Music Moment: Stevie Wonder, “Sir Duke”

From his album Songs in the Key of Life, Motown Records, 1976.

Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke

Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity
For all to sing, dance and clap their hands

The king of all, Sir Duke (Ellington).

But just because a record has a groove
Don’t make it in the groove
But you can tell right away at letter A
When the people start to move

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong LP sleeve.

They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people
They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people

Glenn Miller.

Music knows it is and always will
Be one of the things that life just won’t quit
But here are some of music’s pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget

Count Basie and Duke Ellington, recording circa 1950.

There’s Basie, Miller, Satchmo
And the king of all, Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out
There’s no way the band can lose

Miles Davis and John Coltrane are not named in this song, but they still belong.

You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people

Just Ella.

You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people

Count Basie performing “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people

Louis blows.

Can’t you feel it all over?
Come on let’s feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
Everybody — all over people

Original caption: “A number of the greatest jazz musicians in the world gathered last night 1/8/1971 at the Tropicana Htel in Las Vegas to pay tribute to the “grandaddy” of jazz, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong. Seventy years old and still going strong, Armstrong received a trophy topped by a silver trumpet mouthpiece from two other all-time greats, Ella Fitzgerald (L) and Duke Ellington (R).” (source)

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Stevie’s Songs in the Key of Life at no. 56 out of 500 on their Greatest Albums list in 2003. “Sir Duke” was released as a single for radio play in March of 77 and reached number one on the Billboard charts in May, where it stayed for three weeks.

Hot Man Bein’ Hot of the Day: Paul Rudd edition

Ladies and gentlemen, the handsome and talented Mr. Paul Rudd!

“It’s insane but it’s a great insane.” –Paul Rudd

“I was more interested in acting than just doing stand-up comedy. And then my interests in stand-up started getting really weird. I was into a very anti-comedian thing, a very, kind of, Andy Kaufman performance-art type thing, and I thought, “Well, if I were ever to do comedy, it would so not work, because it wouldn’t be funny.” [Laughs.] I think there are guys like Zack Galifianakis, I just think he’s like the best out there, so good. There are so many really good comedians, and I would never be as good as they are. It’s not my calling. What’s funny is, all the comics want to be musicians. Like Tom Waits or Elvis Costello. Same with actors. A lot of people say, “What’s the worst part about being an actor?” And the worst part is that you’re not a musician.” –Paul Rudd

“There’s a very specific thing you can do to get in magazines. I’m much happier to just show up and do the job. I haven’t taken the active approach to making myself a star. I haven’t been in a blockbuster.” –Paul Rudd

Pfft. You are a blockbuster, kiddo! Hot shit.