favorite song suggestions (Earth, church, heaven)

[UltraViolet]

I am enlisting everyone's help here in this thread,
because I could really use your help,
and I just KNOW you will all come up with some really dynamic suggestions.

Since quitting my church music gig of 10 years,
I have really not done any playing out.
Between my focus in jazz,
and the whole church music thing,
I really am out of touch with so very much of the rest of the music world.

I WANT SO MUCH,
to start playing out again. I'm thinking cafe's primarily.
Along with some of my more groovy jazz playing,
I would like a repetoire of SONGS,
that are dynamic, meaningful,
musically engaging AND lyrically artful.
I cannot sing stupid vapid words.
I just can't.

So your best suggestions please!
The songs that give you goosebumps,
make you want to sing,
the one's that bring you to tears,
tickle your funny bone,
or wow you in any way whatsoever.

Please include the complete song title,
and artist, cd title, whatever....
even lyrics, or links.

I just know you could all compile a superb performance line up for me.
I am deeply grateful for any help you may enlist on my behalf here.

Oh yes,
My set up includes two keyboards,
(one a digital piano, the other with drum kits, and assorted sounds),
and of course a microphone.
So no heavy metal please!
(unless you feel it is somehow adaptable? reworkable?)

thank you, thank you, thank you.....
Stacey.

[methylatedghosts]

woops nevermind - I didn't read properly.

I'ma try that again:

For what you want you might like to get hold of Robbie William's "Swing When You're Winning" (not SING when you're winning)

Mack the Knife is GREAT for what you want - you can make really smooth and quiet or crank it up and go all-out big-band jazz.

Europa (Earth's Cry, Heavens Smile) by Santana is great and the ending allows for much improvisation if you felt like it.

Finally, look at One For My Baby on that Robbie Williams album. I have the music which I could scan and email to you

[UltraViolet]

thanks methylated!

I'll check out the santana for sure.

What I am really after here is "NON-jazz" music.
(jazz STANDARDS I know!)
I'm looking for diversity of style and impact.

Good (non-jazz) songs for improvising however,
are also a REAL PLUS!

and Gee! if you're willing to email me music,
AWESOME!

[UltraViolet]

Note to everyone....

Just the song title is enough.
I will research the rest.
Don't want to overcomplicate this for anyone.

[ChristineES]

I love the song "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles. It is not a Beatles song that most people decide to cover and it is just so lovely. The version by Richie Havens may be better for you to copy than the original. And since it is not a Lennon/McCartney Beatles song, Michael Jackson doesn't own it.

A real crowd pleaser may be Stairway To Heaven. The song may have been over done in the past though.

The 70s group Kansas always had some deep songs- Carry On Wayward Son, Point of Know Return, The Wall, or Dust in the Wind. Great songs all of them.

[Comet]

Oh wow, where to start.... hmmmmm. Songs that aren't jazz, etc..

I'd say some of my all time favorites with good lyrics and ones people tend to like but forget would be:

80's Era-
"Life In A Northern Town" by Flock Of Seagulls? I think that is who it is by. Most know that song when they hear it and go, "Oh wow I love this song, I forgot about it!" (DOH, just found it: Dream Academy!)

"Mayor Of Simpleton" by XTC. That is the band that Andy Partridge (yes, of the partridge family was in). Oranges and Lemons is the album, I think

Random Stuff:

"100 Years" by Five For Fighting. Just a nice mellow song with good lyrics

"Pardon Me" by Guido Toledo. Good luck with that one! Garage band with 5 year old piano player from Kansas City! (just found it: Beat Together is the album!)

"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve

(Boy I could name a million songs, but I'll stick with ones that people like and forgot about)

Country:

"I Love A Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'll stop now...

[Comet]

OOOO! OH!

"The Dance" by Garth Brooks if you really want country that people like

and I have to add the mostly forgotten John Cougar Mellancamp song, "Little Pink Houses".

[Jayhawker Soule]

Les Miserables: Empty Chairs and Empty Tables

There´s a grief that can´t be spoken
There´s a pain goes on and on
Empty chairs at empty tablesNow my
friends are dead and gone.

Here they talked of revolution
Here it was they lit the flame
Here they sang about tomorrow
And tomorrow never came

From the table in the corner
They could see a world reborn
And they rose with voices ringing
I can hear them now
The very words that they had sungt
Became their last communion
On the lonely barricade at dawn

Oh my friends, my friends, forgive me
That I live and you are gone
There´s a grief that can´t be spoken
There´s a pain goes on and on

Phantom faces at the window
Phantom shadows on the floor
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friends will meet no more
Oh my friends, my friends, don´t ask me
What your sacrifice was for.
Empty chairs at empty tables,Where my
friends will sing no more