This month, we lost the lovely, elegant Lena Horne. I've always admired how much intensity Ms. Horne brought to her singing. When you listen to a Lena Horne song, you believe each word is true because she put everything she had into her performances. In her melancholy songs, you can feel the ache in her voice like it's a tangible thing.
There's a fascinating obituary over at the New York Times about Ms. Horne's experiences as a black woman in Hollywood in the 1940s:
"Ms. Horne was stuffed into one “all-star” film musical after another...to sing a song or two that, she later recalled, could easily be snipped from the movie when it played in the South, where the idea of an African-American performer in anything but a subservient role in a movie with an otherwise all-white cast was unthinkable."
While Stormy Weather is, of course, the quintessential Lena Horne anthem, I've always been partial to her version of I Got a Right To Sing The Blues. There's that ache in the way she sings "down around the river" that just gets me every time. I couldn't find a YouTube video for this one, so here's a clip. [I was also able to find the entire song here, but you may need Quicktime or something to hear it.]
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There are some things in the world that are better than others. Chocolate cake. Kites. Movies that make you laugh out loud. Songs that make you cry. Books that transport you to another world. I'll try to share some of the things that daily renew my "sense of wonder," and I hope you'll share some with me, too.
Please, come flying. You can see what I'm up to and listen to my music at www.josephinecameron.com and on MySpace
CD Baby: The *best* online store for independent music
Woodwind & Brasswind: I used to live down the street from this huge instrument and music supply store!
Netflix.com: Constantly fueling my insatiable movie appetite
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