August 5 - Jeri Southern; Antonio Cesti (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 5th are here: Guillaume DuFay (2019), (2020), and Guillaume Du Fay; Ambroise Thomas (2021)

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Jeri Southern (5 August 1926 – 4 August 1991) was an American jazz singer and pianist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advice

Pour a bourbon and surrender

To Jeri Southern’s soft and tender

Way of rendering a song.

Sip the drink, and if it’s strong,

Do yourself a special favor,

And nurse it slowly as you savor

Jeri Southern’s subtle style.

You’ll want them both to last a while.

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

 

Antonio Cesti (baptism 5 August 1623 – 14 October 1669) was an important Italian composer of opera and cantata.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigger than Life

Il Pomo d’oro was a hit,

For nothing was as grand as it.

For no expense was scrimped or spared,

As sets and costumes were prepared.

Was Cesti’s music mere distraction

From all the stagecraft and the action?

And in that circumstance did Cesti

Spend his evenings tense and testy?

 

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August 4 - Louis Lully (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 4th are here: Harry Lauder (2019), Louis Armstrong (2020), and William Schuman (2021)

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Louis Lully (4 August 1664– 1 April 1734) was a French musician and the eldest son of Jean-Baptiste Lully. 

[A note on pronunciation: the conventional pronunciation of Lully in England stresses the first syllable, while in America it is usual to stress the second syllable.  For the purposes of these metrical studies, please assume the English pronunciation.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four Metrical Variations on a Failure

Nearly disinherited by his father following dissolute behavior and imprisonment, Louis did not have the brilliant career anticipated for him, not only because of his behavior but also due to his lack of talent. – Wikipedia

Trochaic Tragedy

Louis Lully was dejected

Since the life that was projected

Didn’t turn out as expected.

 

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Anapestic Anathema 

If you judged by the man’s DNA,

His achievements should blow us away!

But the Fates, in his case, had their say,

And he’s barely a memory today.

 

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Dactyl Damnation

Lully was dissolute, coarse, and ungallant,

But failed in his music through sheer lack of talent.

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Iambic Insult

Since Louis Lully lacked the skill

To reach the height of music’s hill,

Paternal anger grew until

He nearly cut him from the will.

 

 

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August 3 - Tony Bennett (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 3rd are here: Tony Bennett (2019),  (2020), and Richard Adler (2021)

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Tony Bennett (b. 3 August 1926) is one of the great stylists of American popular song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coda

Despite his retirement, Bennett continues to rehearse with his music director three times a week, Danny Bennett said in an interview. -- Wikipedia

It’s August 3rd and once again it’s

Time to think of Tony Bennett’s

Many years in entertainment

At the acme of attainment.

He sings a bit, though now retired,

But since he’s frail, it’s not required. –

He had a touching final saga

With impetus from Lady Gaga.

 

 

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August 2 - Helen Morgan (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts of August 2nd are here: Helen Morgan (2019), Arthur Bliss (2020), and Jacob Collier (2021)

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Helen Morgan (2 August 1900 – 9 October 1941) was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Bill

 

She starred as Julie LaVerne in the original Broadway production of Hammerstein and Kern's musical Show Boat in 1927, as well as in the 1932 Broadway revival of the musical, and appeared in two film adaptations. -- Wikipedia  

Miss Morgan had more than one turn

At the role of Miss Julie LaVerne;

We remember her still

For the way she sang “Bill”

And other great standards by Kern.

 

 

 

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August 1 - Francis Scott Key (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for August 1st are here: Lionel Bart (2019) and (2020), and Jerry Garcia; Benedetto Marcello (2021)

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Francis Scott Key (1 August 1779 – 11 January 1843) was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, who is best known for writing the lyrics for the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Play Ball!

If the lawyer named Francis Scott Key

Returned to the living, would he

Insist that subpoenas

Be sent to arenas

Who are using his lyrics for free?

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O Say, Can You Sing?

 

Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today. -- Wikipedia, s.v. "The Star-Spangled Banner" 

When we strain to sing “land of the free”

On that curséd high F or high G,

It gets even worse

If you sing every verse

That was written by Francis Scott Key.

 

 

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