Crooner Culture

Norah Jones, as I’ve said before, has one of the sexiest, sultriest voices of any neo-crooner around – especially a female. Her piano playing is as soulful as her voice, and the lyrics… oh, the lyrics!
Whenever I’m feeling really… er, amorous… this song just HAS to be played. It’s Norah Jones’ “Turn Me On”. Lyrics are below the player. Grab a chocolatini and embrace this one, folks…
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Turn Me On – Norah Jones
Like a flower waiting to bloom
Like a lightbulb in a dark room
I’m just sitting here waiting for you
To come home and turn me on
Like the desert …read more

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Just like hot chocolate gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling in the dead of winter, a good chocolatini can give you that hot, sexy feeling anytime. Here are some of my favorite chocolatini recipes!
Godiva Chocolate Martini (Chocolatini)
2 oz.Vodka
1 oz.Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
Cocoa Powder or chocolate shavings
Wet rim of a martini glass and dip in cocoa or chocolate shavings. Combine Vodka and Godiva Liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well to chill (but stop before ice melts). Strain into martini glass. If you’ve got an extra Hershey’s kiss lying around use it as a garnish – if not, sprinkle a …read more

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Of course, being a huge Michael Buble fan comes with plenty of perks when it comes to birthdays and Christmas. I got this album this past Christmas from my dad (who thinks it’s weird that his 30 year old daughter is obsessed with Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble – while he listens to Deep Purple). I’m still waiting on the Sinatra Box Set (Reprise), of course.
I’ve been thinking a lot about life, getting older, and how with age comes the ability to learn about how to best handle the lemons you get from life. See, it gets too easy sometimes …read more

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Ella married twice, though there is evidence that she may have married a third time. In 1941 she married Benny Kornegay, a convicted drug dealer and hustler. That marriage lasted only 2 years.
Her first ever performance was at one of the very first Amateur Nights at the Apollo Theater in 1934. She sang two songs and went home with the top prize of $25.
As a youth, Ella worked to contribute money to the family’s finances, often doing odd little jobs here and there. One she held for quite some time was as a runner for local gamblers, picking up their …read more

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It’s Thursday, gang – time for a classic drink, a little history, and some great dance music.
Let’s start with the mojito recipe:
This is what you need…
Fresh mint leaves
Bitters
Limes, quartered
Ice (preferably crushed, but small chunks will work)
White/light rum
Guarapo (sugar cane juice) (you can use simple syrup or 4 tsp. of sugar (Havana style uses granulated sugar) but the best is to use the guarapo)
Club Soda

Muddle 5-6 mint leaves, 3 drops bitters, and 3 lime quarters in the bottom of a tall glass. (If you’re using granulated sugar, add it here prior to muddling.)
Fill the glass to the top with ice.
Add 2 …read more

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Fellow b5media blogger Dexie Wharton put in a song request yesterday – She said this song is for her mom, and that it’s quite special to her. Personally, I get a little mushy and sentimental whenever I hear this song myself.
I present the music and lyrics to Gershwin’s “Someone To Watch Over Me”… this version is performed by Frank Sinatra.

Someone To Watch Over Me
Gershwin/Gershwin

(There’s a saying old says that love is blind
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
So I’m going to seek a certain gal I’ve had in mind)
(Looking everywhere, haven’t found her yet
She’s the big affair …read more

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In the early 1950’s, the world was breathing freely the fresh air of post-war modernism. Women’s kitchens had made cooking faster, which made entertaining much more common, and gave women more time to relax and enjoy life. The free flowing lifestyle demanded a change in clothing that was less restrictive and “stuffy”. In swirls the circle skirt.
Think of Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday”…

The circle skirt emphasized the feminine shape with a narrow waist that flared outward. It pretty much was a huge circle with a hole in the middle, which gave it lots of texture and flair.
Even patterns used the …read more

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Nina Simone. Frank Sinatra. Al Stauffer. Duke Ellington. Count Basie. Jack Benny. Milton Berle.
Philadelphia disc jockey Sid Mark’s rubbed elbows with all of them!
In an interview with AllAboutJazz.com, Sid remarked on how he’s actually responsible for Nina Simone’s success.
“She started her career in Philadelphia. In her autobiography, she said the reason for her success was a white Jewish disc jockey, Sid Mark. She said, ‘If I knew him today, I don’t know if I’d kiss him or smack him in the mouth!’ (laughter.) That’s a quote. We had a hell of a relationship!”
Of course, his story about meeting Frank …read more

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I can see it now – my thinner, sexier, dangerous dame self – on a terra cotta patio overlooking a giant inground pool. I’m tanned and dewy, wearing a white slinky dress with my long, dark hair cascading over my shoulders. In my hand? The hottest new drink in Miami – The Yellow Tomato Martini. What’s better than a sexy martini when you’re schmoozing at an outdoor after-dinner party, in the middle of summer, listening to your favorite crooners melt your heart? (Okay, so this drink would be just as sexy in jeans and a cami with my hair up …read more

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If you haven’t seen this truly hilarious film with Frank Sinatra living the life of a pseudo-bachelor (one steady girl with lots of other women floating about), and then discovering he dislikes who it’s made him when his little brother starts to follow in his footsteps, you’re surely missing out. His father calls him a “bum” probably 30 or 40 times in the film, and ironically, Dean Martin makes a cameo appearance in the film AS a bum!
The film, as many were back in the day, was originally a Neil Simon play, then screenplayed by Norman Lear – right there …read more

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