Once in a while a musician comes along with impecca… Read Full Bio ↴Beegie Adair Bio
Once in a while a musician comes along with impeccable technique, deep understanding of the jazz repertoire, an innate tendency to swing and the rare ability to communicate the heart and soul of a tune to listeners. That musician is Beegie Adair.
About her music Adair says, “Falling in love with jazz is like falling in love with a person, except with jazz you never get over it.” About Beegie (say B-G) Adair, what do others say?
Jazz great Helen Merrill salutes her “inventive jazz sense, her wonderful sense of time and improvised melody.”
Christopher Louden of Jazz Times magazine says Adair is “an accomplished artist with a delicate touch.”
The Los Angeles Times calls her music “Elegant.”
Entertainment News writes, “Beegie Adair is one of the finest piano players in the world.”
Intrigued? So are thousands of jazz fans, who agree with critics about Adair’s sophisticated and listenable jazz performances, and who have made her recordings among the biggest sellers in the jazz world.
Citing George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner among her influences, Adair has recorded 24 CDs, ranging from Cole Porter standards to Frank Sinatra classics to romantic World War II ballads. Her 6-CD Centennial Composers Collection of tunes by Rodgers, Gershwin, Kern, Ellington, Carmichael and Berlin became an instant collectible classic when it was released in 2002.
Kentucky born and raised, Adair lives and records in Nashville – something of a surprise to people who associate the city solely with country music. In fact Nashville lives up to its “Music City” nickname by hosting a vibrant jazz scene, in which she has been a leading light for decades. A sought-after studio musician in her early days there, Adair accompanied such legendary performers as Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash – and also worked with Lucille Ball, Dinah Shore, Mama Cass Elliott and Peggy Lee.
Her guests on Improvised Thoughts, Beegie’s radio talk/music show on the local NPR affiliate, included such greats as Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Marian McPartland, Benny Golson and Helen Merrill. She has guested on McPartland’s Piano Jazz show and has performed with Nat Adderley, Bill Watrous, Lew Tabackin, Terry Clarke, Urbie Green and Jim Ferguson, among many others.
When she’s not in the studio or appearing in clubs and concert halls around the country, Adair wears a variety of hats, from adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University to teacher and mentor at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Recently she co-wrote and scored an innovative theatrical production, Betsy, which in April 2006 premiered off-Broadway in New York.
She has recorded eight projects for Village Square Records in Nashville; her most recent CDs are Sentimental Journey, a popular collection of World War II-era songs, and a solo piano recording, Quiet Romance.
She performs solo and with the Beegie Adair Trio, whose members include drummer Chris Brown, a veteran of the Maynard Ferguson ensemble, and bassist Roger Spencer, who has played with the Les Brown Band, Ray Conniff, the Page Cavanaugh Trio and Pete Jolly. They are, she says, “my main guys. They’re so tuned into the way I visualize music that it’s effortless to play with them.”
In clubs and concert venues from Los Angeles to New York, Beegie and her “main guys” win kudos from audiences and critics alike who appreciate her unique take on classic jazz. She fell in love with the music a long time ago, and indeed she’s never gotten over it -- a love affair the jazz world is much the better for.
Ain't Misbehavin'
Beegie Adair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All by myself
No one to walk with
But I'm happy on the shelf
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
I know for certain
I'm through with flirtin'
It's just you I'm thinkin' of
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
Like Jack Horner
In the corner
Don't go nowhere
What do I care?
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
Believe me
I don't stay out late
Don't care to go
I'm home about eight
Just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
Like Jack Horner
In the corner
Don't go nowhere
What do I care?
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
Believe me
I don't stay out late
Don't care to go
I'm home about eight
Just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
The lyrics of Beegie Adair's song "Ain't Misbehavin'" speaks about the virtues of monogamy and loyalty. The song is a declaration of love for a special someone and the dismissal of any potential distractions. The opening lines of the song seem to indicate that the singer is alone with no one to talk to or walk with. However, despite the initial perception of loneliness, the singer appears content and expresses that they are "happy on the shelf" - in isolation. This simple statement suggests that the singer is comfortable being alone as long as they are not unfaithful to their love.
The lyrics move on to express that the singer is certain of the one they love and that they are not interested in flirting anymore. It is clear that the one they love consumes their thoughts, and they are determined to hold on to this special love without "misbehaving." The line "I'm savin' my love for you" emphasizes the singer's loyalty to their lover, and they will not let external influences come between their love.
The verse that refers to the character Jack Horner in the corner portrays a person who is patiently waiting for their lover's return. The image it depicts is one of trust, indicating that the wait is worthwhile as the lover's kisses are worth waiting for. The final verse of the song reveals that the singer's idea of a perfect evening is to be home by eight with their radio for company. This simple joy of being at home, calm and unassailed, with their thoughts and the sweet music of their choice, paints an image of a person who is content with this simplicity and happy within themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
No one to talk with
I have no one to converse with
All by myself
I am alone
No one to walk with
I have no one to stroll with
But I'm happy on the shelf
However, I am content on my own
Ain't misbehavin'
I am behaving myself
I'm savin' my love for you
I am reserving my affection for you
I know for certain
I am positive
The one I love
The person I love
I'm through with flirtin'
I am finished with flirting with others
It's just you I'm thinkin' of
I am only thinking of you
Like Jack Horner
I am like Jack Horner
In the corner
Sitting in the corner
Don't go nowhere
I don't go anywhere
What do I care?
I don't care
Your kisses are worth waitin' for
I believe that your kisses are worth waiting for
Believe me
Trust me
I don't stay out late
I don't stay out late at night
Don't care to go
I don't want to go out
I'm home about eight
I return home around eight o'clock
Just me and my radio
I am alone with my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I am behaving myself
I'm savin' my love for you
I am reserving my affection for you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andy Razaf, Fats Waller, Harry Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stube Ring
These transcriptions are desperately needed. I can't find them in any previously published books. Keep up the great work. Thanks a mill:)
Quill Purcell
Thank you so much! I’ve dreamed of playing this song since I first heard it! I finally can now! Hope you have a wonderful day ❤️
Piotr Barcz
nice job! Could I get a midi file of this please? And you should really do Hank Jones' version of this, by far the best arrangement for me :D
Piano and Calisthenics
Purchased this one and Honeysuckle Rose. Thank you for your work!
Mike Daniels
Merveilleux ! Tu as transcrit le clip de Fats dans le film Stormy Weather. Pour ma part sa meilleure version de tous ses enregistrements.
Travail génial, la main gauche sonne parfaitement dans l'essence, merci beaucoup.
JC Canizal
This is going to take me half a year to get 😩
배상민
thank you very much!!
Al P
Thanks ! 👍
amaice
THANK YOU TE AMO
Christian A M
thanks !!!!!!!!!