Apr 28, 2013 Awake in Real Time: Coffee-induced Meditations and Journal Entries, Essays on Music and Musicians

Thinking about Summer at the Start of Spring

Some song-musings by Vijaya Sundaram

April 28th, 2013

Just thought it was time for Aaron Neville.  I love his light handling of Summertime.

Mahalia Jackson has always moved me deeply with her voice and her feeling.  The first time I heard her was after my French teacher in college recommended that I listen to her.   She had heard me singing on stage for the college, seemed pleased, and gave me a cassette tape with these two songs (Summertime and Motherless Child) on it.  I understood why when I heard both.  Years later, when I was singing in the subway at Downtown Crossing in Boston, an African-American woman came up to me, dropped a couple of dollars, smiled at me and said, “Sister, you should be singin’ the blues.”

I was quite honored.

One of my all-time favorite singers is, of course, Billie Holiday.  Here’s how she sings Summertime.

Another singer of the angelic host is Ella Fitzgerald.  Here’s her version of Summertime.

I could scarcely believe my ears when I heard Janice Joplin sing Summertime.  Hope you enjoy this rendition!  (Definitely a departure from the beautiful, lulling tones of Ella, but compelling nonetheless!)

And finally, here’s the sublime Sam Cooke singing Summertime.

Did you guess I like the song?  🙂

I’ll be back with other favorites.

Goodnight, sweet dreams and hope this summer will not be too scorching.

Love,

Dreamer of Dreams

Tags: #Summertime, Aaron Neville, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke