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.
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Beegie Adair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
Likewise the man who works for fame
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name
The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment
Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant
Fall in love and you won't regret it
Holding hands at midnight
'Neath a starry sky
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if you try
Strolling with the one girl
Sighing sigh after sigh
Nice work if you can get it
And you can get it if you try
Just imagine someone
Waiting at the cottage door
Where two hearts become one
Who could ask for anything more?
Loving one who loves you
And then taking that vow
It's nice work if you can get it
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?"
Just imagine someone
Waiting at the cottage door
Where two hearts become one
Who could ask for anything more?
Loving one who loves you
And then taking that vow
Nice work if you can get it
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?"
As the title of the song suggests, Nice Work If You Can Get It, in its entirety, discusses different types of work, and how each type of work shapes an individual's life. The song establishes the dichotomy between individuals who derive joy from their work and individuals who work solely to make money, which makes their life uninspiring. The first verse states that the man who focuses only on making money does not necessarily have a sunny disposition. Similarly, the man who strives for fame cannot guarantee that their legacy will endure.
The second verse presents an alternative point of view of work - that the kind that brings undeniable happiness is one that is intended for both a boy and a girl. The chorus underscores the theme of being in love, holding hands, and strolling under starry skies. The final verse reinforces the romantic love aspect of life, emphasizing how satisfying it is to find someone waiting for you at the door of your cottage, where two hearts become one, and the long-awaited vow of eternal love is taken.
Overall, the song's message is that while work is a necessary part of life, finding someone to love and cherish is the most rewarding work anyone can ever do. The singer encourages listeners to find love, hold hands with their significant other and to never underestimate the power of romance.
Line by Line Meaning
The man who only lives for making money
A person who prioritizes earning wealth above everything else
Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny
This lifestyle doesn't guarantee happiness or contentment
Likewise the man who works for fame
Similarly, someone who only aims for recognition and popularity
There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name
Their achievements might not endure and be forgotten in the future
The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment
In reality, the sole gratifying work comes from something intended for both genders
Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant
The work that is compatible with both male and female individuals
Fall in love and you won't regret it
If you experience romance, you won't be sorry or regretful
That's the best work of all, if you can get it
This is the ultimate occupation to have, if you can obtain it
Holding hands at midnight
Gripping each other's hands at the stroke of twelve
'Neath a starry sky
Beneath a starlit firmament
Nice work if you can get it
This would be an admirable job if you were capable of securing it
And you can get it if you try
It's attainable if you put forth the necessary effort
Strolling with the one girl
Walking leisurely with a significant other who is female
Sighing sigh after sigh
Heavy, expressive breathing repeatedly
Just imagine someone
Consider or visualize an individual
Waiting at the cottage door
Standing or pausing in front of one's cottage
Where two hearts become one
Where two people's love for each other merges into one
Who could ask for anything more?
Is there anything better someone could want?
Loving one who loves you
Having affection for a person who also loves you
And then taking that vow
Making that lifelong promise to each other
And if you get it, won't you tell me how?
If you're lucky enough to obtain it, please do share your secret
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind