Podcasts from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1

I admit to being years behind the curve with this one, but after discovering the music of Jeff Blumenkrantz about four years ago, I have finally taken the time to download and listen to (most of) his collection of 20 recordings of the songs from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1, along with about 18 recordings of songs not in the songbook. I have made it through probably half the collection so far, and I look forward to listening to the remainder and any future songs Mr. Blumenkrantz may add to the collection.

I first learned of Jeff's songwriting by falling in love with (have so many have) his "I Won't Mind" on Audra McDonald's album. It took me a long time to realize that this was the same Jeff Blumenkrantz I had done summer stock with in 1984 (like there could be more than one?). I had seen his name in performing credits from time to time, but hadn't realized he had added songwriter to his accomplishments. Well, not to dis Jeff's capable performance abilities, but I suspect that at the end of his career it will be as a songwriter that he is most warmly remembered--and rightfully so.

With a wide range of styles and themes, and a keen intellect for writing lyrics that often manage to be poetic and conversational at the same time, these are songs that performers clearly love to sing, as evinced by the stellar line-up of performers singing on his podcasts--Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, Kate Shindle, Megan Mullally, Marin Mazzie, Judy Blazer, and on and on. There are some men, too, but it seems to be with women that Mr. Blumenkrantz's music really takes hold. The singing is uniformly good, and often great, with performances that draw out the nuances in the songs without making them too precious. There are comedy numbers, too, which are all character-based and deserve wider hearing.

The last few recordings I have to listen to include most of Jeff's settings of Edna St. Vincent Millay poems. I've only listened to one so far and it had a tremendous, emotional impact with an art-song sensibility that will bring me to the other settings in the near future. When I have more to say about those songs, I will. Until then, if you want to check out Jeff's music for yourself, the podcasts are all available free through www.jeffblumenkrantz.com.

Enjoy.

The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume I

Music by Mr. Blumenkrantz, lyrics by Mr. Blumenkrantz, Edna St. Vincent Millay and many others.

Cast: Jeff Blumenkrantz, Kelli O'Hara, Sutton Foster, Judy Blazer, Marin Mazzie, Kate Shindle and others.

Ghost Light Monday -- Paddle to the Sea, short film

If you don't know the children's book Paddle to the Sea by author and illustrator Holling C. Holling, you must check it out. Written in the 1940s it follows the travels of a small, carved, Indian canoe-figure as it floats through the Great Lakes, down the St. Lawrence River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The story is whimsical, with beautiful illustrations and teaches a lot about the geography of the Great Lakes.

I was surprised to come across a National Film Board of Canada live-action film of the story, made in 1966, but recently re-released on DVD by Criterion. I thought my niece and nephews might like it (since they know the book at least as well as I do), but thought I would check it out myself first (excuse). The Canadian Film Board generally produces wonderful short films, most of them documentaries.

While the photography and scenery of the film is beautiful and, at times, breath-takingly shot (Niagara Falls) by producer and director William Mason, I was a little disappointed in the film as a whole. It's only 30 minutes long--not long enough to really cover the most edifying parts of the story (the seasonal changes, geography, history, and industry of the Great Lakes). Neither was it enough time to really feel the length of the journey and the time span which it takes--as depicted in the book. Also the Native American (or rather First Nations, as this is set on the Canadian side of things) aspect disappears quickly in the film. In the book the Indian boy returns at the end, not in the film version. Also, one of the strongest impressions I have from the book are the illustrations (as exemplified by the title page), and the film uses none of them.

I will pass the DVD on to the kids in my life, because I do think some of the nature footage is worth seeing and it's another way to tell a story they will hear again and again over the years, but only to augment the book, not to replace it.

Paddle-to-the-Sea
written and illustrated by Holling Clancy Holling
published first in 1941

Paddle-to-the-Sea

film written and directed by William Mason

produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 1966

released on DVD by the Criterion Collection