Fly Me to the Moon

Sixty-five years ago, songwriter Bart Howard wanted to write a sassy little tune about how people seldom say what they mean, and that’s why he called it “In Other Words.” But then Bart learned his own lesson about other words. When Kaye Ballard brought the song to the radio that year, fans didn’t call in by its name. Instead, when they phoned up their favorite disc jockey and ask to hear this cool little melody, they used the song’s evocative, highly poetic opening line. When the same thing kept happening all across the country, the record company had to re-release the song under the title that the public had chosen for it. The Flood’s been doing the song for more than a decade now. Here, from last night’s rehearsal, Michelle takes us on a favorite journey. In other words, here’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”

The Birth of the Blues

One of the fun things about being such an eclectic bunch of people is that we are quite comfortable with reaching way back for great tunes that many bands have never even heard of. A case in point is this song that’s now nearly a hundred years ago. It came out when the 1920s were really beginning to roar. It was a favorite of Charlie’s mom and dad, not because they knew it from 1926 when it was released, but because it was also the title tune of a classic Bing Crosby musical from 1941. And this musical centenarian still has mojo. Listen to our take on the tune from a recent rehearsal, as Paul Callicoat lays down a solid bass line for tasty solos by Doug Chaffin, Paul Martin, Sam St. Clair and Vanessa Coffman. Here’s the great Ray Henderson composition, “Birth of the Blues.”

Misty

There are all kinds of ways to define the word “magic.” Among musicians there’s magic in the way an old tune can seal the bonds of new friendships. These days we are delighted to have jazz saxophonist Vanessa Coffman sitting in with us at the weekly rehearsals. Last night there were smiles all around the table when she brought some new magic to “Misty.”

Meet Vanessa Coffman!

Here’s the beautiful sound of jazz saxophonist Vanessa Coffman who sat in with us at last night’s rehearsal. Pamela and Charlie met the 19-year-old Marshall University music major just two weeks ago when Floodster Emeritus Stew Schneider suggested they catch her solo gig at a hotel in downtown Ashland. They are so glad they did. What a talent! And not only does Vanessa have exciting musical ideas, she also have a seasoned instinct for crafting her solo to complement the other players around her. Here’s an example from last night. In this section of “Georgia on My Mind,” listen to how Vanessa’s solo builds beautifully on what Paul Martin lays down just before she comes in, then leaves a warm space for Doug Chaffin to follow her, like a sweet, musical conversation. We’re looking forward to more sessions with Vanessa Coffman in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned, friends.

The Water is Wide

We start the new year with one of the oldest tunes we know. “The Water is Wide” is Scottish in origin and traces its roots all the back to the 1600s. It seems to be related to several of the English and Scottish ballad collected by Francis James Child in the second half the 19th century, but the modern version was popularized in the 1950s and ‘60s by Pete Seeger. In our rendition, from a recent rehearsal, Michelle sings the lead with sweet solos by Paul, Sam and Doug.