from the album Lycka abba2shay

Buy the Lycka Album: Amazon US

Tio Ar Med Agnetha

3. Agnetha Fältskog, who was born on April 5th, 1950 in Jonkoping sang with a local dance band headed by Bernt Enghardt who sent a demo recording of the band to Karl Gerhard Lundkvist. The demo tape featured a song written and sung by Agnetha: “Jag var så kär”. Impressed with her voice Lundkvist arranged for Agnetha to come to Stockholm and to record two of her own songs one of which was a #1 hit in Sweden.

Agnetha released four solo LPs between 1968 and 1971. She had many successful singles in the Swedish charts. She met Björn Ulvaeus in 1960 and they married and became involved in each other’s recording sessions. Soon they were joined by Benny Andersson and his wife Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad adding backing vocals to Agnetha’s studio album Som Jag.

Here is one of her English tracks from these years. “Sometimes when I’m Dreaming”Agnetha Fältskog – Topic

Buy Agnetha’s Greatest Hits: Amazon US

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

4. Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad was born on the15th of November, 1945 in Bjørkåsen in Ballangen, Norway. From the age of 13 she sang with various dance bands, and worked mainly in a jazz-oriented cabaret style. She also formed her own band, the Anni-Frid Four. In the middle of 1967, she won first prize in a music competition and a recording contract with EMI Sweden and to perform live on the most popular TV shows in the country. Benny Andersson wrote tracks and produced her album in 1971, she had her first number-one single, “Min egen stad” (My Own Town),  featuring all the future ABBA members on backing vocals. claxi13

“My own Town” featuring all the future members of ABBA.

Buy Frida’s music: Amazon US

After ABBA formed, she recorded another successful album in 1975, “Frida ensam,” which included a Swedish rendition of “Fernando”, a hit on the Swedish radio charts before the English version was released.

Additional sources: Wikipedia ABBA

ABBA’s Music: Amazon USAnd: Amazon UK

Next time ABBA are formed and their hits begin to hit the charts.

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – FacebookWilliam Price King – Twitter@wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

 

As always William would love to receive your feedback… thanks Sally.

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – May 15th – 21st 2023 – Twitter, Starlings, The Jive, Diana Krall, Soul Mates, Zabaglione, Personal Power,Book Reviews, Health and Humour


Welcome to the round up of posts you may have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

Glad to report that the final small bits to the kitchen and the new counter top in the utility room are complete and we are back to normal which is great. I went shopping yesterday morning and when leaving the store I knew immediately that something was wrong.. I sounded like I was competing in a drag race with a revved up engine… and clearly my exhaust had cracked.. Thankfully our usual garage can take it on Monday morning… just when you think you have finished spending….. still it could be worse.

The baby starlings have fledged. They have been making a bit of a racket for the last couple of weeks in the hedges surrounding the house but on Wednesday they took flight and joined their parents at the Birdseed Cafe and Spa. They have learnt very quickly that the water bath is a fun way to play while waiting for mum or dad to fetch a dried mealy worm or seed from the buffet and the noise is horrendous, but satisfying to see such a wonderfully healthy crop of youngsters. Makes the feeding everyday, especially during the winter months worth it..Here is Mum on guard whilst two babies try out the swimming pool.

Just a note to remind those of you who have twitter accounts and whose posts were automatically uploaded there too. That option is no longer available which means that you have to manually link your posts to Twitter by using the sharing link. And readers can do likewise. Apparently to compensate they are bringing in an automatic instagram link which is great for those who are members and share a lot of photos.

I have been out and about again this week with crime writer Sue Coletta, who shares one of the stories from Variety is the Spice of Life… The Neighbourhood Watch a story of revenge with a bit of a twist at the end…

Please head over to enjoy on Sue’s blog:Short Story – The Neighbourhood Watch by Sally Cronin

Author Allan Hudson very kindly interviewed me back in 2017 along with an excerpt from Just An Odd Job Girl… this week he reshared the post and it was lovely to revisit his questions and the comments.

If you have time please head over if you missed it back in 2017: Allan Hudson with Guest Author Sally Cronin

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins and The Jive.  On Friday William finished the series featuring Diana Krall.  On Friday William begins a new series… get ready to dance… with ABBA..You can also find William Blog– IMPROVISATIONWilliam Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ was here with her series Spiritual Awareness on Monday exploring Soul Mates and Life Partners and the difference between them.. and of course Debby shared some great funnies for our laughter spot. On her own blog you will find her Sunday Book Review for The Widow by Valerie Keogh and a terrific post about Florence, Italy and the great flood of 1966 that devastated the city and its wonderful collection of artwork…and the amazing recovery operation. Head over toD.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor was here on Wednesday with the final in the current series of A-Z of food and the letters ‘X,Y,Z’. Carol’s next series is the original Green Kitchen which will be posted every three weeks starting on June 7th. Carol has been in Australia but returning soon to her blog, but you can catch up with her archives at Carol Cooks 2

Toni Pike will be here on Wednesday with her series on Personal Power and this week, Don’t Give Your Power Away… something it is easy to do. Head over to check out Toni Pike’s Books

On Thursday author Daniel Kemp shared some of his off the chart funnies with us including an hysterical letter from a new army recruit in Australia…you can catch up with Danny on his website and blog The Author Danny Kemp

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1940s – Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins, The Jive

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Diana Krall Part Four – 2010s and Beyond

Spiritual Awareness – Soul Mates and Life Partners by D. G. Kaye

Carol Taylor’s – Culinary A – Z Rewind – X,Y,Z for Xawaash Spice, Yams and Zabaglione.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Podcast Rewind – Tales from the Garden – The Guardians of the Magic Garden by Sally Cronin

Free No Rubber Stamp photo and picture

Something to think about – The R’s of Life – Rejection – A Fact of Life Part One by Sally Cronin

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Circulatory System – Part Two – Common problems with blood-vessels by Sally Cronin

Book Review – In the Tree’s Shadow: A collection of stories that exist in your dreams… and nightmares by D.L. Finn

New Book on the Shelves – #WWII #Netherlands – The Girl From Huizen by Paulette Mahurin

#Crime #Alzheimer’s The Lilac Notebook by Carol Balawyder

#Motivational – Prisoners without Bars: A Caregivers Tale by Donna O’Donnell Figurski

#Nostalgia #BabyBoomers The Rat In The Python: Book 1 The Home by Alex Craigie

#Mystery #Paranormal D.L. Finn, #Malaysia #WWII Apple Gidley, #Supernatural #Adventure John W. Howell

Smorgasbord Blogger Spotlight – 26th May 2023 #Laughter Pete Springer, #Poetry Elizabeth Gauffreau, #Texting John W. Howell, #Chess Stevie Turner, #Eurovision Janet Gogerty, #Genres Jacqui Murray, #Florence D.G. Kaye

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Petty Theft and paraprosdokians

Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – May 2023 – Facebook Friends and Orchestral manoeuvres

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.. Sally

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 15th – 20th May 2023 – New Kitchen, Collaborators, Diana Krall, Personal Power, Podcast, Circulatory System, Book Reviews, Bloggers and Funnies


Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

I hope you are doing well and enjoyed the week.  I promised to show you some after photos on our kitchen renovations and here is the reminder of the before photos with the doors removed and before the carcasses were removed…

And here are the after photos

We are slowly putting back the various pieces of equipment and crockery etc.. It will take a few days but we are very happy with the new look.

