I Would See that Smile You're Smiling Now

8 August, is Victor Young's birthday anniversary. He won the Oscar, posthumously, for Best Music in 1957 . Among Young's many other music are: Stella by Starlight (1953) and Three Coins in the Fountain (1954).

Victor Young
American-born msucian, arranger, and composer
(8 Aug 1899 - 10 Nov 1956)
The McGuire Sister (1957)
Around the World (in 80 Days)
(Young & Washington)
Click here to view this L'Envoi YouTube.

David Raksin's Birthday Anniversary

David Raksin
American-born film music composer
(4 August 1912 - 9 August 2004)
The MP3 below expired on 08-09-2010.
Click here to play the current selection.

The Johnny Douglas Strings (1991)
- Laura (Raksin)

iOS4 Won't Stream MP3 on Apple Mobile Devices

If you have updated your iPhone 3G or the iPod Touch 2G/3G to iOS4, your device would most likely not be able to play the music on this blog. Either device would blame the server for being improperly configured. Notwithstanding the RSS feed is valid per server configuration. So then, to listen to the music link offered on this blog, you need to access it using a pre-iOS4 Apple mobile device, or play from a desktop/laptop browser.

Apple is morphing into Microsoft.

Peter Duchin's Birthday

Peter Duchin
(son of Eddy Duchin)
pianist and band Leader
28 July, 1937 -

I have created a YouTube of Peter Duchin playing a Broadway tune of very long ago, "Once Upon a Time", from the 1962 musical, "All American."

Peter Duchin, piano (1973)
Once Upon a Time (Strouse)
Click here to view this L'Envoi YouTube.

The Summertime of Robert Farnon

Robert Farnon
Canadian-born conductor, composer
and strings arranger par excellence
(24 July 1917 - 23 April 2005)

Robert Farnon (1968)
Summertime (Gershwin)
Click here to view this L'Envoi YouTube.

Once Upon a Time Graduation Speech

An excerpt from the "Commemoration Ode," delivered at Harvard University on 21 July, 1865 by James Russell Lowell.

"O Beautiful! my Country! ours once more!
...
What were our lives without thee?
What all our lives to save thee?
We reck not what we gave thee;
We will not dare to doubt thee,
But ask whatever else, and we will dare!"

Latin Jazz Cal Tjader

Cal Tjader
American-born percussionist
and jazz musician
(16 July 1925 – 5 May 1982)
The MP3 below expired on 08-04-2010.
Click here to play the current selection.

Cal Tjader (1963)
- Poinciana (Simon)

A Golden Exodus

Ernest Gold
Austrian-born composer and arranger
Oscar winner for Best Music 'Exodus' (1960)
(13 July 1921 - 17 March 1999)
The MP3 below expired on 07-16-2010.
Click here to play the current selection.

Martin Boettcher and his orchestra (2005)
- Exodus (Gold)

Some Virginia Trip Photos

  Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Stone Bridges, tradmark of Blue Ridge Parkway

National D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA

Lee Chapel, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA

Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge, VA

Harlem Nocturne

Earle Hagen
Movie and television composer and arranger
Best known for his instrumental classic 'Harlem Nocturne'
(9 July 1919 — 26 May 2008)
The MP3 below expired on 07-13-2010.
Click here to play the current selection.

Max Greger, tenor sax (1992)
- Harlem Nocturne (Hagen)