Shake it down, kids! Tiny's in the house!
And shake it you will - up, then down (to the right, to the left, make a circle) - because Tiny was only a wee teenager when she began singing on tour for Dizzy Gillespie's band. She once described her vocal style as "like that of Billy Eckstine. I love the deep tonal qualities of his voice (and) the rhythmic hitting and missing of sounds."
Yet mass-market fame was not in Tiny's future, and by her own design. After she toured with Dizzy, she returned to hometown Pittsburgh and continued singing at a variety of local clubs for decades, like the legendary "Eileen's Zebra Room," before retiring in the mid-1980s.
I love that she did it her way - she wanted to stay in her hometown and raise a family - and, yes, just before she retired, she recorded a scintillating LP, "Tiny Irvin With The Carl Arter Trio," a Terrific Tiny Cheerful Exclusive! In the opening track, "You Don't Know What Love Is," she delivers swooning heartbreak and stunning technical prowess. And, trust, that's just the start.
Speaking of stunning, behold Monsieur Louis Jourdan, Hollywood's favorite, French-flavored snack cake.
As you know, I'm not a huge fan of compilation CDs, but I make exceptions when they're well-curated, and that's certainly the case with 2002's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," a 2-CD extravagaaaaanza of classic MGM tunes, from oft-played ditties performed by Judy Garland, Lena Horne and Gene Kelley, to lesser known tunes performed by the likes of Esther Williams, Clark Gable (I love his "Puttin' On The Ritz"), Louis Armstrong, and of course Jourdan. So dive in, because it's scrumptious listening for a relaxed Sunday afternoon or a drive through the country.
What is it with ladies named Connie? Almost invariably, they're delightful, upbeat songstresses, like Connie Francis, Connie Smith, Connie Stevens...
...and the beguiling Connie Haines, the peppiest Connie of them all.
"Haines?" you say. "Why, yes," I say. A popular Big Band, movie and TV songstress in the 1950s and 60s - she even had her own TV show - Connie got her start on the radio at nine-years-old. By the time she was fourteen, she was a seasoned pro knocking 'em dead at The Roxy in New York City. Not bad for a gal from Georgia who was born "Yvonne Jasme" and later rechristened "Connie Haines" by a promoter who told her, "You just look like a 'Connie.'" And let's face it, she does.
A little under 5 feet tall, Connie made up for her diminutive size with a trumpet like voice, bringing real and genuine swing to swing songs and infusing even more melancholy tunes with indomitable resilience. In other words, this is a brassy singer with bonafide, hard-earned brass. Her 1957 LP, "A Tribute To Helen Morgan," a So Connie Cheerful Exclusive!, is a delight.
Meanwhile, on a recent post, Cheerful blog reader "Jack" recommended an R&B band's new LP, so I gave it a listen and was like, "Wow," then passed it on to The Secret Song File, who gave it a listen and was like, "Wow." She was embarrased, too. Why hadn't she heard of this wicked phresh group? But then she can't listen to everything, can she? Not when you're constantly bizzy looking like this:
Which is really no excuse at all, frankly, and because of this, she's feeling petulant, which means she's not going to give you a single hint. But you can always just scroll back to the last posting and read what "Jack" recommended. And if you're too lazy to do that, congratulations, you're The Secret Song File's kinda guy or gal or something non-binary 'n' such. Personally speaking, I think you should just download it blind, because good surprises are such fun!
Lazy + Fun = Non-Binary Giggles For Everyone!
Lay down some easygoing chuckles in the comments, if'n you like.