My thanks to Maureen Twomey for her lovely feature and boost for Life is Like A Bowl of Cherries..  Maureen Twomey – Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Kate Smith, Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle and Shag Dancing.  On Friday William continued the series featuring Diana Krall.  You can also find William Blog– IMPROVISATIONWilliam Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ will be here with her series Spiritual Awareness on Monday exploring Soul Mates and Life Partners and the difference between them.. Debby was also here with her great funnies for our laughter spot. On her own blog you will find news of her latest project in the epistolary format, this month’s writing links and her latest book review The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Head over toD.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor will be here on Wednesday with the final in the current series of A-Z of food and the letters ‘X,Y,Z’. Carol is on a short blogging break but you can catch up with her Monday Musings  where she shares her arrival in Australia to visit her daughter who lives there and some great photos Monday Musing 15th May

Toni Pike was here on Wednesday with her series on Personal Power and this week, Becoming your own best friend… a very important relationship. Head over to check out Toni Pike’s Books

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1940s – Kate Smith, Glenn Miller with Ray Eberle, Carolina Shag dancing

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Diana Krall Part Three – The New Millennium

Personal Power – Become Your Own Best Friend by Toni Pike

Podcast #Poetry – The Night Sky and Creatures of the Night by Sally Cronin

Something to think about – The R’s of Life – Relationships Part Three – Romance – Expectations and Observations by Sally Cronin

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Circulatory System – Part One – How does Blood circulate by Sally Cronin

Food Snippets – Pineapple for bruises, prunes as a fat substitute

#Memoir #History – .You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie: Stories about growing up on the Canadian prairies by Darlene Foster

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Biography #WWI, Queen Victoria, #Adventures, Lucky Jack by S. Bavey

New Book on the Shelves – #Catlovers – Happiness Is A Warm Cat by Emily Gmitter and Zoe the Fabulous Feline

#Reviews Lauren Scott, #Alligators Marcia Meara, #Familytrees Story Reading Ape and Traci Kenworth, #Potato Rolls Dorothy Grover Read, #OnlyChildren Gwen Plano #StoryEmpire

Meet the Authors 2023 – #Contemporary #Romance Stevie Turner, #’Thriller #Mystery Gwen M. Plano, #WWII #Thriller Allan Hudson

#Poetry Harmony Kent, #Poetry M. J. Mallon, #Historical #Family #Romance C.E. Robinson

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Ravens and Blessings

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Sourdough and Facebook chain letter

 

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Blogger Spotlight – May 19th 2023 – #Reviews Lauren Scott, #Alligators Marcia Meara, #Familytrees Story Reading Ape and Traci Kenworth, #Potato Rolls Dorothy Grover Read, #OnlyChildren Gwen Plano #StoryEmpire


A small selection of posts I have enjoyed this week and I hope you will head over to read them in full…

Lauren Scott shares her reviews for the month for Robbie Cheadle, Cheryl Oreglia, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Carol Balawyder, Kamal Roohani and Gabriela Marie Milton.  More recommended reads to add to your towering TBR’s but well worth any complaints lol.

Head over to read these great reviews: Baydreamer Writes

Marcia Meara​ is an expert on American wildlife and is a very popular speaker on the subject. She is on a ‘talk’ hiatus at the moment but is sharing them on her blog with fabulous photos. Want to know the difference between a crocodile and an alligator… and plenty more besides. Photo by Doug Little.

Head over to enjoy Marcia’ wildlife talk and enjoy the photographs: Marcia Meara, American Alligator Part 1

Christopher Graham​ The Story Reading Ape hosts Traci Kenworth with a post exploring family trees and how our ancestors across the centuries are potential characters in our stories. Their lives, exploits good and bad and how they survived the times they lived in.. very interesting.

Head over to read Traci’s post and perhaps consider examining your own family tree: The Story Reading Ape and Guest Traci Kenworth

Dorothy Grover Read shares amazing recipes and in this post a wonderful memory of her mother’s baking skills…they sound delicious and would love to try with some golden Irish butter...Old fashioned potato rolls.

Head over to read Dorothy’s post and her recipe, take loads of butter: Dorothy Vintage Kitchen Potato Rolls

Gwen Plano writing for Story Empire explores the character of the ‘Only Child‘ and it is a fascinating look at the development of early maturity, adaptibility and other positive traits.

