A few months ago I was sitting in one of my favorite spots in Hollywood, El Compadre. It's a cool little spot that some of the hippest locals kick it at amongst movie stars and an eclectic mix of others. So I'm sitting there and I get greeted a cool friend, a very talented musician by the name of Lee Newman. A few weeks earlier Lee had just put the finishing touches on his new album and had bought a couple of copies along to give to friends. We had pleasant little talk about the state of the music biz and some other banter. This time we got into things a little more significant. The conversation somehow rolled round to Lee's musical roots.
Come to find out that his grand daddy was none other than the legendary songwriter, Jimmy Mc Hugh. Now if you are really an aficionado of GOOD music, then you may not be able to place the legend, the man, the music. Jimmy Mc Hugh was born July 10Th, 1894 and passed May 23rd, 1969. In his life he released more than 270 songs. Many went on to be the classiest of classics and are well loved and remembered. Such tunes like "I'm in the Mood for Love", "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "When my Sugar Walks Down the Street" are not only classics, they are American Standards, appreciated by people, the world over. One major composition of his transcended cultures and color lines at a most improbable time. "There I go, there I go, there I go, pretty baby you are the song that snaps my control...", be came the closing theme song of One of New York's favorite Soul stations of all times, WBLS, under the programming of world famous deejay Frankie Crocker. It was an instrumental sexy sax rendering of Jimmy's "I'm in the Mood For Love", once popularized by Alfalfa from the hit television series "Spanky and Our Gang". Well, actually, there were some new lyrics too. The artist was Sax player Jame Moody and the tune was additionally named "Moody's Mood for Love" when King Pleasure released his stunning vocal version in 1952. It was played for decades until the stations demise because of the proliferation of the Internet and lagging advertising sales. Frankie died to so it's champion was gone as well.
To make a long story short, we came to an agreement on me doing some new arrangements on some of the songs. I became so enamored with them that I went several steps beyond and wrote a Hip Hop/Jazz/Opera with the above named title. It feels great and promises to be a mega production on the international circuit (maybe). Superstarcase.com is at the helm for casting while Superstarcase.org will take care of production needs. Preliminary casting is going on right now so check it out at either site. Submit your picture and resume too and you may get picked to be on the cover on the new Superstarcase Globe Magazine. Break a leg!
Come to find out that his grand daddy was none other than the legendary songwriter, Jimmy Mc Hugh. Now if you are really an aficionado of GOOD music, then you may not be able to place the legend, the man, the music. Jimmy Mc Hugh was born July 10Th, 1894 and passed May 23rd, 1969. In his life he released more than 270 songs. Many went on to be the classiest of classics and are well loved and remembered. Such tunes like "I'm in the Mood for Love", "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "When my Sugar Walks Down the Street" are not only classics, they are American Standards, appreciated by people, the world over. One major composition of his transcended cultures and color lines at a most improbable time. "There I go, there I go, there I go, pretty baby you are the song that snaps my control...", be came the closing theme song of One of New York's favorite Soul stations of all times, WBLS, under the programming of world famous deejay Frankie Crocker. It was an instrumental sexy sax rendering of Jimmy's "I'm in the Mood For Love", once popularized by Alfalfa from the hit television series "Spanky and Our Gang". Well, actually, there were some new lyrics too. The artist was Sax player Jame Moody and the tune was additionally named "Moody's Mood for Love" when King Pleasure released his stunning vocal version in 1952. It was played for decades until the stations demise because of the proliferation of the Internet and lagging advertising sales. Frankie died to so it's champion was gone as well.
To make a long story short, we came to an agreement on me doing some new arrangements on some of the songs. I became so enamored with them that I went several steps beyond and wrote a Hip Hop/Jazz/Opera with the above named title. It feels great and promises to be a mega production on the international circuit (maybe). Superstarcase.com is at the helm for casting while Superstarcase.org will take care of production needs. Preliminary casting is going on right now so check it out at either site. Submit your picture and resume too and you may get picked to be on the cover on the new Superstarcase Globe Magazine. Break a leg!
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