Mark Blackburn

HARRY CONNICK JR. - All of You

NATALIE COLE - If You Could See Me Now

ROD STEWART w. STEVIE WONDER – What a Wonderful World

SINATRA - When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love . . .

KATHARINE MCPHEE – Blame it on My Youth

CLEO LAINE - Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)

Thee I Love

SINATRA - My Heart Stood Still (live)

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – This Time The Dream's On Me

JANE MONHEIT – Something Cool

WILLIE NELSON – Learnin' The Blues

FRANK SINATRA - The End of a Love Affair

[later] THIS MORNING IT WAS SUMMER (IN YOUR ARMS)

NATALIE - This Morning, It was Summer . . .

A Wise Man at Sinatra Family Forum 'Bob in Boston' corrected me: It's an English virtuoso Guy Barker playing flugelhorn. Thanks, Bob! And who's “Guy Barker” when he's at home? Someone with a very impressive Wikipedia entry: Guy Jeffrey Barker, MBE (born 26 December 1957) is an English jazz trumpeter and composer. After lessons from Clark Terry in 1975, Barker went on in the 1980s to play with John Dankworth, Gil Evans (with whose orchestra he toured and recorded in 1983), Lena Horne, and Bobby Watson. Barker was a member of Clark Tracey's quintet from 1984 to 1992. As a sideman he has played with Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley, Georgie Fame, James Carter, Mike Westbrook, Frank Sinatra, Colin Towns, Natalie Merchant, ABC, The The, Haircut One Hundred, Erasure, Chris Botti, Wham!, Kajagoogoo, The Housemartins, Matt Bianco, Alphaville, The Style Council, The Moody Blues, Sting, Bucks Fizz, Mike Oldfield, Cleo Laine, Acoustic Alchemy, XTC, and Stan Tracey. [Currently touring Europe with his own big band] "More recently he has toured the Guy Barker Jazz Orchestra – a 15 piece big band . . . "

Oleta Adams version -- the best, especially with this video!

KATHARINE MCPHEE – Everything Must Change

NATALIE COLE - Lollipops and Roses

Charles Grodin brought a 'presence' to even the smallest screen roles. My favorite of his comedic turns, was as 'The Thief' in The Great Muppet Caper (1981).Thanks to this 'trailer' for reminding us that Charles was up against the likes of Diana Rigg, Jack Warden, John Cleese, Peter Ustinov, Robert Morley -- and other comedic giants, including my favorite Muppet, Fozzie Bear.Favorite line in this clip: Fozzie, speaking to other diners in a fancy restaurant, while sipping champagne:“If you put enough sugar in this stuff it tastes just like ginger ale.”

A favorite actor Charles Grodin died today at his home in Wilton, Connecticut at age 86. His son, Nicholas confirmed the news of his father’s passing and revealed the cause of death to be bone marrow cancer. My favorite role of his, (yours too?) was as an "accountant to the mob" being sought by Robert De Niro's bail bondsman/ex cop character in MIDNIGHT RUN. "It's not a payoff -- it's a gift." One of my favorite moments in film -- the final three and a half minutes of my all-time favorite 'action comedy.' So satisfying, after all the viewer has been put through the previous two hours!

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – Revelation (collaboration w Robert Frost)

It's the Same Old Dream

FRANK SINATRA – Embraceable You

DIANA KRALL & RUSSELL MALONE - ROUTE 66

MORE – Frank & Count Basie - best vocal version