Eckstine was an American jazz singer and bandleader who also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. He also performed briefly as Billy X. Stine. His nickname was Mr. B. Although best known as a singer, his openness to new music made him a strong influence on modern jazz, particularly bebop, as he gave employment to many of the musicians who founded the style.
After singing with the Earl Hines band from 1939 to 1943 he led his own band from 1944 to 1947. The band featured at various times a large number of rising jazz stars, including:
Saxophones: Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Budd Johnson, Leo Parker
Trumpets: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro
Drums: Art Blakey
Singers: Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan
Eckstine later formed an octet, then went solo, becoming a popular ballad singer while remaining an important figure in jazz. His huge, distinctive baritone made him one of the first African American singers to have mainstream success. He was the composer of the blues classic "Jelly, Jelly" and also recorded the R&B top hit "Stormy Monday Blues" in 1942 (not to be confused with T-Bone Walker's 1947 "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)"). Most of his success as a singer came with ballads, including "Everything I have is Yours", "Blue Moon", "Caravan," "Prisoner of Love," "You Go to My Head," and "That Old Black Magic". His last hit was "Passing Strangers", a duet with Sarah Vaughan released in 1957.
Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He designed and patented a high roll collar that formed a B over a Windsor-knotted tie, which became known as a Mr. B. Collar. In addition to looking cool, the collar expanded and contracted without popping open, which allowed his neck to swell while playing his horns. The collars were worn by many a hipster in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo.
Caravan
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The myst'ry of their fading light
That shines upon our caravan
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sand so I may keep
The mem'ry of our caravan
You are so inviting
Resting in my arms
As I thrill to the magic charms
Of you beside me here beneath the blue
My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert caravan
The first verse of Billy Eckstine’s song Caravan describes the serene beauty of the desert night. The imagery evoked by the night and stars create a mystical and enchanting atmosphere. The fading light that the night sky provides is what illuminates their caravan. It seems as though they are traveling through a deserted land, far from civilization. The fading light creates an ethereal effect which is indicative of a journey or a quest of some kind. The movement of the caravan across the sand links the natural world, and the journey of life. The caravan could be their sanctuary, a place of safety or escape from the world, yet it is also a reminder of a life of travel and transience.
The second verse of Caravan is essentially a love song. The singer sings to his lover to rest on his shoulder as they cross the desert. This reinforces the idea of safety and comfort, and it is likened to the journey of life. His desire to keep the memory of their caravan alive implies that their relationship is temporary, and this memory is necessary to sustain their love. The magic of their relationship is emphasized in the last two lines of the verse as they are engulfed by the beauty of the blue sky, and the dream of their love comes true. This allusion to the dream of love takes their journey beyond the physical realm and is a suggestion that their love is spiritual and eternal.
Line by Line Meaning
Night and stars above that shine so bright
The bright night sky that shines above and the stars that twinkle in the sky
The myst'ry of their fading light
The mysterious fading light of the stars above us
That shines upon our caravan
Shining upon the caravan in which they are travelling
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Sleeping while creeping across the sand
Across the sand so I may keep
Travelling across the sand to keep moving forward
The mem'ry of our caravan
The lasting memory of the journey
This is so exciting
Feeling excited about the trip
You are so inviting
Feeling attracted to the person traveling with them
Resting in my arms
Feeling comfortable in each other's arms
As I thrill to the magic charms
Feeling enchanted by the beauty of the moment
Of you beside me here beneath the blue
Sitting beside each other under the blue sky
My dream of love is coming true
Feeling like their dream of being with the other person is coming true
Within our desert caravan
The caravan is in the middle of a desert
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RACHEL MARY BERKELEY PORTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Zoohowza
on Jelly, Jelly
The “meaning” of Jelly Jelly seems to have been written by ChatGPT. Surely “jelly”, like “jelly roll” was intended in this song to refer to sex/genitalia, and not something to spread on toast.
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on Kiss Of Fire
Absolutely Absolutely Absolutely Amazing Grace his voice was"GOD"gift to us class jazz lovers listeners u'dig now can you dig dat baby,baby from da'conductor nelfoster from chocolate cle city ohio chocolate rocks...