Head over to find out how to authentically portray the only child in a family: Gwen Plano at Story Empire

 

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you will head over to enjoy these posts in full… Sally

Smorgasbord Music Column – William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Diana Krall Part Three – The New Millennium


It is nine years since William Price King joined Smorgasbord to share music across the genres. We continue in 2023 with series sharing the lives and music of some of the great names in music over the last century

Welcome to the series about musical legends from the last 100 years and now we explore the life and music of Jazz singer Diana Krall

Music Legends – Jazz – Diana Krall – Part Three

The Look of Love

The new millennium arrived and Diana Krall was certainly one of the top Jazz artists performing at the time. There had never been any question that she was an astonishing pianist but her voice was only improving year on year combining jazz phrasing from artists such as Peggy Lee with the influence of Bossa nova artists that she worked with.

In mid-2000 Diana Krall and Tony Bennett began a 20-city tourTwo for the Road’ including Atlanta, Boston and Philadelphia with two sold out shows at the Hollywood Bowl and Radio City Music Hall in New York

Diana Krall commented, “It will be like a master class for me. I admire Tony immensely and to be able to watch and perform with him will be a great education for me.”

Here is Tony Bennett and Diana Krall with “Love Is Here To Stay” to put you in the mood Tony Bennett

Also in 2000 Diana recorded her sixth album The Look of Love with Verve with German composer and arranger Claus Ogerman and it was released in 2001. As one of the most prolific arrangers of the century, Otto Ogerman was very experienced across a number of fields including Rock, Pop, R&B, Jazz and Classical and had worked with some of the best in the business such as Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra.

The album reached platinum status and was Diana Krall’s bestselling album, bestselling album of Canada, and bestselling album of 2001. It ranked number 5 in the Billboard magazine’s Top Jazz Albums of the Decade. The title track, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David: originally sung for the spoof Bond film Casino Royale by Dusty Springfield reached number 22 of the adult contemporary chart. Other tracks included I Remember You, Dancing in the Dark, and Love Letters.

The critics were not as positive about the album as the buying public with some criticising the obvious attempt at ‘crossover’ to pop. They also felt that under the influence of Claus Ogerman, who conducted either the London Symphony Orchestra or the Los Angeles Session Orchestra on all tracks, had turned the arrangements to a more ‘easy listening’ sound. It was felt that was at odds with the performances of both Diana Krall and her various collaborating musicians such as Russell Malone and Peter Erskine.

There were some particular tracks that were highlighted as being unimaginative such as the standards I Remember You and I Get along without You Very Well. However, if you read the majority of the reviews from those who bought the album at the time, her fans disagreed with the critics, which is why the album reached Platinum status. Here is one review in particular that addresses many of the issues raised by the critics.

The Sound Of Love… By J. Lund on September 18, 2001 Format: Audio CD

Sides will perhaps be taken as to whether or not THE LOOK OF LOVE is a step forward for Diana Krall, since it does veer in style from the expected. Not to marginalize her previous albums, but I consider this CD to be a major leap forward for an already impressive talent. Note the following: 1) Diana is accompanied by an orchestra here, rather than a small jazz combo (although of course Diana still contributes piano solos). 2) Those who liked some of the finger-snapping up-tempo tunes she has recorded in the past should prepare themselves–that isn’t the mood she is visiting this time around. 3) The music generally falls within the spirit or the letter of Bossa nova, and the expected degree of subtlety in this genre is maintained from the album’s beginning to finish.

The tone of the album isn’t sombre, but it does deal with adult emotions, specifically the ups and downs of love…and as anyone who is familiar with such bittersweet gems as I GET ALONG… can attest, the latter can be particularly poignant when the singer channels such tunes’ multi-layers of heartfelt emotion effectively, as Diana does here. Throughout, Diana’s voice is a flawless gem, not so much technically–although I have no complaints regarding that–as in her power to communicate from the soul to a degree that I find approaches that of the best 1950s-vintage Frank Sinatra concept albums. As did Sinatra, Diana often sings barely above a whisper, but at appropriate times raises her singing voice for dramatic effect.

Hopefully such a departure from previous CDs is an indication that Diana isn’t going to pander to the change-resistant faction of her fandom, but rather that she will risk her popularity by exploring whatever music that she is inspired to tackle at a given point in her career. Who says a traditionalist can’t think like a progressive?

Perhaps you might like to judge for yourself with the title track from the album. The Look of Love Diana Krall 

In the autumn of 2001 Diana Krall began a world tour and concert at the Paris Olympia was released as her first live album.Diana Krall – Live in Paris. She was accompanied by Grammy nominated Anthony Wilson jazz guitarist and composer who has continued to play with her since then. Also joining her on stage were John Pisanoon on acoustic guitar, John Clayton on bass, Jeff Hamilton on drums and Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costaon. The album tracks ranged from Cole Porter, George Gershwin to more contemporary artists such as Billy Joel.

On “Just The Way You Are” Diana was accompanied by Christian McBride on bass with a wonderful solo by Michael Brecker on tenor saxophone. For those fans that had been unable to attend any of Diana Krall’s concerts, this was an opportunity to experience the difference between a studio produced albums vs. ‘live’ performance.

Here is Just The Way You Are from the album recorded later at the Avatar Studios in New York uploaded by Alberto Jesús Salas Oblitas

The album won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and the 2003 Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. Billboard ranked the album at number 8 on the magazine’s Top Jazz Albums of the Decade.

Sadly in 2002 Diana Krall’s mother died of cancer within months of two of her mentors, Ray Brown and Rosemary Clooney.

Diana had met the British rock musician Elvis Costello backstage at the Sydney Opera House when she was on tour and in May 2003 they announced their engagement, marrying in just before Christmas that year. Elvis Costello had begun his career in the London pub rock scene in the early 70s and was associated with the first wave of punk rock later in the decade. Following his first album My Aim Is True he formed his backing band, The Attractions and went on to release two further albums by the end of the decade. All appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Their marriage brought two musical powerhouses together and the result was a new album with Diana’s own compositions and Elvis’s lyrics. The Girl in the Other Room was released in April 2004 and rose to the top five in the UK and top 40 album charts in Australia.

Again there was some disagreement between her jazz ‘purist’ fans and those who were enjoying the more eclectic side to her music. Those who were used to listening to her more traditional versions of jazz standards were not quite ready to embrace her own compositions despite the obvious jazz components. Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall produced the album together and included jazz versions of blues as well as more contemporary songs by artists such as Joni Mitchell. Tracks include Stop This World – Mose Allison, title track The Girl in the Other Room with Elvis Costello, Black Crow – Joni Mitchell, Love Me Like A Man – Chris Smither.

Here is Almost Blue with lyrics by Elvis Costello originally recorded by him in 1982. Uploaded DianaKrallVEVO

As you will see from the reviews of the album the majority of Diana Krall’s fans were in favour of the new collaboration and resulting sound. album reviews

Also in 2004 Diana joined Ray Charles on his album Genius Loves Company for the song You Don’t Know Me. Verve records released Christmas Songs in 2005 followed by From This Moment On in 2006. This album provided all her fans with an opportunity to return to the jazz standards of her earlier albums and included such classics as Isn’t This A Lovely Day by Irving Berlin, From This Moment On by Cole Porter and Something’s Gotta Give by Johnny Mercer.

This was not the only production for 2006 as Diana and Elvis Costello welcomed twin sons in December of 2006.

To end this week’s post one of those classics From This Moment On by Cole Porter.

Buy Diana Krall Music: Amazon

Find out more about Diana Krall and where you can see her on tour: Diana Krall Website and Tours

Other sources: Wikipedia

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – FacebookWilliam Price King – Twitter@wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

 

As always William would love to receive your feedback… thanks Sally.

