Our Love is Here to Stay

Jazz is such a wonderful artform.

The music and the colors of jazz; seems almost like a rainbow with shooting stars in the night after a rainstorm when the sky opens up and leaves you with a token of beauty to dwell within.

You can go to a club and enjoy live jazz music almost every single night in New York City; and not just in Manhattan, but in the other boroughs as well.

This past Monday, October 20, 2014 at For My Sweet Garden and Event Space/Kalahari Gallery located at 1103 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, NY, folks comfortably gathered in to take in a live performance by the Aqua Ninjas band lead by phenomenal bassist Kim Clarke. The night was filled with music by notable artists as George Duke, Eddie Jefferson, Cole Porter and more. 

While guests were mingling away and enjoying the sounds, the band invited them to the stage to join into the musical extravaganza.  Dalthanette Mulin definitely shined her light by adding a beautiful stroke of her energy to the night with her cover of one of the greatest jazz standards in history. "Our Love is Here to Stay" was written by George Gershwin and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin"  Please check out the live footage of her performance on youtube. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwEI_97gKtk

 

"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and music." - Agnes de Mille

Who Do You Love

My name is Stephanie Jeannot and I am a singer, songwriter and performing artist from Brooklyn, NY. It is always fun when I can get onto any stage and sing any song that I have either come to know and love or that I learned to love after writing and producing an original song.

What a day it was to be on the big stage situated inside of Six Flags Great Adventures Theme Park where the COBANY celebrated their annual family day hosted by Norman Seabrook. Together with the ATM Band, we provided a portion of the musical entertainment and it was so live.

Other performing acts included the legendary Force MDs, the doo-wop group Legacy, Singer Bobby Wall, Comedians Purnell Halloway and Talent,  and rapper Fat Joe.

Great stage! Wonderful crowd! Exceptional soundmen! And yes, the song selections we decided to work with was wonderful. One of those tunes was an old classic by Bernard Wright entitled  "Who Do You Love."

It's a great tune. It's funky and the groove is really nice. And so, we got onto the band stage and as part of the celebration, we performed this song.  Please check out the YOUTUBE clip from the September 19, 2014 performance of the cover of "Who Do You Love" performed live at Six Flags Great Adventures. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzw0a5ivwJI

Thank you for taking the time to read my blogpost and for watching my YouTube link. I truly appreciate your support. God bless you and have an amazing week.

Cover of "You Send Me"

 

Sam Cooke popularized it and Rachelle Ferrelle added a taste of honey to it and made it even more beautiful, jazzy and sassy. I'm talking about the tune "You Send Me."

A nice ballad when sung as one and when turned into a swing tune, a grooving melody. Either way it is beautiful and I enjoy the listen. 

It was one evening on the North side of Long Island when the band I was working with introduced me to the song. I had never sang it and barely heard it once.  Crazily, the first version I'd ever listened to was Rachelle's, but they played Sam Cooke's version and asked me to sing it. You know what I did that night right?  I went home, did some homework and now, it is one of my favorite songs to sing.
I love the lyrics, the attitude and that there is room to improvise over it.

The other night, I stopped by Essence Bar in Brooklyn. I had already put the idea of going there out my head because it was kind of late and I almost did not make it, but I decided to stop by for a short minute to show some birthday love to my friend and got a chance to rock on the mic with the Jimmy Hill and the Black Ivory Band. When they asked for my song selection, I chose, "You Send Me!" Glad to have found out the musicians all knew the song and were able to swing it. And so, I performed it there and had a great time doing it. 

I would like to invite you to check out the complete video of my performance of the cover of "You Send Me."  Here is the link:

 

Thank you for checking out my blogpost!

Please Vote for Me in the Sarah Vaughan Internation Singing Competition

I love Jazz music and have been truly inspired by so many jazz artists that have come and graced the world with their wonderful talents. Sarah Vaughan is definitely one of those artists.

Her voice is da bomb. She has such an incredible range and her vocal stylings are fantastic. Some of the riffs that you hear in her songs, you do not hear from any other vocalist's voice. I love the depth of her voice and I like her approach a lot.

Often times, I find myself doing searches on artists or singing opportunities on Google. And surprisingly, I came across the Sarah Vaughan International Singing Competition and so decided to join in. For one, Sarah Vaughan has the biggest playlist of songs on my IPOD. I could listen to her voice and sing along with her all day and never get tired. Her songs and the way she sings them always makes me feel like getting on my feet and singing; wherever I am.

So when I went to the Indaba Music site and saw that this competition was live and on-going, I decided that it would only be right to honor such a wonderful singer as the Divine One.

The contest directs each singer to upload three selections that Sarah Vaughan sang by either downloading the track made available to competitors or some other suggested songs featured on a PDF file to choose from.

 

 

 

I'd like to invite you today to listen to y submissions and please if you listen and you liked what you heard, vote.  The only way for me to advance to the next round is by the votes of anyone willing to vote for me. I hope you will! Here are the links:

 

What Is This Thing Called Love https://www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/sarah-vaughan-international-jazz-vocal-competition-2014/submissions/7dfe51ca-257f-11e4-a0d0-22000b300299

 

Tenderly https://www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/sarah-vaughan-international-jazz-vocal-competition-2014/submissions/9f9ae646-257e-11e4-ad7b-22000b238357

 

I Can't Give You Anything But Love https://www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/sarah-vaughan-international-jazz-vocal-competition-2014/submissions/371c2f62-257e-11e4-816c-22000b2808b7

 

Thank you in advance for voting!

 

 

Cover of Mother's Finest "Baby Love" by Eric's Top Groove featuring Stephanie J at Farafinas

God is always working on my behalf and opening doors to great opportunities for me.

For instance,  I was blessed with the opportunity to perform live at the YSYM Showcase at Farafinas in Harlem, NY with Eric's Top Groove.

Eric Durham is a wonderful guitarist who always adds the right amount of funk to any song that he plays. Kind of cool to work with him whenever and wherever it is.

 

Together, we did a series of old school and new school. The event was in honor of music from the seventies and eighties. How perfect was it to add to the set list, my favorite song; Mother's Finest's Baby Love.  It is funky and I love Joyce Kennedy; one of my favorite entertainers because she kills it when in a live setting and if you have never had the opportunity to see her perform, please log on to youtube and type in Mother's Finest.

 

June is Black Music month, a month to celebrate music of old and new and to honor those who have inspired and contributed to the form of art that we love so much.  I'd like to start this month by honoring my favorite song and would like to share with you our performance at Farafinas: A cover of Baby Love recorded by OMG Entertainment. Please check it out here:

 

 

 

Thank you for watching. For more videos, please visit my youtube channel at www.youtube.com/sj1and0

 

A Tribute to Billie Holliday

A tribute to Billie Holiday (A poem)

( (c) by Stephanie Jeannot)

Eleanora Fagan

Started sangin

While a lil thang

She had that swing

And all that jazz and blues

And the fanciest poppin shoes

And a white gardenia

A Billy Holiday signature

Creative and vivacious 

Added her own touch

To standards and poems

U2 described her as the Angel of Harlem

And dem Gershwin tunes

Or that song "Blue Moon"

And "God Bless the Child"

On April 7, 2014 would've been 99 

Thankful she shared 

this that and those

And her singing of the poem 

"Strange Fruit" by Abel Meeropol

Added a sophisticated touch to songs

That even now have us be-bopping along

With that raspy sound

The diva won over crowds 

Billie Dove

Happy birthday to you in heaven up above

(She did inspire something in my life which has also become part of me as it was in her. Flowers in my hair! If it's not a flower, it's a hat with a flower on it. All I know is I dig her style. So much that it's a part of mine: 

Thanks for reading my poem. Have a great day.)

Btw. . . 

If you never heard The song Strange Fruit, first read the poem written by Abel Meeropol in the 1930s and then follow the link to a YouTube clip of Billie's performance of it:

Strange Fruit 

By Abel Meeropol

"Southern trees bear a strange fruit,

Blood on the leaves 

And blood on the root,

Black body swinging 

In the southern breeze,

Strange fruit hanging

From the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south,

The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,

Scent of magnolia

Sweet and fresh,

And the sudden smell of burning flesh!

Here is a fruit fir the crows to pluck,

For the rain to gather, 

For the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, 

For a tree to drop

Here is a strange and bitter crop 

And here is the link: http://youtu.be/h4ZyuULy9zs

Forever Love

Still remarkable to me how love like that of my parents still remain through thick and thin, seasons of growth and regardless of changes in life or imperfections. Years never seem to grow old but the two individuals grow bolder in love and continue on through life as destiny suggested. This poem is dedicated to longevity. 

Forever Love

(C) By Stephanie Jeannot 

Love is meant to be celebrated

especially if the romance is heaven sent

like a relationship that lasts forever;

time seems to only get sweeter 

as the days go by.

So like birds of a feather you fly

on a journey of forever; two of a kind.

From sunrise to sunrise; timeless you shine

as one with love forever on your side, 

as God intended.

The following is a video clip of a celebration of love. After 20 years of marriage, the wife dedicated a live performance of their wedding song, Anita Baker's Sweet Love, to her husband. Please check out the YouTube link here: http://youtu.be/YfGoaO2gqa8