As always, I am adding a number of new tunes this week — Carmen Mcrae, Arturo Sandoval, Jimmy Rushing among others. However, I’d like to put the focus on three new MySpace friends. This is becoming one of my favorite things to do, encountering great, new musicians (new to me) on MySpace.

If you’ve read this blog before, you may have seen me mention my independent movie pal Stacy. Every couple of Sundays we get together and check out a movie then have a few beers afterwards. Well, today was no exception. The one exception to the norm was the discovery of the fact that our bartender is actually a musician. Nashville is to musicians what Hollywood is to actors. No one here is just a waiter or a bartender. They are all aspiring towards loftier goals, most of them musical. I have to say, though, that our bartender, Jamie Floyd, is not only an aspiring musician, but a GOOD aspiring musician. Now, her music isn’t in the classic jazz style which is what Evening Melancholy plays. However, she has an incredible amount of talent and I am pretty sure that she will not be tending bar for long. If you get an opportunity, please check her out and let her know what you think. She writes her own music, as well, so how much more could you ask for.

http://www.myspace.com/jamiefloyd

 

Next we have Meilana McLean Gillard (pronounced Muh-Lay-Nuh). There’s not much I can say about her that most probably don’t already know. I get the feeling she is pretty well known. All I want to say is that I love love *love* her version of “In A Sentimental Mood”. It isn’t played in the slow ballad style that we are accustomed to. It is a complete departure. But it is incredibly well executed and her command of her instrument is amazing. Did I mention I loved the song? I am going to add it to the playlist. You can also go to her MySpace page and check out this song and many others.

http://www.myspace.com/meilanagillard

 

Last and in no way the least is a pianist from Seoul Korea who goes by the moniker of JB. She has a very soulful touch on the keys and I think she is well worth a listen. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

http://www.myspace.com/jbfunkyjazz

 

 

I am adding a number of new tracks this week including a MySpace friend and fellow Nashvillian (by way of Daytona Beach), Kimber Manning. Her album is called “Eventually”. She sent me a copy and I gotta say I really enjoyed her work. She could have tried to emulate Etta James with her version of “At Last” (which would have been a mistake — a mistake many have made), but she didn’t. She made it her own and you have to appreciate that. I am adding that to the playlist as well as her versions of “When I Fall In Love” and “What A Wonderful World”.

http://www.myspace.com/kimbermanning  

 

I know that the EMMusic page is supposed to be for new artists and due to time constraints I have not been able to update the page. My apologies. Please check the blog for new artists and MySpace finds until I am able to get off my procrastinating butt and update the EMMusic page.

I am adding a number of tracks this week, but wanted to put the spotlight on Rachel Charson, another MySpace encounter. As far as I know, she is unsigned so hopefully some label will notice her talent and snap her up. Let me know what you think. Better yet, let her know.

 http://www.myspace.com/rachelcharson  

So, I’m listening to the station yesterday while slaving away here at work, and the Sinatra tune “It Was A Very Good Year” comes on. Great tune. I can’t imagine anyone else singing it. But the song comes on and I am instantly transported back to my childhood. I remember lying in bed one night, my eyes searching the stars outside my bedroom window. Even now, the thoughts of it bring me a certain comfort. I used to listen to the radio when I went to bed. It helped me fall asleep. The songs sometimes invaded my dreams. Even back then I dug stuff Sinatra and Dinah Washington did. I can attribute my taste to my grandfather who introduced me to this kind of music at a very early age. I wasn’t quite into Bird or Coltrane yet. Bird came around the age of 15 and upon first hearing him, I thought it was a bit of a scrambled mess. Even Tony Bennett said Bird played right in his face one night and he had to run outside and throw up. Now, that could be taken two ways, but I know what he meant. Bird’s sound is completely overwhelming. It knocks you right on your a** the first time you hear it. It took me a while to really dig what he was saying, but now he’s this jazz monolith to me. Incomparable. But not upon first listening and he didn’t even exist to me at the age of twelve. See, you thought I digressed right out of my Sinatra story, but I didn’t. I just did a little improv into the Bird comment then came back to the main theme. Listening to a lot of jazz will do that to you, even to your thoughts.

I’m lying in bed listening to Sinatra. “When I was 17….when I was 21…..when I was 35…” At 12, I’m thinking, “Man, I can’t wait until 17. I bet that’s a nice age. Small town girls and soft summer nights. I’m all for that.” 21 was a bit further out there for me and hard to fathom. I can’t relate to 21 at 12. Completely different world. And 35? That’s darn near cemetery time, right? Gray hairs and Geritol. That’s what a 12 year old thinks.

The problem is I am 33, almost 34. A year from now, I’ll be knocking on 35’s door. Where did it all go? 17,21…just vanished. I remember in the movie Hud Paul Newman telling Brandon De Wilde to get all he could out of 17 because it sure burned away quick or something like that. Man, was he right. What’s most depressing about the song is that after 35 Sinatra talks about being in the autumn of the year, being like vintage wine and all that jazz. When I was 12, I didn’t care about after 35 because I couldn’t even imagine being 35. Now, I want to know about 48 and 63 and 81. Keep it going! Small town girls at 17, City girls at 21, Blue-blooded girls at 35. Then what? I’m fine with the Golden Girls. Just don’t stop the music!!

I am adding a number of new tunes this week, but I wanted to mention two MySpace discoveries that I will be adding. One is Donna Wilson & the Imagination Band and their version of ‘Round Midnight. I really dig Ms. Wilson’s vocals here. She has great control. I am also adding a guy named Derek Stroh. You have to forgive me if I am late to the game on these artists. Maybe you are already aware of them. I don’t know. Mr. Stroh is a great vocalists, very much in the crooner tradition and I will be adding a few of his tunes. If you like what you hear, be sure to visit their MySpace pages and let them know what you think. I am not sure if either are signed to a label, but I think they both deserve some recognition as they are obviously talented.

I will also add them to the EMMusic page on the website.

Donna Wilson - http://www.myspace.com/jazzbydonna   

Derek Stroh - http://www.myspace.com/derekstroh