Friday, September 25, 2015

Monde Caché Instrumentale - Cartwright/Oppenheim Quintet

With our first recording released in New York in 1994, the Cartwright/Oppenheim Quintet is in its twenty-first year. Co-leading the group is my partner in life and music, alto saxophonist Richard Oppenheim.
.
 
Based in San Antonio, our home since 2006, the 2015 band embraces "great global songbook" repertoire from Katchie & Le Monde Caché, including selections from Tales and Tongues, my 2012 release. 
 
The Texas edition of the quintet is instrumental, as I return to my first instrument, with my flutes and piccolo becoming multilingual voices in 
the multi-genre world-jazz repertoire that encompasses Brazilian bossa and choro, 
Yiddish and French swing, Latin American bolero and tango, East European klezmer, and Sephardic romanza.  
 
2 + 2 = 5... The band is a duo of duos, with Polly Harrison on guitars and Kyle 
Keener on drums, known to San Antonio audiences as Small World. Tyler 
Jackson's double bass completes the ensemble. Perhaps best known for his 
work as bassist with Ray Price, Jackson is also an award-winning banjoist.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Le Dernier Soir (The Last Night)

Joseph Reinhardt* (music) / Jacques Salvet (lyrics) / 1944 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

This is our last night. I came to see you, to say, "Goodbye, friend, good night."
I go sadly. My heart is not happy. It repeats to you slowly, "Honey, wait!

Listen to the Original
Why do you want us to part?  If you were to leave, darling, you would forget me, I suspect.  Have you thought  about it?

I came to see you, for our last night. Would  you, my dear, like to see me? I hope so.

FRENCH ORIGINAL

C'est notre dernier soir. Je suis venue te voir, pour te dire au revoir, ami, bon soir. Je m'en vais tristement.  Mon coeur n'est pas content. It te redit tout doucement, "Chéri, attends!

Pour quoi veux tu que nous nous quittions, si tu t'en allais, ché ri? 
Tu m'oublierais, j'aurais des soupçons.  As tu réfléchit?

Je suis venue te voir, pour notre dernier soir. Voudrais tu, chéri, me revoir? J'en ai l'espoir.


*Brother of Django.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Douce Ambiance (Sweet Atmosphere)

Django Reinhardt (music) / Jacques LaRue (lyrics) / 1944 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Curtains drawn, shutters closed,
Sure is sweet to be in love.
Come near me, close your eyes.
Don’t say a word, let’s be happy.

The evening breeze, on one note, 

makes the garden bell resound.
My dear friend, it's the time
for your heart to be close to mine.

Along the wall, rain murmers to ivy,
which clings to a long refrain.
Nestled in our house, we’re good.

In its sleep, the radio plays
a tender waltz by Chopin,
Your voice makes love.
I lack nothing!

What’s more, my heart, on one note,
while the garden bell strikes,
sings with the sweet ambiance,
the beautiful spirit, that has returned.


FRENCH LYRIC:

Rideaux tirés, volets fermés.
Comme il est doux, de bien s’aimer.
Viens près de moi, ou-vre les yeux.
Ne dit plus rien, soy-ons heu-reux.

Le vent du soir, sur u-ne note,
fait ré-son-ner la clo-che du jar-din.
Mon cher a-mi, voi-ci l'heu-re
de ton coeur près du mien.

Le long du mur, la pluie chu-cho-te
Au lier-re qui s'ac-chroche un long re-frain.
Blot-tis dans no-tre de-meu-re,
com-me nous som-mes bien.

La ra-dio joue, en veil-leu-se,
u-ne ten-dre val-se de Cho-pin.
Ta voix se fait a-mou-reu-se.
Je ne man-que de rien!

De plus, mon coeur, qui bat des ailles,
tan-dis que bat la clo-che du jar-din,
danse avec la douce ambian-ce,
belle es-prit qui re-vient.