Week 3: Cheek to Cheek

 This week I listened to "Cheek to Cheek" written by Irving Berlin and performed by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. This song has a very relaxed, swung tempo. The band in the background provides that iconic jazz sound and feeling that I found to be quite enjoyable. The lyrics also reinforce the pleasant feeling of the song saying, "I'm in heaven" and "I seem to find the happiness I seek". Louis Armstrong sings with his well known, gravel-y voice. He has such a unique style of voice that is easily recognizable. His tone provides an interesting contrast to Ella Fitzgerald's more clear and flowing tone. Although these two have very different voices, I thought they sung well together. While Ella Fitzgerald is singing alone you can hear Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet in the background, which is no surprise, since he is very famous for his trumpet playing.

    This song was originally written in 1935 for the movie Top Hat. In the movie, it is sung while the two main characters are dancing together. "Cheek to Cheek" was a great hit and was nominated for the Best Song Oscar in 1936 was even named the #1 song of 1935. Although I haven't listened to very much Jazz music, I really enjoyed listening to this song and would say it is worth giving a listen to.

Comments

  1. Samantha Timothy28 September 2020 at 18:07

    This is very interesting. they both have very different voices but worked together quite often. last week we heard some songs with just Louis Armstrong what did Ella Fitzgerald add to the song that made is stand out form the other song we had listened to? How did their voices work together to create the mood? Overall I am sure it is a wonderful song and I will have to listen to it some time

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