Happy Valentine's Day

Donna Summer Dies at 63

NY Times: Donna Summer, one of the most influential singers of the disco era, died on Thursday. She was 63.

The cause was cancer, according to Brian Edwards, a publicist for Ms. Summer, who said she died at her second home in Naples, Florida.

Ms. Summer was a five-time Grammy winner who became a superstar in the 1970s with hits like “Love to Love You Baby,” “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls.”

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Donna Summer. She was at the height of her disco career while I was becoming an adolescent, and although it "wasn't cool" to like disco in my circles back then, there was, and still is, something riveting about her particular beat and orchestral arrangements that I loved. Of course, I didn't know I loved them until decades later. Ask my wife. Anytime a Donna Summer song pops up on the car radio, I sing along enthusiastically. And I never owned a single recording. It's just seared in my mind.

 

Music Break! MVPleez

A good friend of the Mrs. and mine has been writing and co-creating music videos, the first of which just officially launched.

Enjoy.

Music Break! Celia Cruz

Quimbara

Music Break! Ben Folds & Nick Hornby

From Above

Music Break! Mel Tormé

Dat Dere

Music Break! Count Basie

Haven't done one of these in a long time.

Music Break! Jamie Cullum

My sister was able to score and extra ticket to Jamie Cullum playing at Joe's Pub last night (a show that sold out in about a minute and crashed their website) and what a great show it was! Usually, I'm pretty low key at these things with regards to recording, but when Cullum climbed off the stage with his bassist to roam around the small room and sing I Get a Kick Out of You (without a mic), I had to pull my BlackBerry out and record it.

Enjoy.

Music Break! The Beatles

Get Back

Music Break! Spike Jones

Cocktails For Two

Music Break! Ben Folds

Landed



(Notice the cameo by "sound mixer" William Shatner?)

Music Break! Virginia O'Brien

Say We're Sweethearts Again

Virginia O'Brien's trademark was a deadpan face as she sung some pretty swingin' stuff. This is one of her more humorous songs.

Music Break! Jon Faddis

Here's That Rainy Day

Music Break! John Coltrane

Happy Birthday, Trane.

On Green Dolphin Street

Music Break! Beethoven

Symphony No. 9, Second Movement

Music Break! The Doors

The End

Music Break! Eddie Daniels

Solfeggietto/Metamorphosis

Music Break! Jimi Hendrix

The Star Spangled Banner



(H/T Andrew Sullivan)

Music Break! Michael Jackson

Normally I wouldn't do this, but this video is special to me. I was the assistant production electrician for this concert at Madison Square Garden. We worked for a solid week getting this rig together and the stars that performed that weekend included Usher, Ray Charles, Liza Minelli, Britney Spears and the rest of the Brothers Jackson. There were two concerts, one on Friday night and one on Monday night celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five. After the second concert we worked all night to load out the show and ended at about 10am... on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Enjoy Billie Jean.

Music Break! John Coltrane

Afro Blue