Weekend Playlist - Hang on Little Tomato

This week's song is another one of my Pandora finds. I had never heard of Pink Martini or this particular song. However, the more I have listened to it the more it has grown on me. I imagine the song as advice from a parent to a child. Somehow that makes it a little sweeter. It's a song filled with hope. As depressing as sometimes things can seem to be, a song like this can brighten one's day.

Daily Links 3-4-14

In today's edition: avoiding the appearance of evil, John Steinbeck was a spy, how to get an online MBA for free, memorable quotes from Dr. Seuss, and more.

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I've heard it said many times to "avoid every appearance of evil". The source is from 1 Thessalonians 5:22 in the King James Version. The trouble is that the KJV is translating the verse incorrectly. Here's an explanation of how this verse has been so frequently misused.

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A crash course in jazz appreciation from Art of Manliness.

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Did John Steinbeck spy for the CIA? It certainly looks that way. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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According to Yelp, the best rated restaurant in the country is a shack. I will say this: when I travel I do rely on Yelp for reviews of restaurants. Usually they are fairly reliable. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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How to earn an MBA online for free.

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Dr. Seuss would have been 110 this past Sunday. Here are ten memorable quotes about his life and work.

Weekend Playlist - Let's Fall in Love

Time for another selection from one of my favorite singers, Diana Krall, for this weekend's playlist. Here's another great standard Let's Fall in Love. If you're unfamiliar with her work, this is a great introduction. Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist: Bewitched, Bothered and, Bewildered

When I think of Boz Scaggs jazz singer is not the first thing that leaps to mind. I'm more likely to recall his hits from the late 70s such as Lowdown and Lido Shuffle. But in 2003, he recorded an album of jazz standards entitled But Beautiful that debuted at #1 on the jazz charts upon its release. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered is a Rodgers and Hart tune from Pal Joey. Click below to hear how Boz Scaggs proves himself more than capable of handling one of the great show tunes.

Weekend Playlist: My Romance

This weekend's song is a jazz standard by Richard Rodgers and Lorenzo Hart that was written for the musical Jumbo and popularized by Doris Day. Like many other standards it's been recorded numerous times. This version by James Taylor was the first time I really heard the song and it's stuck with me ever since then. Although there are arguably better versions of the song this one still feels special to me.

Weekend Playlist: Frim Fram Sauce

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I'm a big fan of Diana Krall. Peel Me a Grape (which I highlighted here) was the first song of hers I heard and I was hooked immediately. Today's selection is another of my favorites because it again perfectly displays both her vocal and piano talents.

Today's song appears on her album All For You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio. The thing I like about this track is while you can hear a definite nod to the original song she still manages to makes it her own. Be sure to marvel at the extended solo in the middle of the song.

Weekend Playlist: I've Got the World on a String

Here's another song from the Great American Songbook that has been recorded multiple times by a variety of different artists. When I first heard this version of the song I heard the Frank Sinatra version. I've also heard Michael Buble and others provide their own take on the song. But it's hard to do much better than Ella Fitzgerald in the video below. Enjoy!

Weekend Playlist: Peel Me A Grape

It's a rare thing that a song sticks with me after hearing it for the first time. Normally it takes me hearing a song several times before deciding whether I like it or not. Even more rare is when I can remember exactly when I have heard a song (or an artist) for the first time. But in the case of this song I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard it. From the very first time I heard the song I not only thoroughly enjoyed the song but knew the artist was someone I would want to hear from more often.

That's certainly the case with Diana Krall. When it comes to modern jazz musicians few can hold a candle to her vocally speaking. The added bonus is that she is also an accomplished pianist. This is a quintessential example of her vocal and piano performances. It's one of many of her performances from the Great American Songbook that were hallmarks of the early portion of her career. Her music is also perfect background music for a romantic evening. Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist: Sweet Pea

This week's selection is another in a long line of Pandora songs. I listen to Pandora a lot (probably too much) and continue to be amazed at how well they can tailor song selections based on a user's tastes. I had never heard this song before finding it on Pandora but I liked it the first time I heard it. It has a little flavor of Dixieland to it. Overall it's just a fun song and I think that's probably why it appeals to me so much. Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist - Isn't This a Lovely Day

I've mentioned it before but it's worth repeating: one of the most ingenious pairings in music history has to be that of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Never before had two singers with such different styles been paired together with such tremendous success.

