Why this tune? This week’s tune is in honor of Passover, an interpretation of the “Song of the Sea” in Exodus 15, which we read during the holiday. It’s another addition to my “Torah Tunes” series, for Parashat Beshalach where these verses appear. Moses and the Israelites sing this song following the dramatic crossing ofContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Down in the Deep (Passover 2025)”
Category Archives: Tunes On Tuesday
Tunes on Tuesday: Everything Happens to Me
Why this tune? This week’s song is another one from the American songbook, a pop song from 1940 written by Matt Dennis and Tom Adair. It was a hit for Frank Sinatra, singing with Tommy Dorsey’s band, and entered the jazz repertoire soon after, recorded by Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and many others. I’m attractedContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Everything Happens to Me”
Tunes on Tuesday: You Must Believe In Spring
Why this tune? It’s officially spring, and so time for songs of the spring season. This is one of the loveliest spring songs I know. Michel Legrand and Jacques Demy wrote it as “La chanson de Maxence” for the 1967 film “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort.” Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote new English lyrics for theContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: You Must Believe In Spring”
Tunes on Tuesday: Easy
Why this tune? I wrote this week’s tune last month during the annual February Album Writing Month at FAWM.org. The prompt for the song was “convenience,” which led to this musing on recent advances in large language model “AI.” Among the many tools out there are programs that will write songs for you based onContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Easy”
Tunes on Tuesday: A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
Why this tune? I’m going back to the standards this week with this song by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson from 1943. Frank Sinatra sang it in the 1944 film “Higher and Higher.” Both Sinatra and the Ink Spots reached the pop hit charts with their recordings. McHugh contributed many standards to the American songbook,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening”
Tunes on Tuesday: Void and Return
Why this tune? This week’s song is another one from the last day of this year’s February Album Writing Month (FAWM.org). It’s another song inspired by a song “skirmish,” this time with the prompt “Looks like a void and return kind of day,” which the host heard at a local store. The story took aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Void and Return”
Tunes on Tuesday: Harmony
Why this tune? I wrote this week’s song on the last day of this year’s February Album Writing Month (FAWM.org). FAWM is an annual virtual gathering of songwriters (amateur and pro) from around the world, writing, sharing and collaborating for a month. The stated goal is to write an album (14 songs). It’s a veryContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Harmony”
Tunes on Tuesday: The Closer I Get To You
Why this tune? This week’s song is in memory of the great American singer and pianist Roberta Flack, who passed on this week (February 24). She has a special place in the hearts of people from Washington, DC, where Flack started her musical career. She was already an accomplished singer, pianist and teacher when sheContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Closer I Get To You”
Tunes on Tuesday: Road Song
Why this tune? This week’s selection goes back to the standards with “Road Song,” a 1968 tune by Wes Montgomery. It was the title track of his album of that year, a “commercial” project that was also his last album. Montgomery died later that year of a heart attack. The track list includes covers ofContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Road Song”
Tunes on Tuesday: Parking Witch
Why this tune? This week’s song is another reminder that inspiration can come from anywhere. Our friend introduced us to the concept of the “parking witch,” to whom you appeal when looking for a space in a crowded place. We invoked the witch last weekend when looking for parking at Union Market in Washington, DCContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Parking Witch”
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 