 

Smorgasbord Health Column…. Food Snippets – Pineapple for bruises, prunes as a fat substitute


These little snippets about food and our health that have popped up in my posts over the years and I thought I would share with you. Some are quite useful or at the very least unusual.

Pineapple for your bruises.

Fresh pineapple contains the enzyme Bromelain. It has a number of interesting properties but one of them is its ability to help dissolve the damaged blood cells that result in bruising. Next time you get a black eye, instead of slapping a piece of steak onto it, slap on a slice of pineapple.

Dates are good for your sex life.

In the Middle East dates are considered to be a highly potent aphrodisiac – served on their own or stuffed with cream cheese and walnuts they will intoxicate anyone.

Prunes and fatigue and blood pressure

Most people associate prunes with constipation but in fact they have other beneficial properties such as helping to regulate blood pressure and fatigue. Pureed prunes can be used in baking as a substitute for fats and being sweet mean that you need not add sugar either. Biscuits and cakes become a healthy snack, especially if made with whole meal flour.

Windy cauliflower

This vegetable is often avoided as cooked it can cause a ‘wind’ problem. However, eaten raw dipped in live yogurt, olive oil and garlic, it can help prevent this social embarrassment.

Cucumber eye lift

In this age of computers, television and long distance driving, our eyes can feel scratch and irritated by the end of the day. For a soothing and relaxing remedy, lie down with thin slices of cucumber around and over the eyelid. If you don’t fall asleep in the meantime, after about 15 minutes you will feel much more refreshed.

Mushroom a super source of B12 for vegetarians.

Plant sources of this vital vitamin are not abundant but eating one large giant mushroom or a small handful of button mushrooms will supply your daily requirement of B12.

Food Safety when buying fish and shellfish

It is important that you eat fish and shellfish as fresh as possible. If you are buying whole fish then you will be able to tell if it is just caught by its bright and shiny eyes. The skin needs to be covered still with scales and the gills should be red in colour. Smell is a dead giveaway if you will pardon the pun and the fish should smell of the sea.

Shellfish should feel heavy for its size and the shells should be closed. Always eat shellfish on the day you buy it.

Add some wild rice to your whole grain brown rice for an extra nutritional punch.

Wild rice is even more nutritionally packed than brown rice. It contains more protein and its B-vitamin content is higher than most other cereals. Add to your brown rice and cook together for a wonderfully nutty and healthy accompaniment to salmon or turkey.

Cheese can be a man’s best friend

Mice are very partial to cheese and perhaps this little snippet might explain their rapid rate of reproducing!! We usually associate cheese with the mineral calcium, but in fact eating 100 grams of cheese supplies a man with a quarter of his daily requirement of zinc. This mineral is vital for normal male sexual function and in cheese it is in a very easily digestible and usable form. As men age it is common to experience problems with the prostate. Also eating pumpkin seeds every day in addition to a portion of cheese may provide some protection against prostate disease.

Perhaps this is what Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was really all about…Cheese.

Olive Oil – Not just for cooking or drizzled on a salad but great for a bad hair day

Olive oil is not only an important addition to your diet on the inside. It can also be used externally on your skin and your hair. Some suggest adding olive oil to a bottle of water and spraying your hair every night but it makes an awful mess of the pillowcase. An easier way for day, brittle or permed hair is to comb the oil through the hair, cover with cling film and then wrap in a towel for an hour. Then shampoo as normal.

Sunshine and Blood Pressure

Most people do not take their blood pressure daily but if you did you might be interested to see that it can drop quite significantly after sitting in the sun or working in the garden for an hour or so.

Recent studies have found that nitric oxide stored in the top layers of the skin reacts to sunlight and cause blood vessels to widen as the oxide moves into the bloodstream. That, in turn, lowers blood pressure.  I can actually verifiy that as I decided to test out the theory a couple of months ago when I began to get out into the garden every time the sun came out and took my BP at the beginning of the day and the end of the day. There was a definite drop on days I had been in the sunshine.

