Tag: classic blues

Saturday Night Serenade–Feeling Bluesy

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, Humor, Inspirations, Love, MusicLeave a comment

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling kind of low-key this last weekend of March.  This past couple of weeks have been absolutely gorgeous.  The last half of March is always the most beautiful time of year here in south Florida.   The sky is bright blue, the sun is golden, it’s neither hot nor cold…

It’s not the ideal time to go swimming–between the migrating sharks and the Portuguese man-o-war, the ocean is a little dicey.  But to sit on the sand and watch the turquoise water at Juno Beach or Jupiter Beach?  It’s a little slice of heaven.

As is this bluesy song by Tracy Chapman.  Give Me One Reason is from her 1995  album, New Beginning.  It’s the perfect soundtrack for a low-key evening.  By the way, did you know you can ask Alexa to play this song?  And thousands of others?  You don’t even have to scroll through YouTube or iTunes.  Ain’t technology grand?

I hope you’re enjoying this lovely spring evening.  Be sure to hug those you love.

Happy Saturday night!

Oh, and P.S.–Between you and me, don’t tell anybody about Juno and Jupiter.  Let’em all go to Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona.  😉

Saturday Night Serenade–Christmas Blues

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, LoveLeave a comment

Only two more weekends until Christmas!  Have you finished all your shopping?  Here at Chez R, we have not.  Finances being what they are, we’re scraping up what we can to put together what will be a lean Christmas for our loved ones.  Everyone should manage to get a little something, but it won’t be like it has been in years past.

Mr. R and I are last on the list, but that’s okay.  We have what’s important anyway, the kind of thing that can’t be wrapped and put under a tree.  And I’m perfectly content with that, as long as we get something out to the family.

I’m looking forward to Christmas Day itself.  It should be calm and bright, no hustle or bustle.  In fact, it will be the first day I can plan on sleeping late for the foreseeable future.

As content as I am, I’m still in the mood for a little Christmas blues, so I’m starting out with the incomparable B.B. King.  There are many versions of Merry Christmas Baby, but his is the best.

The second helping (the B-side, LOL) is Jon Bon Jovi with Please Come Home for Christmas.

I hope you’re snuggled warm and safe with those you love.  Be sure to give them a hug.  Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–Fall Blues

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, Love, Music2 Comments

Feeling the blues this week, and in the best way.  Summer’s gone, and it’s finally fall.  I’m done with summer songs for now.  Autumn songs fit my mood better.  And I’m ready to be done with Huricane Season, can I get an amen?  We still have a bit to go with that, though.

I love this song from Tracy Chapman, and this great version adds a little Clapton to the mix.  Nothing at all wrong with the blues.  And it feels like a song for cooler weather.

Is it cooler where you are?  Are autumn leaves stirring?  Tell me they are, I want to enjoy fall vicariously.  It’s still hot and muggy here.

So pull on a sweater and hug those you love.  Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–Merry Christmas, Baby!

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, Love3 Comments

We’re two weeks away from Christmas and it’s a nasty December day here in south Florida.  The sky is gray and it’s been misting all day.  It’s not cold, really, the temp is 70, but it’s the kind of day that makes you want to stay home and avoid the rat race.

Which we didn’t today, because we needed to finalize our shopping so we can ensure all our loved ones have a holly, jolly Christmas.  Oddly enough, I found that other shoppers out there are not necessarily holly or jolly.  In spite of sparkly decorations, piped in holiday mood music, and huge bargains, folks are downright grumpy.  On the upside, I thought the clerks and cashiers were pretty pleasant.

But fighting our way through traffic on this wet, soggy day, only to be run over by other shoppers in their search for yuletide gold, we began to appreciate the miracle that is Amazon Prime.

So mission accomplished, we’re back in our decked-out abode, and I couldn’t be happier.  Tonight calls for a glass of wine in front of the fire, relaxing in the glow of the Christmas tree, with bluesy holiday music in the background.

I hope you enjoy Sheryl Crow and Merry Christmas, Baby.  Happy Saturday night!

 

Saturday Night Serenade–Give Me One Reason

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, Music1 Comment

It’s July, friends!  While I was thrilled to see June, I’m not quite as happy for July.  The summer needs to slow down just a little.  Before we know it, we’ll be back to the old grind.

I’m feeling the blues tonight, but not in a bad way.  I love, love, LOVE Tracy Chapman and I adore this song.  For tonight’s serenade, I found a live performance from PBS and I especially love the intro, just Tracy and her guitar.  I hope you enjoy it, too.

Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–Pride and Joy

On By Pandora SpocksIn Blogging, Date Night, Humor, Love, Music, Writing7 Comments

It’s been a rough week, what with Mr. R.’s change in schedule.  Until late yesterday afternoon, the last time we actually saw each other was Sunday.  We’ve literally been passing in the night.  We had a near miss one day when he called me as I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from work.  He’d just left there, having stopped on his way to work.  We’d actually been in the store at the same time and hadn’t seen each other.  Anyway, only four more work days left for me and then we’ll be able to sleep in together every day.

Date Night tonight will be a night in.  Tonight Mr. R. and I will be snuggled up on the sofa watching the 2015 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on HBO.  I’ve been stoked about this since I heard the list of inductees, including Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Green Day, and Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.  Here’s a little SRV to get you in the mood.  Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–Oh Yeah!

On By Pandora SpocksIn Date Night, Events, Music2 Comments

Tonight we honor the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 30th Induction Ceremony which is being held at Cleveland’s Public Hall.  The 2015 inductees are Ringo Starr, Bill Withers, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lou Reed, The 5 Royales, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.  I can’t wait for that concert on HBO.

Several of these artists are on my personal top-ten list, but I have always maintained that when I grow up, I want to be Joan Jett.  So it wasn’t really hard to pick the right song for Saturday night.  Enjoy!  Oh, yeah!

Saturday Night Serenade–Feeling Good

On By Pandora SpocksIn Date Night, Music, Writing10 Comments

I love Michael Buble.  I’ve heard his version of this song many times.  But somehow, when searching for a post for tonight, his was somewhat unsatisfying.  That’s when I stumbled upon the 1965 version by Nina Simone.

And here’s the thing about that: My boss puts on music first thing in the morning.  He has eclectic taste, not unlike myself, and he tends to go in jags.  For weeks he’ll have music he finds inspirational (Stand By Me performed by the street musicians of Playing for Change), then moldy oldies from the sixties, or, if the mood strikes, the Florida State fight song.  Once when someone complained, he got pissed off and played bagpipe music.  I shit you not.  But one of his jags is classic bluesy-jazz, and that is where I’ve heard Nina Simone’s version a million times without realizing it.  It has more depth and soul than Michael Buble’s version.  I hope you enjoy it.  Happy Saturday night!