Jazz and Cocktails
Julie London is pure sex. And in this performance of “Bye Bye Blackbird” she’s even more purerer sex. The bass player sure knows it. Try watching him for a few moments, if it’s possible to take your eyes off of Julie. Stay through to the end for a perfect final touch.
We’ll need a cocktail with just as much sex appeal, yet slightly bittersweet to match the lyric. A classic champagne cocktail fits the bill.
You’ll need:
A sugar cube
Angostura bitters
A decent brut champagne (Korbel or similar sparkling wine will do nicely)
A twist of orange
This one is so easy, it’s almost as sinful as the song. Soak the sugar cube in the bitters, drop it in the bottom of your champagne flute, then fill it with champagne. But please remember to pour gently and slowly, or the bubbles will be spilling up over the top like Julie is almost spilling out of that dress.
Garnish with the twist, and you’re done.
Here are the two I just made.
Cheers.
BLEG: According to YouTube, the bass player is with the Bobby Troup Quintet, but that’s it. Can anyone ID him? Red Mitchell, maybe?
Lord, that is one Cadillac A**! Where are women like that these days? I can’t remember the last woman I met that knew the difference between being sexy and being a skank.
Just wait. I have Eartha Kitt lined up for the fall.
Outstanding! Julie Newmar will always be my favorite Catwoman, but no one could purrrr like Eartha!
Eartha Kitt! Man, all I want for Christmas is to be Santa Baby!
Don Bagley (bass), per comment in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2bbgqlvjps
Confirmation — http://www.jazzwax.com/2011/12/the-julie-london-show.html
I took an online quiz years ago. One of the questions was “I hate jazz …”. I remember picking “for political reasons”. The quiz decided that I was a f***tard.
Be that as it may, no one can vocalize sex like a jazz singer.
I can’t find it but she did a cover of “Black is the color of my true loves hair” that was uhm, exciting?
There is a category of singers that I used to call Salon singers. Mel Torme, Lani Cantrell, and a bunch of others. You’d find them in Vegas. They were all about the voice. You never had a problem understanding the lyrics.
You’ve staggered upon the meaning of life: boozenbroads
Julie London has long been my favorite female vocalist, jazz or otherwise. Wow.
Well, that was just fricken awesome.
Great new feature, Stephen.
I still miss the Friday recipes, but this will do.
i can see her looking back at me from the cover of her classic LP, ‘julie is her name’ from where i am sitting (good lord…i didn’t buy that NEW, did i ?!?).
they don’t make ‘em like her anymore.
Did you like that rendition better than the color version they had on YT also?
http://youtu.be/2AreefiCrN8
Forgot to put in the Don Bagley link. Sadly, he just passed a few weeks back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Bagley
I just listened to that while drinking icewater. I’m afraid cocktails like that don’t often agree with me (other than the occasional martini or margarita, and a few beers, I’m sadly teetotal). It’s an impressive performance, anyway…you have to love it when the singer is only accompanied by one instrument: that bass is important, but her voice really carries the song.
I first knew about Julie London through the TV show Emergency!, which she starred in along with her husband Bobby Troup (who accompanied her at the time this piece was done). The show was created by her ex-husband Jack Webb, with whom she had maintained good relations even after their divorce.
And yea, she was pretty sexy, wasn’t she?
Nothing comes close to Julie on the cover of her LP “Around Midnight”…Tight gold pants with both legs pointed up to 12:00. I still have that LP in my collection.
Thank you for this.
I was really impressed by the bass player. I mean that he was able to keep playing well. Any higher functions in my brain would have shut down.
Very important question: is the Champagne Cocktail a ladies drink? I used to order it and would get stares. But, it’s a great cocktail regardless.