The Tenors

I love classical music. Sung by a tenor. Particularly sung by certain tenors.

One would be Andrea Bocelli

 I happened to catch him on PBS at a rather intimate concert in Portofino Italy, which is a picturesque fishing village on the Italian Riviera. 

The concert was held right on the harbor and people were even listening from their boats and from the windows in the surrounding shops, restaurants and apartments.

How totally cool is that?!!

"Con te Partiro"  ("Time to Say Goodbye")

from a concert in Denmark in 2007

Just beautiful. 

 

Before Andrea Bocelli, there was Luciano Pavarotti. 

He was the one who drew me into classical music -- his voice was amazing. 

When he teamed up with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras and they began touring as the Three Tenors, I was in heaven! Such wonderful voices, and they made the concerts fun with their poking jokes at one another.

"New York, New York"

a fun and rousing rendition -- especially when Placido Domingo goofs up!!

And so we come to Il Volo who are called Italian operatic pop singers. They are tenors Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto, and baritone Gianluca Ginoble and the group was formed to compete in an Italian version of American Idol -- and they won.

The first time I saw them was in a performance on American Idol in 2011. (No, they weren't in the competition!!) I was instantly hooked. What beautiful and mature voices coming out of these teenagers! They still have their baby teeth for crying out loud!

"O Sole Mio"

I can't help it -- these guys are adorable!

♥♥♥  Linking my favorite tenors over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter T.

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Hope it's not an April Fool joke.....

Yesterday, our son came over for Easter lunch (he's always up for a home cooked meal!) and surprise, surprise -- he finally moved all most of the way out!!!

His moving out process has lasted about eight or so years.....

(I'm sure some of you can identify with this!)

He really surprised me -- after we ate, he jumped up and said that he was going to get all the book boxes -- he had bought a number of bookshelves and now had a place for them. 

I was giddy!

I counted twenty (TWENTY) boxes!!

Full of books

books and CDs that couldn't be housed in the shed.

The boxes had been in two closets....

spilling over into a corner in my hubby's office

CDs, DVDs, 35mm film reels,

even empty DVD cases for crying out loud!

and then he got the metal wire shelving unit that used to be in his room,

and some more stuff that had been in the shed.

His SUV was filled to the brim!

Hope this wasn't an April Fool's joke 

and he brings it all back.....

Does this innocent face look like he'd play a joke on his mama?!!

sharing at Smiling Sally's for Blue Monday  

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Simon and Garfunkel -- and a little bit of Ray

One of the saddest days in my personal music history was the day that Simon and Garfunkel broke up in 1970. Although they each went on to perform alone, they were just never as good apart as they were together. Art Garfunkel's voice cannot be matched, and paired with Paul Simon's lyrics and music, well it was just heavenly.

"The Sounds of Silence" rocketed them to fame.

If you've ever listened closely to the words, you can't help but get shivers. 

It was written after President Kennedy's assassination. 

This performance is from 1966.

I just read that "The Sounds of Silence" has become one of 25 recordings selected for preservation at the Library of Congress. 

(article here from "The Official Simon and Garfunkel Site")

How cool is that!!

"Bridge Over Troubled Water"

performed at the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert, 2009

and just for fun....

a studio rehearsal cut of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for their TV special "Songs of America" in 1969

Art is such a cutie!!

"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"

absolutely nothing will make you feel happier!

performed at the "Concert in Central Park" 1981

I don't know of a Simon and Garfunkel song that I didn't like! 

I have several albums, but now I listen to their greatest hits on CD!

(my albums will probably end up with my daughter who actually has a turntable!)

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

I missed last week's "R" post so I'm going to leave you with 

Ray Charles!

"Georgia on My Mind"

hands down, my favorite Ray Charles song....

performing on "The Midnight Special" in 1976

                              

♥♥♥  linking Simon and Garfunkel -- and Ray -- over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter S.

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Evil Mr. Potato Head ~ Wordless Wednesday

eeeeeeek!

straight to the potato peeler for you!

Linking here:
Create With Joy
Aquariann
In Him We Live and Move


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Spotted Around Town ~ Greek Statues ~ Wordless Wednesday

and in the same yard

reading to the rabbits

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Queen

One day I caught Queen on cable. 

Although knowing all of their most popular songs, I had never actually seen them.

Had no clue.

Didn't even realize that Freddie Mercury was the lead singer.

Knew his name, but had never connected the man to the band.

How I wish I had before he died.

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

from the 2012 cinematic film Hungarian Rhapsody: Live in Budapest

Love the piano in this.

"Love of My Life"

with Brian May on guitar

1981

"Another One Bites the Dust"

To me, the drums and, of course, the bass are what make this song!

I love drums

but oh so glad neither of my kids played them!

"Somebody to Love"

"We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions"

If you don't know these, you've been living under a rock!

You know a band's great when Lego makes them!

Only that should have been a sleeveless shirt on Freddie!

♥♥♥  Linking Freddy and Queen over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter Q! 

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Ninja in a Poodle Skirt ~ Wordless Wednesday

Hi-ya!

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Peter, Paul, and Mary.... and Puff

Do you know Puff the Magic Dragon?  

Whether the song, a book, the original movie, or an updated version, I think everyone must know Puff and little Jackie Paper.  I remember watching the movie with my kids and, of course, singing the song -- which was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, and made popular by that group.

This is a performance where they are singing "Puff....." 

and the audience is participating.

I love the expression of the little girl they show at the first -- her look when she recognizes the song is so sweet!

and here's the original movie if you'd like to see!

Originally written and performed by Bob Dylan in 1962, "Blowin' in the Wind" was covered and made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963. 

"If I Had a Hammer" was originally written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays in 1949 in support of the progressive movement. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded it in 1962.

Although Mary passed away in 2009, Peter and Paul (now going by his full name, Noel Paul) are still touring and singing those wonderful folk songs.


♥♥♥  Linking Peter, Paul and Mary.... and Puff.... over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter P.

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Does your back hurt? ~ Wordless Wednesday

One side

and the other

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Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison

the man behind the glasses...

In the early 60s Roy Orbison left his glasses on a plane and had to wear his prescription sunglasses on stage. He found that he preferred them to his regular glasses and so began the original "man in black" persona.

Black clothes, dark glasses, standing still while singing on stage

all lent an air of mystery

"Crying" really shows his fantastic range

and it was the song that made me a Roy Orbison fan.

This one was performed on his TV show in 1964.

This was before I discovered him -- I didn't even know he had a TV show!

But I would have watched it if I had known!

"Only the Lonely"

Performed in the 1988 TV special, 

Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night

It was performed entirely in black and white and an album was released afterwards.

You'll see Elvis Costello singing background and, if you look really fast, k.d. lang with the female vocalists.

This was when she was still wearing dresses and that looks really odd to me now.

I think k.d. lang is a fantastic singer, by the way!

I vaguely remember seeing this performance -- 

 I might have to check around for the DVD and watch it again!

I picked this video of "Pretty Woman" because of that fabulous blue jumpsuit he's wearing!

Oh my, and form fitting, too.....

(I think Roy's been eating a little too much ice cream!)

Oh, Roy, what happened to your basic black clothes?

This was performed in 1972 and I guess he was just following the fashion trend!

>^.^<  

Oliver made me promise to mention his O post from last year because he is very proud of his writing abilities. If you would like to read about the king kitty just click here for Oliver Helps!

He's such a stinker....

♥♥♥  Linking Roy over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter O.

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