George Winston

Autumn

Playing this in the house over and over again.
Perfect music as a soundtrack for a beautiful fall day.

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What I'm listening to now...

Amanda *#!@#* Palmer

Amanda Palmer is definitely a Mod Vintage Girl. 

I just got her new CD. 

Evelyn Evelyn

It's just beautiful and fun and gothic and vintage and modern. It's like listening to a broadway show. Sounds of the circus mixed with huge orchestrations and some rock and some punk cabaret. It's sad, it's disturbing. It's delightful. 

Evelyn Evelyn

Click on the link above to hear all the tracks from this CD. 

This cd is co-produced and performed by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley

performing as Evelyn Evelyn

a pair of siamese sisters

From the website about Evelyn Evelyn:

Drawing on their background in circus performance and an eclectic range of unlikely influences, the Evelyn sisters have crafted a collection of timeless new genre-bending songs full of humor, sadness and double entrendre.

Over three years in the making, "Evelyn Evelyn" incorporates the talents of over forty musicians and special guests to create a playfully dark musical landscape filled with diverse orchestration. The result is a blend of story and song quite unlike anything you've heard before.

Amanda Palmer was one half of the Dresden Dolls

and her last CD was a solo effort called 

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

which is also great.

Check out these images of Amanda. I love her eyebrows....don't you?

Amanda Palmer: Living the Mod Vintage Life.

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The things you learn on the Internet!

On Friday, I posted about my favorite Easter book,

The Country Bunny and The Little Gold Shoes. 

Tonight I was thinking about this book and it occurred to me that I wondered what other children's books the author had written and I wondered if I had read any of them and just wasn't aware of it. 

So I went to Wikipedia and looked up the author...

Du Bose Heyward

I quickly learned that this was the only children's book he wrote. 

But what a surprise to learn that he wrote the novel 

"Porgy" 

and play of the same name and then collaborated with 

 George Gershwin 

and

Ira Gershwin

to create the great American Opera 

Porgy and Bess

Mr. Heyward wrote the lyrics to many of the most famous songs of the opera. He collaborated with Ira Gershwin on lyrics.

In fact Stephen Sondheim said,

"DuBose Heyward has gone largely unrecognized as the author of the finest set of lyrics in the history of the American musical theater - namely, those of Porgy and Bess. There are two reasons for this, and they are connected. First, he was primarily a poet and novelist, and his only song lyrics were those that he wrote for Porgy. Second, some of them were written in collaboration with Ira Gershwin, a full-time lyricist, whose reputation in the musical theater was firmly established before the opera was written. But most of the lyrics in Porgy - and all of the distinguished ones - are by Heyward. I admire his theater songs for their deeply felt poetic style and their insight into character. It's a pity he didn't write any others. His work is sung, but he is unsung."

and Mr. Stephen Sondheim should know...

I'll admit, I know many of the songs but have only seen clips of the movie...I need to rent it and watch it all the way through.

Songs include:

"Summertime"

"It Ain't Necessarily So"

"My Mans Gone Now"

"I Loves You Porgy"

"I Got Plenty o' Nuttin"

"Bess, You Is My Woman Now"

Originally conceived by Gershwin as an "American folk opera", Porgy and Bess premiered in New York in the fall of 1935 and featured an entire cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring and visionary artistic choice at the time. Gershwin chose African American Eva Jessye as the choral director for the opera. Incorporating a wealth of blues and jazz idioms into the classical art form of opera, Gershwin considered it his finest work.

The work was not widely accepted in the United States as a legitimate opera until 1976, when the Houston Grand Opera production of Gershwin's complete score established it as an artistic triumph. Nine years later the Metropolitan Opera gave their first performance of the work. This production was also broadcast as part of the ongoing Saturday afternoon live Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. The work is now considered part of the standard operatic repertoire and is regularly performed internationally.

all this information came directly from Wikipedia

Fascinating the things you can learn when you Google.

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What a Weekend!

I had quite the weekend. I really spoiled myself all weekend and pretty much did whatever I wanted. It started Thursday night.

 

Elton John & Billy Joel

Face to Face Tour

I'd seen them before but they were even better this time. I'm a Billy Joel fan but have a new appreciation for Elton. I went with a group of friends and we started the evening with Thai food. The concert was sold out and ended with the whole place singing along to Piano Man. The best.

