Just when I thought I had made the most of Rae Ann Berry’s video largesse, more clips emerged on YouTube — one of Dawn Lambeth singing AS LONG AS I LIVE with Clint Baker, Marc Caparone, Mike Baird, Carl Sonny Leyland, Katie Cavera, Mike Fay, and Hal Smith — the same devoted band of swinging individualists I praised in the recent post, NEW ORLEANS HOT SAUCE!
Dawn is one of my favorite singers — unaffected, swinging, and sincere, with a deep-hued voice that conveys emotional messages without strain or “acting.” I’ve heard her sing this Arlen classic at a more leisurely tempo, but here she rides the rhythm wave of the band with style. (Am I correct in thinking that AS LONG AS I LIVE is based on the harmonies of BASIN STREET BLUES? If so, it just testifies to Harold Arlen’s deep love and immersion in Hot Music.)
And I’d like Dawn and the rest of this band to be around a long long time — although I wouldn’t insist that they wear long underwear in the balmy breezes of Pismo Beach. Maybe they could take multivitamins instead?
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