In the winter months a long soak in a hot bath will have a similar effect as will a shower but you really need to run the shower for at least 15 minutes which does waste quite a bit of water.

N.B. I need to remind you not to stop taking your medication or altering the dose without consulting your doctor first

Hidden dangers in mineral water and effervescent painkillers

It is great to be drinking 2 litres of fresh mineral water per day but if you suffer from High Blood Pressure or Heart Disease make sure the bottled water you are drinking is below 1% sodium, or is marked suitable for low sodium diet. Some sparkling water has extremely high levels of sodium such as Vichy. (not to be confused with natural salt which we all need for our health, but should be used from natural sources such as sea salt or Himalayan salt which is unrefined) The Salt Debate

Soluble painkillers

I know that when you are in pain you look for the fastest way to obtain relief and certainly taking soluble paracetamol or similar are the most convenient. If you have higher than normal blood pressure recent studies have shown that this may increase your BP significantly especially if you are taking the maximum dose over several days.

Sodium, one of the main components of salt, is often used to help drugs such as paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) dissolve and disintegrate in water. If you are already on a low sodium diet to help reduce your blood pressure, taking fizzy paracetamol could be undoing all your hard work and present a danger to your health. Increased risk of using fizzy painkillers containing excess sodium.

The link to Omega 3 fatty acids and agoraphobia.

This is a fear of open spaces and whilst thought to be entirely a nervous disorder, many sufferers have been found to be lacking in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 (Linolenic Acid) is the principal Omega-3 fatty acid and is used in the formation of cell walls, improving circulation and oxygen delivery. A deficiency can lead to decreased immune system function; elevated levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) high blood pressure and irregular heart beat. It is also anti-inflammatory and helps prevent heart disease.

It is found in flaxseed, walnuts, pumpkinseeds, avocados, spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, sardines, tuna and salmon.

I hope that you have found interesting… thanks for dropping in today.. Sally.

©sally cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2023

A little bit about me nutritionally. .

About Sally Cronin

I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty-four years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain.

Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 21 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines, radio programmes and posts here on Smorgasbord.

You can buy my books from: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Follow me :Goodreads – Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 8th – 14th May 2023 – New Kitchen, Out and About, Glenn Miller, Diana Krall, Foods ‘W’, Podcast, Book Reviews, Bloggers, Health and Funnies


Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

I hope you have all had a good week and have enjoyed some of the sunnier weather we have. While David began to dismantle the kitchen to speed up the process of the installation of the new one this week, I sat in the garden and caught up with reading, music and sunshine… It certainly makes a difference. One of the neighbour’s cats came and kept me company all afternoon sitting in the shade of my chair and occasional commenting on the birds and the state of the world.

Here are some ‘before’ photos of the kitchen and hopefully next week you will get the ‘after’ ones!  All these units are being taken out and so it will take a two or three days to get the job done…Our office is in the diner part of the kitchen so we will be covering everything with sheets and decamping into the dining room. I will be offline during the day but will be checking in first thing and in the evening.

A wonderful surprise on Friday to find myself featured on author Stevie Turner’s blog along with the lovely review by Robbie Cheadle for Variety is the Spice of Life.. I hope you will head over to enjoy. Stevie Turner – Friday Showcase Sally Cronin

As always my thanks to my friends who contribute to the blog…

William Price King joined me this week for the Big Band Era with Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra and the Texas Tommy.  On Friday William continued the series featuring Diana Krall.  You can also find William Blog– IMPROVISATIONWilliam Price King on Tumblr

Debby Gies​ is taking a short break but will be back next Monday with her series Spiritual Awareness.. Debby was here during the week with her terrific funnies for our laughter spot. On her own blog you will find her book review for the latest release by Carol Balawyder, a reblog of her post on Timing and a wonderful post on the art in Puerto Vallarta. Head over toD.G. Kaye

Carol Taylor was here on Wednesday with her A-Z of food and the letter ‘W’. Carol is on a short blogging break but you can catch up with her Monday Musings  where she shares her thoughts on the coronation, the sad death of Jock Zonfrillo of Australian Master Chef and the anniversary of 1879 George Selden filed for the 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobileCarol Taylor’s Monday Musings

Toni Pike will be here on Wednesday with her series on Personal Power and in this week, Becoming your own best friend… a very important relationship.

