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.
Sweet Lorraine
Beegie Adair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't believe it yet, but it's true,
I'll give you just one guess,
My sweet Lorraine said "yes"
Waiting for the time, soon to be,
When the bells will chime merrily,
(I'm so happy,) when it's raining I don't miss the sun,
Just think that I'm the lucky one
Who will lend her down the aisle
Each night I pray
That nobody steals her heart away,
Just can't wait until that happy day,
When I marry sweet Lorraine
Everything is set, skies are blue,
Can't believe it yet, but it's true,
I'll give you just one guess,
My sweet Lorraine said "yes"
Waiting for the time, soon to be,
When the bells will chime merrily,
(I'm so happy,) when it's raining I don't miss the sun,
For it's in my sweeties smile,
Just think that I'm the lucky one
Who will lend her down the aisle
Each night I pray
That nobody steals her heart away,
Just can't wait until that happy day,
When I marry sweet Lorraine
The lyrics of Beegie Adair's song "Sweet Lorraine" portray a story of a man who is over the moon after his sweetheart, Lorraine, accepts his proposal of marriage. The very first line indicating that everything is set and skies are blue portrays a setting of happiness and joy, which is further confirmed by the recollection of the singer's appreciation of his lover's smile, which he states is enough to make him not miss the sun even when it's raining.
The lyrics are an outpouring of the singer's happiness and joy, as he can't wait for the bells to chime and to see Lorraine walk down the aisle. He calls himself the 'lucky one' who gets to lend Lorraine down the aisle. The singer cherishes Lorraine and loves her deeply, praying each night that nobody steals her heart away.
Overall, "Sweet Lorraine" is a portrayal of a romantic love story, where the singer is head over heels in love with his sweetheart, and cannot wait to marry her. The hope and joy in the singer's emotions when he is with Lorraine resonate in the song and make it a beautiful tribute to romantic love.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is set, skies are blue,
I am feeling that everything is in place and the sky is clear.
Can't believe it yet, but it's true,
I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event, but it is certainly happening.
I'll give you just one guess,
I want you to take a guess at why I am so excited.
My sweet Lorraine said 'yes'
My beloved has agreed to my proposal.
Waiting for the time, soon to be,
I am eagerly anticipating the day when my beloved and I can be joined in holy matrimony.
When the bells will chime merrily,
The sound of bells ringing will signify the joyous occasion of our wedding day.
(I'm so happy,) when it's raining I don't miss the sun,
Even on the gloomiest days, the smile of my sweetheart brings me immense happiness.
For it's in my sweeties smile,
The source of my happiness is the radiant smile of my beloved.
Just think that I'm the lucky one
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found such a wonderful partner.
Who will lead her down the aisle
It will be my honor to walk my beloved down the aisle on our wedding day.
Each night I pray
Every evening, I offer a prayer to express my gratitude and ask for blessings for my beloved and our future together.
That nobody steals her heart away,
I hope that our love will remain strong and that no one will come between us.
Just can't wait until that happy day,
I am eagerly counting down the days until we can be united in marriage.
When I marry sweet Lorraine
Our wedding day will be the beginning of a beautiful journey together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CLIFF BURWELL, CLIFFORD BURWELL, MITCHELL PARISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind