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.
The Little Drummer Boy
Beegie Adair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
When we come
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
on my drum?
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
The Little Drummer Boy is a poignant and touching Christmas song that captures the true essence and spirit of the holiday season. The lyrics talk about a young boy who is poor and has nothing to offer to the newborn King except his simple drumming skills. He asks Mary if he can play his drum for the baby Jesus, and though his gift may not be material, the love and affection he puts into his performance is the little he has to give.
This song represents the ultimate example of giving from the heart, regardless of how big or small the gesture may seem. The boy does not have any physical gift to present but offers the best he has, which is his talent. By playing his drum, he brings joy to the baby Jesus, which in turn brings him satisfaction and fulfillment. The line that stands out the most reads, "I played my best for Him," which symbolizes not only the act of offering but also the importance of giving it your all.
As the song reaches its climax, the baby Jesus smiles at the boy, which is a beautiful metaphor for acceptance and appreciation for the things we do. The Little Drummer Boy is not just a Christmas song but also a lesson on giving selflessly, no matter how small or insignificant our gifts may seem. It is about offering our talents and abilities and doing the best we can with what we have.
Line by Line Meaning
Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum
I was informed to come with the sound of a drum
Our newborn King to see, pa-rum pum pum pum
To behold the new king that has been born
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum pum pum pum
We bring the best of what we have to offer
To lay before the King pa-rum pum pum pum
To present our gifts and offerings to the King
Rum pum pum pum. rum pum pum pum
The rhythmic sound of the drum that accompanies us
So to honor Him pa-rum pum pum pum
To demonstrate respect and reverence to Him
When we come
At the time we appear before Him
Little Baby pa-rum pum pum pum
The infant King, whom we address with the sound of the drum
I am a poor boy too, pa-rum pum pum pum
I have little to give, but I come all the same
I have no gift to bring pa-rum pum pum pum
I have nothing to offer that is suitable for a King
That's fit to give our King pa- rum pum pum pum
That is worthy of being presented to our King
Shall I play for you, pa-rum pum pum pum
May I honor Him with the sound of my drum
on my drum?
By playing my music for Him
Mary nodded pa-rum pum pum pum
Mary gave her consent for me to play my drum
The Ox and Lamb kept time pa-rum pum pum pum
The animals that accompanied us, kept rhythm with my drumming
I played my drum for Him pa-rum pum pum pum
I played my drum in tribute to Him
I played my best for Him pa -rum pum pum pum
I played with my greatest ability in respect to Him
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
The unbroken rhythm of my drum portrays my devotion to Him
Then He smiled at me pa-rum pum pum pum
The King Himself looked upon me with favor
Me and my drum
My drum is my tribute, my offering, my gift to Him
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., INTERNATIONAL KORWIN CORP, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Simeone, Henry V Onorati, Katherine Kennicot Davis, Lorenzo Definti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind