Fleur Green

This is a record of my studies and travels from 2006.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sing it Sister.

For years, I've very much enjoyed the song "It's a Man's World". My favourite interpretation thus far featured James Brown with the Louie Bellson Big Band on an album called "Soul on Top". I loved listening to this track. It would make my face contort and my stomach grow fiery.

It popped into my memory this evening as I was showering, and I thought - did James Brown write that song? I don't know why I didn't know, but I sought to find out. I hopped online, and the first entry (Wikipedia)... said, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome."

I didn't know who Betty Jean Newsome was. I was ashamed I'd not heard of her. Sadly, there was no Wikipedia link to her. But I did come across this article which posed the question that perhaps the idea, the lyrics, the music were Sister Betty Jean's and not JBs. There is ongoing litigation over this topic.

Maybe we will never know, perhaps Sister Betty has moved on, but I wonder if the potency of this song can be explained by a thought that it was a woman's work and a woman's reflection on the relationship between the sexes - sung and claimed by a man.

http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-12-18/music/it-s-a-woman-s-world/

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Playing pianos, whistling, and writing music...

It started with the initiative of the "Play me I'm yours" pianos that were stationed all around Adelaide... There was one of these free to play pianos for public use at the Central Markets opposite my apartment and I was game one day to play. I received kind words, coffee and macaroons from a stall holder after my improvisations. This delighted me.

Then I started to whistle in "The Waiting Room" at a routine checkup in my Doctor's clinic. It sparked a four-way conversation between strangers.

A couple of days later, some old colleagues got in touch asking me to whistle on a recording for them. This, also delighted me. I am now a professional whistler.

I will work with an Actor/Director soon on a one-woman show... It is in it's infancy, but will include original compositions, poems, improvisations and songs. I will use my voice, harmonica, piano, toy piano and melodica. Interdisciplinary work fascinates me and having an actor's input is fantastic.

In 2 weeks, I fly to Cambodia to write music for a show that will be premiered in the OzAsia Festival. I will work with The Sunrise Children's Village - a home for Cambodian Orphans.

There may be a trip to Japan next year.

Out of the silence, sound.