43. Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander Discuss Billie Holiday and Lester Young, A Musical Romance

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Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander take this episode further back than this podcast has gone before, as they introduce me to the Billie Holiday and Lester Young compilation, A Musical Romance. Most of the songs on this compilation were recorded in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, and Megg and Ricky talked about how they came to love jazz and swing decades after its heyday, as well as their love of the music that Holiday and Young made throughout their careers. They highlighted their favorite songs from the compilation and discussed what made Holiday and Young's music special and important.

Megg referred to a video of Billie Holiday and Lester Young performing Fine and Mellow, and you can click here to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaZiijPbnP8.

Ricky is on Instagram at @rickyajazz, and you can get more information about his music on his site, https://www.rickyalexanderjazz.com/.

Megg is on Instagram at @sweet.megg, and to watch and hear her perform, just go to her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetMegg.

Al is on Twitter at @almelchiorBB, and this show has accounts on Twitter and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

1:39 Megg and Ricky join the show

2:09 Megg and Ricky talk about how they came to work together

3:53 Megg and Ricky explain why they picked A Musical Romance for this episode

4:49 Ricky’s love for jazz grew throughout his childhood

8:40 Megg’s father encouraged her to perform as a blues singer

12:02 Megg has become a die-hard country fan

13:18 Megg explains anti-folk to Al

15:11 Ricky and Megg explain why they chose this particular compilation (as compared to others) for the show

17:23 The recording of Fine and Mellow on the compilation was important and unique

21:25 Megg and Ricky talk about the friendship between Billie Holiday and Lester Young

23:08 Megg hears complexity in all of Billie Holiday’s performances

27:38 Ricky highlights some favorite songs and some qualities of the music that he enjoys on this compilation

34:10 Megg appreciates the interplay between Billie Holiday and the bands she played with

36:07 Megg discusses how Foolin’ Myself wound up on her and Ricky’s album

39:22 Megg cites some of her other favorite Billie Holiday songs

41:32 Ricky admires the contributions that Teddy Wilson and Buck Clayton made to the songs on the compilation

44:55 Ricky explains why vocalists started getting more attention during World War II

47:18 Emulating Billie Holiday’s timing is not easy to do

49:33 Megg recommends that new jazz listeners focus on the musicians other than the vocalist

51:55 There is no substitute for listening to live jazz

54:02 Ricky talks about how Lester Young provided the foundation for the groove we hear in music today

Outro is from Foolin' Myself by Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander.

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