Over the weekend we noted new books by Power Line friends or readers that we’ve written about over the year. This morning I want to note a few recordings by Power Line friends or readers.
Steve Dobrogosz is a Power Line reader, an American expatriate living in Sweden and a composer of multifarious talents. His new recording is “It’s Always You,” a disc on which Steve composed all the numbers, provided the piano accompaniment and found lovely, talented singer Anna Christoffersson to perform the vocal parts. Check out the video of “Remember Me,” one of the disc’s highlights. The disc debuted at #1 on the Swedish jazz chart and has been recognized as the jazz disc of the year in Sweden. The disc is available here via this shop in Chicago.
“What else should I know about Matt Dennis?” cabaret/jazz singer Mary Foster Conklin wondered when she discovered June Christy’s version of Matt Dennis’s “Angel Eyes” courtesy of her accompanist, John di Martino. “Angel Eyes” is one of the many highlights of Frank Sinatra’s famous 1958 album “Sings for Only the Lonely.” Conklin discovered that Dennis had first taught his songs to Sinatra when they both worked in Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra and Conklin lit out for — where else? — the Library of Congress to take a look for more of Dennis’s work.
On “Blues for Breakfast: Remembering Matt Dennis,” Conklin shares the fruit of her research — only there is absolutely nothing archival or musty about the results. Conklin brings the fourteen Dennis compositions on “Blues for Breakfast” to glorious life in superb arrangements anchored mostly by di Martino’s piano and Sean Smith’s bass. Listen to clips of five songs from “Blues for Breakfast” by clicking on the image of the disc on Conklin’s site (linked above on her name).
Finally, the Right Brothers have just released “No Apologies.” The disc includes their smash “Bush Was Right” and new songs combining hooks, insight, hilarity and therapeutic value. Two of the disc’s highlights can be heard in their entirety by clicking on the “No Apologies” link (wait a few seconds for the audio to load). Up comes “I’m In Love With Ann Coulter”:
She captures my heart
When she tears libs apart.
And now I’m in love with Ann Coulter
All I wanna do is hold her
And have her read her books to me
Just like she does in my dreams.
I wonder if she’s got a boyfriend
‘Cause my girlfriend’s leaving…
The free preview of “I’m In Love With Ann Coulter” is followed by “The List,” a P.J. Rourke-inspired number naming “liberals we can’t stand.” (Paul will be glad to know that the Right Brothers do not overlook Lindsey Graham.) Another of the disc’s highlights is “Stop Global Whining,” which can be previewed on the Brothers’ MySpace page here. I give the disc five stars for combining wit and wisdom with winning hooks and excellent production.
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