Thank you very much for your visits, comments and shares to social media, as always it is appreciated ♥

On with the show…

The Big Band Era with William Price King and Sally Cronin – 1940s – Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra, The Texas Tommy

William Price King Meets Music Legends – #Jazz – Diana Krall – The 1990s

Carol Taylor’s – Culinary A – Z Rewind – ‘W’ for Wakame, Wasabi, Walnuts, Watercress, and Wax Beans

Podcast #Poetry – Advancing Years, Ageism, Memories by Sally Cronin

Free People Friends photo and picture

Something to think about – The R’s of Life – Relationships Part Two – The Teen Years and outside influences by Sally Cronin

chicken sandwich

The Body our Greatest Asset – The Immune System and a Chicken Sandwich by Sally Cronin

#Mystery #Thriller – A Killer Strikes: (A Shade Darker Book 1) by Georgia Rose

Previous Reviews from 2022 – #Psychologicalthriller – Means to Deceive by Alex Craigie

#Coronation Janet Gogerty, #Tribute Janet Weight Reed, #Review Ritu Bhathal, #Sofas Silly Old Sod, #Homonyms Harmony Kent, #Review Carla Loves to Read

New Book on the Shelves – #Fantasy – BROKEN TIES: Book 2 Realms of the Mist by Jude Itakali

#Memoir #History – You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie: Stories about growing up on the Canadian prairies by Darlene Foster

#Murder #Mystery – Death by Surfboard (Holly Swimsuit Mystery Book 3) by Susie Black

#Crime #Mystery – Her Scorched Bones: An Australian Outback Crime Novel (Opal Fields Book 3) by Fiona Tarr

#YA #Travel #Adventure Darlene Foster, #Childrens #Dogs #SouthAfrica Patricia Furstenberg, #Childrens #Bears Sue Wickstead

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Cats revolting and Rehabilitation

Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Demanding Dogs and Smart Cats

 

Thanks for dropping in and I hope you will join me again next week… Sally

Smorgasbord Funnies 2023 – Hosts Sally Cronin and Debby Gies – Cats revolting and Rehabilitation


Firstly, some funnies foraged from the web from Debby Gies – D.G. Writes is where you will find an archive full of wonderful posts across several subjects including writing tips, social issues and book reviews.

My thanks to Debby  for expert foraging…

D. G. Kaye – Buy: Amazon US And: Amazon UK Blog: D.G. WritesGoodreads: D.G. Kaye on Goodreads – Twitter: @pokercubster

Debby’s latest post in her series Spiritual Awareness: Timing – of people and events in our lives

Now something from Sally’s Joke book archives….

Rehabilitation

A lady goes to her priest one day and tells him, “Father, I have a
problem. I have two female parrots, but they only know how to say one thing.”

“What do they say?” the priest inquired.

They say, “Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?”

“That’s obscene!” the priest exclaimed, then he thought for a
moment.

“You know”, he said, “I may have a solution to your problem.
I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and
read the Bible. Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we’ll put them in the cage with Francis and Job.

My parrots can teach your parrots to praise and worship, and your parrots are sure to stop saying… that phrase…in no time.”

“Thank you”, the woman responded, “this may very well be the
solution.”

The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest’s house. As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them. After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison: “Hi, we’re hookers! Do you want to have some fun?”

There was stunned silence. Shocked, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed, “Put the beads away, Frank. Our prayers have been answered.”

We hope you are leaving with a smile on your face… thanks Sally and Debby.