“This tune is from Sting’s 2013 album titled The Last Ship, his first album of original material since 2003. The Last Ship is also the basis for his late-2014 Broadway production. Sting grew up in the ‘50s during the dying days of shipbuilding in his town, which was dependent on it. The local industry finally collapsed in the 80’s. Now Sting pays a tribute with a song cycle heavy on Celtic sea chanteys, acoustic instrumentation, and somber, hard won truths. A lilting song such as “August Winds”, is where Sting is at his purest.” (Source: iTunes)
Find this song and his new Album on iTunes at this link.
It’s hard to imagine how I could not have heard of Mario Biondi prior to tripping into this video on Nia‘s blog. BIG voice on his rendition of this classic tune (Close to Me) which was composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and originally recorded by The Carpenters in 1970.
Mario Biondi, 42, is a jazz-soul vocalist born in the Sicilian city of Catania in Italy. He was born of artistic stock. His great grandfather was a respected painter, his grandmother a singer, and his father a popular songwriter. Biondi sang throughout his childhood, first performing in public at age 12 in church, and soon singing in public squares before hundreds of people. From there he competed in the Festival della Canzone Siciliana, taking third place. Biondi’s musical pursuits earned him the opportunity to perform alongside such Italian vocal greats as Califano, Bongusto, and Fiorello, as well as American legend Ray Charles. As word of his talent and skill got out, Biondi found himself collaborating with groups like the Change, Mario Brothers, and Funky Company on recordings and tours. Given his powerful and unique voice, it was not long before Biondi was encouraged to pursue a solo career. Featuring material inspired by American R&B artists like Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross, and Donny Hathaway, Biondi’s debut record was released in 2006. (Link to album can be found here.)
We saw Harry Chapin perform this song, Taxi, in one of his last live performances. This timeless ballad continues to feed my post-Zen-glow of San Francisco…
It was raining hard in ‘Frisco, I needed one more fare to make my night…
Michael Grimm, a Mississippi Southern Soul singer/songwriter, was the winner of America’s Got Talentin 2010. Grimm sings a blues and soul classic, “I’d Rather Go Blind,” which was a song first recorded by Etta James in 1968. LOVE his rendition…
