My cover of The River of Dreams by Billy Joel (1993, album River of Dreams). It was chosen by Sue in our Fortnight Song Challenge. I wasn’t familiar with the song, but it turned out to be a really enjoyable challenge to unravel its different elements and discover how ingeniously it is put together in terms of rhythm, dynamics, and layering. (more…)
Here’s my cover of Come Away With Me (Norah Jones, album Come Away With Me, 2002). Come Away With Me is an intimate, soft, and very minimalistic love song that revolves around escape and a sense of safety and comfort. It was the collaboration song on Singeo.com this month. (more…)
My cover of My Funny Valentine (written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart). I’ve chosen the version of Herbie Hancock (album Gershwin’s World 1998) with Sting on vocals. I love Hancock’s music and it was the best fit for my voice. It was Matt’s choice for our Song Challenge. (more…)
This week’s song challenge brought me face-to-face with a song I’d never heard before: Cat’s in the Cradle (Harry Chapin, 1974, album “Verities & Balderdash”). I chose to cover Ugly Kid Joe’s 1992 rock version instead of Harry Chapin’s original. Because the raw, driving energy of Ugly Kid Joe’s arrangement spoke to me. It gave me the space to explore my vocal range – playing with two-octave jumps – and to craft harmonies for the bridge and chorus that added depth to the song’s emotional core. (more…)