It's a Lovely Day is not necessarily their best known duet. But thanks in part to wonderful writing by Irving Berlin (what else would you expect?) this is quite a gem of a song. This is just another example of what a wonderful pair Fitzgerald and Armstrong made. Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist - If I Had You

A little jazz with a French twist for your weekend. This is another song I discovered on Pandora. Have I mentioned how much I love listening to Pandora? Anyway, this is another example of a song from the Great American Song Book that has been reinvented and given a different twist. Connie Evingson is handling the vocals on this track and is backed by the Hot Club of Sweden (whom she coincidentally met on a trip to Stockholm). Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist: La Vie En Rose

The best thing about listening to Pandora is that I'm constantly discovering new artists that I haven't heard before. I'll give them credit - they really know how to tailor recommendations based on user preferences. Today's artist is a perfect example of someone I've discovered thanks to Pandora.

According to their website, Duo Gadjo offers jazz with a French twist. In addition to their own recording, they are also members of the Hot Club of San Francisco which offers their own take on acoustic jazz.

There are few songs are so quintessentially classic French than La Vie en Rose. It's been recorded a number of times and is considered a standard in French jazz. Here is there take on the classic song. Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist: Someone to Watch Over Me

When it comes to jazz standards, few are as famous as George and Ira Gershwin's Someone to Watch Over Me. Like many of the Gershwins' tunes, it was written for a show but took on a life of its own. It's been recorded a number of times and it would be difficult to select one definitive version of the song. So, I'll settle for a very good one: Blossom Dearie's 1961 version of the song.

Weekend Playlist - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (And Right Myself A Letter)

There's no question that Nat King Cole died far too young at age 45. Though his career was all too brief he was one of the premier vocalists of his day. He had an extensive discography and amassed an incredible number of credits in a short period of time. When trying to pick out a song to highlight it's difficult to pick out just one. But this track is one of my personal favorites. It was originally written in 1935 and has been recorded many times. It's even been included in the show Ain't Misbehavin'. Enjoy this classic song.

Weekend Playlist - Ain't That A Kick In the Head

Ocean's Eleven (the original 1960 version, for those keeping score at home) is not known as a great film. Good, but not great. But one of the highlights is that it featured a new song performed by one of the film's stars, Dean Martin. The video below is a clip from the movie where Martin performs the song at a nightclub. It's a fun song. Enjoy!

Weekend Playlist - I'm Confessin'

Up until a few months ago I had no idea who Connie Evingson was. I blame credit Pandora for this discovery. She's a fantastic singer. But really what caught my attention is her style of jazz. It's the kind of thing I imagine hearing in a cafe in Paris. Maybe it's the accordion and violin in this track. It could also be the total lack of any percussion that stands out. Either way this is a really good song.

Friday Tweet Recap

During the week I'm usually tweeting out articles via Twitter so here are a few things that you might have missed that caught my attention this week:

Seven marks of false teachers. This is especially good advice if you're either looking for a church or evaluating what pastors to listen to .

I am really bad at remembering someone's name so this article provided some pretty helpful tips.

I didn't realize John Piper had retired from the pulpit earlier this spring. He's spending a year in Knoxville which is a lovely city not far from where I live. The most striking thing he said in this article is that he intentionally left Minneapolis behind to give his successor at Bethlehem Baptist Church some breathing room.

It was Father's Day last Sunday and Joel Miller has some thoughts on what every child needs to hear from their dad.

My daughter pointed this one out to me. I think it has to do with the fact she wants to major in theatre. 10 Ways Being a Theatre Major Prepared Me For Success.

John Stonestreet has some thoughts about what to say to our daughters about the morning after pill.

It's a little bit of a shock but longtime Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully almost signed with the New York Yankees. And demonstrating that he is a true Renaissance man, he took to Twitter earlier this week during the Dodgers-Yankees series. It was as beautiful as you could have imagined.

More baseball: Grantland's Jonah Keri examines the flawed importance of the closer. I have always wondered whether too much emphasis is placed on the 9th inning. Now I'm sure of it. This also made me think of this piece from Joe Posnanski.

This article got me thinking: 9 Qualities of Truly Confident People. It's an interesting read. On a related note, the four questions great leaders ask.

Some of these vintage rules for conversation (from 1875!) are really remarkable. It would be interesting to see how different our conversations would be if we applied these rules.

Life Magazine has been posting photos from their vast library online. The latest installment is unpublished color photos of the ruins of Normandy following D-Day. These pictures are amazing.

Also from the Life Magazine archives, color portraits from the 1950s of Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz legends.

Here's a list of 8 things you shouldn't do every day. I confess that I am guilty of quite of few of these mistakes.

Some tips on how to read a book. I will admit I hadn't thought about some of these strategies before and they look like they are worth a try. This article also has some tips on how to read more books including some interesting ways to keep track of books on your reading list.

That's it. Have a great weekend.