jeff buckley’s cover of hallelujah
I love lots of Gershwin. But if I had to pick one, it might be the part of the ‘symphonic picture’ arranged by Robert Russell Bennett where it segues into ‘Summertime’, with the melody played on the strings, and then the oboe in the second verse.
That arrangement is magnificent, but the music holds up pretty much anyway it’s played. The great singer Todd Duncan, who played Porgy in the original version on stage, described the first time he heard it (Gershwin played it for him on the piano).
Duncan said the first part of ‘Porgy’ sounded disjointed, but then, as ‘Summertime’ began, that he “thought (he) was in heaven”.
I’ll second that one, since I can’t think of a better one right now! She’s far and away my favorite female singer…well, her and Bjork.
O mio babbino caro from the opera Gianni Schicchi, by Puccini. especially as sung in that link by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
“Love is Stronger Than Death” by The The [Matt Johnson], as backed by Johnny Marr, James Eller, D.C. Collard, and Dave Palmer, all crack musicians.
It probably helps that I’m a total sucker for Hammond organ and harmonica parts.
In going through with the hiphop links, I figured this would be a better place for this one…
K-OS “[Hallelujah](www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae--CkoohMA&feature=related -)”
Note: It is NOT the same ‘Hallelujah’ as the Cohen/Buckley song.