Then on Friday night, I saw

I was amazed by this film. I know it's been out for quite awhile but not here.  I was only now able to see it at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. This film by first time director, Tom Ford is so beautiful. It's a must see if you get the chance. I'm sure it will be out on DVD very soon. I thought Jeff Bridges was a shoe in for Best Actor but after seeing Colin Firth in this...I think he should win. Even though I love me some Jeff Bridges and he deserves to win for the body of his work and Crazy Heart was good. But Colin's performance is so subtle. His face and actions speak volumes in such a restrained pitch perfect performance. 

After seeing this movie, I can't believe it wasn't nominated for Best Picture. I think it was my favorite this year.

Anyway, the images and music are so unbelievably beautiful. I came straight home and ordered the soundtrack off of Amazon.com.

This is the most gorgeous looking movie...I just can't say enough good things about it. I cried and I cried and cried. Then I liked it so much...I went to see it again on Saturday! I started crying even earlier because I knew what was going to happen.

Here are some of the images from the movie.

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

 Before seeing the movie a second time, my sister and I ate some sushi

 at Tokyo Japanese Restaurant. It was super good. 

Then on Sunday, I decided I better see Avatar in 3D / IMAX before "Alice in Wonderland" comes out and takes over that screen.

The 3D was really incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Do I think its worth a Best Picture nod? Not really. The story was nothing unusual although it was entertaining. Although, you really knew what was going to happen pretty much. It truly was fantastic to look at. 

Then I did a little shopping and bought a pretty pink purse.

So that was my weekend...I got absolutely nothing done at the house. 

Next weekend starts with the John Mayer concert on Friday night.

Saturday, I've got to see

followed by a Birthday party where I'll see lots of old friends...then Sunday night another party to watch the Oscars

I'm so excited to watch Alec Baldwin mostly. I adore him. I love Steve Martin too...but Alec just makes me laugh and laugh and he's sooo cute. And the two of them together....I think it's going to be the best.

So that was my weekend and what's coming up. I have a teeny project to finish at the house to show...and didn't get it done. With all my running around. But it was nice to have a weekend that was nothing but fun. Looks like next weekend is going to be more of the same. And that's ok. Fun is allowed.

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My Kind of Valentine...The Dresden Dolls "Coin Operated Boy"

This video is how I discovered The Dresden Dolls and the incredible Amanda Palmer.

I adore this video and I adore all things Amanda Palmer.

I wish I could get away with having eyebrows like that.

I read that she recently got engaged and unfortunately not to her Coin Operated Boy.

He probably cried and rusted.

I just had to share....

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Love me some Ga Ga!

I just had to post about how great The Grammy's were tonight, especially Lady Ga Ga...she's definitely a Mod Vintage Girl. Love, love, love her. Her duet with Sir Elton was over the top fabulous.

If you missed it...check it out on YouTube...

I was truly amazed by Pink's performance. I couldn't believe her aerobatic skills. 

It was jaw dropping amazing. Is everyone just going to keep trying to top one another till someone ends up dying mid performance at one of these Award Shows?

It was news to me that Green Day's "American Idiot" will soon be a Broadway show. When I first got that CD...I thought...this would be a great musical on Broadway...obviously some big time producer had the same idea. Wonder how long till it makes it way to Oklahoma City...hmmm probably 15 years. 

 

I thought the 2010 Grammy's were just fantastic...the performances over the top better than seen in years...but it didn't seem like they gave out many awards. Just lots of performances. The announcers kept saying this or that person had won earlier in the evening...but we hadn't seen that win...so it must have been heavily edited.

Oh...one more thing...poor Taylor Swift...when do you think someone is going to tell her that she is tone deaf? She sings flat. From the look on Stevie Nick's face during their duet...I think she might tell her immediately after they left the stage. Well, if she didn't, she should have. Taylor seems like a very nice girl...and she appreciates all she is receiving award wise. She should, because one of these days someone is going to burst her bubble and say..."I'm sorry....you write good songs and you are pretty...but you sing flat and all those awards you received were only because of the millions of teenagers infatuated with you. One day you're Taylor Swift...

the next day your Britney Spears...

just ask Miley Cyrus.

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