Other arms reach out to me Other eyes smile tenderly Still, in peaceful dreams, I see The road leads back to you, to you, my beautiful Georgia Georgia, no peace I find Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind
—Hoagy Carmichael, Georgia on My Mind
Nothing more this morning but a sigh of relief and a big “thank you” to the good people of the state of Georgia. Here’s a strong rendition of the song Georgia on My Mind performed by a collected group of Broadway stars. Lots of talent here.
I was going to play the seminal version from Ray Charles, by far the best known and most powerful single performance of the song which was written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael. Willie Nelson also had a sweet quieter version of the song that went to Number 1 on the charts in 1978.
But give a listen and, if you’re so inclined, send out some psychic thanks to our friends in Georgia.
Have a good day and let an old sweet song keep Georgia on your mind…
Sunday morning and I’m back in the studio after a couple days down in the Alexandria/DC area. And even though it was a very enjoyable time and a great opening for the Native Voice show, it is, as always, truly wonderful to be back in the studio this morning. Back to my center.
I thought the work for this show looked very good on the walls of the Principle Gallery. There’s more warmth in the wall color than the photos that have been posted show and the work seemed to really stand out against it. This show consisted mainly of works on canvas because I wanted those solid blocks of color to dominate and push out into the space rather than have matting around the image soften the impact and put distance between the viewer and the painting. I think this was the right decision based on the very enthusiastic response to the work.
The Next Generation
Of course, the best part of the evening is seeing friends, old and new, and catching up a bit. The theme this year seemed to be the next generation, with a number of new additions to families making their first visits to an opening. I love hearing how small children respond to the colors and forms in the paintings. Plus I like the idea that these paintings will in some small way be a part of the environment that influences their lives in the years to come. Hopefully, they will prove to be positive influences.
Thank you to everyone who came out on Friday evening. Some traveled some distance and for that I cannot be more appreciative. It is that sort of enthusiasm that inspires me and makes my job so much easier.
And of course, very warm thanks to Michele, Clint, Jessica and Pamela at the Principle Gallery for both your tremendous professionalism and your friendship. Both equally mean the world to Cheri and me.
So, as I settle back into my treasured routine on a Sunday morning, it is once again that time when I play a little music here on the blog. Today I am in the mood for something mellow and nothing is better at that than the voice of the great and ever elegant Nat King Cole. Here is his beautiful version of Hoagy Carmichael‘s classic Stardust.
It’s Saturday morning and I just had a thought about Hoagy Carmichael, the great composer of some of the most recorded songs of the last century. Classics like Stardust, Georgia on My Mind, Am I Blue, Up a Lazy River and on and on. He also appeared in a number of films in parts that allowed him to showcase his piano playing and song skills, most memorably in as the bar-owner uncle to the Harold Russell character in the great The Best Years of Our Lives .
My favorite was from the Humphrey Bogart/ Lauren Bacall classic To Have and Have Not where he was the piano player in the island dive. He does a version of his Hong Kong Blues which has a real funky sound, very reminiscent of something Tom Waits might do forty or fifty years later. I couldn’t find that version but I found a later one from the Rosemary Clooney Show in the 50’s that’s still pretty good.
For my money he was a pretty cool customer. I may not have agreed with all of his views ( he once got into a fistfight with Bogart over Bogart’s pinko leanings) but how can you not like a gut who write songs with titles like I’m a Cranky Old Yank in a Clanky Old Tank on the Streets of Yokohama with my Honolulu Mama Doin’ Those Beat-o, Beat-o Flat-On-My-Seat-o, Hirohito Blues ?
Redtree Times 