Tag Archives: jazz

Tunes on Tuesday: Just the Two of Us

Why this tune? This week’s tune is the product of a dream team of musical talent that crafted a #2 hit single and a standard of the R&B repertoire. “Just the Two of Us” was written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald, and recorded by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers for Washington’sContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Just the Two of Us”

Tunes on Tuesday: People Make The World Go Round

Why this tune? I was reacquainted with this week’s tune last week when vocalist Venus Dodson included it in the set list we’re performing this month on St. Croix. “People Make The World Go Round” is a classic of the 1970s Philadelphia soul scene written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It was a top-30Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: People Make The World Go Round”

Tunes on Tuesday: The Gentle Rain

Why this tune? This week’s tune “The Gentle Rain” is a gentle bossa nova composed by Luiz Bonfá that has been in my set lists for a while. Bonfá wrote it for the soundtrack of the 1966 film “The Gentle Rain,” and it was quickly picked up by jazz and pop artists as an instrumental piece orContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Gentle Rain”

Tunes on Tuesday: These Foolish Things

Why this tune? I’ve been thinking about creating a workshop on lyric writing for jazz musicians, and was looking for a song to use as an example of of creative lyrics to serve as a model and inspiration. “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)” is what songwriter Mark Winkler calls a “laundry list” song,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: These Foolish Things”

Tunes on Tuesday: Beatrice

Why this tune? This week’s tune is another jazz standard and jam session favorite, Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice.” He recorded it on his 1964 album Fuschia Swing Song, after which it entered the jazz canon, with almost 150 recordings to date. According to Second Hand Songs, all of those
recordings are instrumental with the exception of
one trackContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Beatrice”

Tunes on Tuesday: Always and Forever

Why this tune? Tunes on Tuesday celebrates the birthday of the great
guitarist and composer Pat Metheny with one of
his lovely ballads. He recorded this one on his 1992 album “Secret Story“
in a lush orchestral arrangement. I had planned to play this song this week in any case,
following a chat with another musician at a jamContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Always and Forever”

Tunes on Tuesday: Are You Out Of Your Mind?

Why this tune? This week’s song is also the title of a cabaret revue I’m presenting at the new District Fringe festival this month
in Washington, DC. I put together a bunch of my songs (and two covers) to
create a narrative that explores our relationships with our 
friends, our partners and ourselves. I invited Barbara PapendorpContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Are You Out Of Your Mind?”

Tunes on Tuesday: Nothing To Say

Why this tune? This week’s tune comes from another rehearsal,
for a show on June 26, 2025 at the Lamond-Riggs
public library in Washington, DC. Vicki Golding, Percy White and I are playing 
”Nothing To Say,” which I wrote first in 2021 as a
way out of writer’s block. I wrote one verse then, turning a story aboutContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Nothing To Say”

Tunes on Tuesday: Hanukkah Time

Why this tune? This week’s tune “Hanukkah Time” is brand new, written earlier the same day as this post and the Tunes on Tuesday video. Songwriters are often asked if the words or the melody come first when writing a song. The answer for this one is neither. This song started with that drum loopContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Hanukkah Time”