Top Ten Summer Songs

It's summer!  At least for a few days.  So before it turns into a speedy Autumn I thought it was best to celebrate Summer with some of its best songs.

1. Summer Soft - Stevie Wonder

This song has possibly the most key-changes in any Stevie song taking us through a total of 5 modulations before finally settling on one key and fading out.  It's from the album "Songs in the Key of Life," possibly suggesting that life is in all keys!  Incidentally, with Stevie modulating in most of the songs he recorded, who knows how many modulations The Beatles recorded in total?  Any ideas?  Yes, it's zero.

2. Summertime - Jason Rebello

With Gershwin's Summertime (or, to quote Paul Pace on his website explaining the banned songs at his Spice of Life open mic, "Summer-bloody-time")  being possibly the most overplayed song in the history of jazz, Jason Rebello gives it a refreshing treatment with the addition of an irresistibly funky bass-line, the amazing vocals of ex-Incognito singer Maysa Leak, and the most brilliant, if strangest, rap from Maxi Jazz (Bumble bees buzzing on a quest | I wanna wear my vest | I need to put some muscle on my chest | ... | I'll meet you at the pool, bring your friend | Is her name Jill? | She got movement even when she's sitting quite still)

3. Estate - Shirley Horn

An impossibly slow version of this wonderful standard, worth comparing with the Joao Gilberto version below.  This one is first because I heard it first and, being a huge Shirley Horn fan, can't help but think of it as the definitive version.

4. Estate - Joao Gilberto

There's much to learn about singing in Portuguese - Gilberto sings most phrases ahead of the beat, and sometimes a whole bar before the music says.  Contrast this with the way that Shirley Horn sings (behind the beat and sometimes two bars behind the beat), and you get two completely different versions of the same wonderful song.

Incidently, Gilberto's version is so definitive that people commonly misconceive that he wrote it himself. It's actually written by an Italian composer - Bruno Martino - and the original name of the song was "Odio l'estate," or "I hate summer."

4. Indian Summer - Sarah Vaughan

This footage is amazing - Sarah introduces the song and then starts singing with a voice that doesn't quite fit the picture... then goes a bit mad in the middle!  Totally amazing singing though - she's so free with the melody and this version is a lesson in jazz singing for sure.

5. Indian Summer - Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie

The original recording with the Count Basie Orchestra

6. That Sunday That Summer - Natalie Cole

Complete with cheesy 1960s backing choir, this song has a summer lilt, and a great middle 8.  Zena James (number 7) gives it a more funky treatment.

7. That Sunday That Summer - Zena James

From Zena's new album Captivated.  www.zenajames.com

8. Orange Blossoms in Summertime - Kurt Elling

From the album "Flirting with Twilight."

9. Summer Nights - from Grease

You can't have a list about summer songs and not mention this 1970s classic!

10. Here Comes The Sun - Dolphin Quintet
Ah, somehow I've sneaked onto my own list again!  Ok, I'm not actually singing on this one but it's on a CD from a gig I did with the Dolphin Quintet.  The CD is for sale from my website, and proceeds go directly to the Tri-Charity appeal, supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital, Asthma UK and DELTA.